Jeremiah 44:17–25

¹⁷“But rather we will certainly ^acarry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, ¹by burning ²sacrifices to the ^bqueen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as ^cwe ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had ^dplenty of ³food and were well off and saw no ⁴misfortune.

¹⁸“But since we stopped burning ¹sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ^alacked everything and have ²met our end by the sword and by famine.”

¹⁹“And,” said the women, “when we were ^aburning ¹sacrifices to the queen of heaven and ²were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it ^bwithout our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes ³in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Calamity for the Jews

²⁰Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying,

²¹“As for the ^1asmoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the ^bstreets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord ^cremember them and did not all this come into His ²mind?

²²“So the Lord was ^ano longer able to endure it, ^bbecause of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ^cruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.

²³“Because you have burned ¹sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and ^anot obeyed the voice of the Lord or ^bwalked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this ^ccalamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”

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

²⁵thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘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 ¹sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” ^2bGo ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’