Jeremiah 44:17–25

¹⁷“But rather we will certainly ^acarry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, ¹by burning incense to the ^bqueen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as ^cwe ourselves, our fathers, our kings, and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had ^dplenty of ²food and were well off and saw no evil.

¹⁸“But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ^alacked everything and have ¹met our end by the sword and by famine.”

¹⁹“And,” said the women, “when we were ^aburning incense to the queen of heaven and ¹were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it ^bwithout our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes ²in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

²⁰Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were answering him with such a word—saying,

²¹“As for the ^1asmoking sacrifices that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the ^bstreets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not Yahweh ^cremember them and did not all this come upon His heart?

²²“So Yahweh was ^ano longer able to bear it, ^bbecause of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have done; thus your land has become a ^cwaste place, an object of horror, and an imprecation, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.

²³“Because you have burned incense and have sinned against Yahweh and ^anot listened to the voice of Yahweh or ^bwalked in His law, His statutes, or His testimonies, therefore this ^cevil has befallen you, as it has this day.”

²⁴Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “^aHear the word of Yahweh, all Judah who are ^bin the land of Egypt,

²⁵thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will ^acertainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” ^1bGo ahead and establish your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’