Chapter 43

In Egypt Jeremiah Warns of Judgment

1 But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the Lord their God had sent, had afinished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God—that is, all these words—

2 Azariah the ason of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are btelling a lie! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’;

3 but aBaruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.”

4 So aJohanan the son of Kareah and all the 1commanders of the forces, and all the people, bdid not obey the voice of the Lord to cstay in the land of Judah.

5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the 1commanders of the forces took the aentire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah—

6 the men, the women, the 1children, the aking’s daughters and bevery person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam 2and grandson of Shaphan, together with cJeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah—

7 and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the Lord) and went in as far as aTahpanhes.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in aTahpanhes, saying,

9 “Take some large stones in your 1hands and hide them in the mortar in the 2brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh’s 3palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of 4some of the Jews;

10 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am going to send and get aNebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, bMy servant, and I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his ccanopy over them.

11 “He will also come and astrike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and bthose for the sword to the sword.

12 “And 1I shall set fire to the temples of the agods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will bwrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely.

13 “He will also shatter the 1obelisks of 2Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire.” ’ ”