Jeremiah expresseth the desolation of Judah for their idolatry.

1 ¶ The wordº that² came² to² Jeremiahº concerning² all² the Jewsº which dwellºª in the landº of Egypt,º which dwellºª at Migdol,º and at Tahpanhes,º and at Noph,º and in the countryº of Pathros,º saying,ºª 2 Thus² saithºª the LORDº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel;º Ye² have seenºª² all² the evilº that² I have broughtºª upon² Jerusalem,º and upon² all² the citiesº of Judah;º and, behold,² this² dayº they [are] a desolation,º and no² man dwellethºª therein, 3 Becauseº² of their wickednessº which² they have committedºª to provoke me to anger,ºª in that they went¹ª² to burn incense,ºª [and] to serveºª otherº gods,º whom² they knewºª not,² [neither] they,² ye,² nor your fathers.º 4 Howbeit I sentºª unto² you² all² my servantsº the prophets,º rising earlyºª and sendingºª [them], saying,ºª Oh,² doºª not²² this² abominableº thingº that² I hate.ºª 5 But they hearkenedºª not,² nor² inclinedºª² their earº to turnºª from their wickedness,º² to burn² no² incense¹ª unto otherº gods.º 6 Wherefore my furyº and mine angerº was poured forth,ºª and was kindledºª in the citiesº of Judahº and in the streetsº of Jerusalem;º and they are² wastedº [and] desolate,º as at this² day.º 7 Therefore now² thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel;º Wherefore² commitºª ye² [this] greatº evilº against² your souls,º to cut offºª from you manº and woman,º childº and suckling,ºª out¹ of²² Judah,º to leaveºª you none² to remain;º 8 In that ye provoke me unto wrathºª with the worksº of your hands,º burning incenseºª unto otherº godsº in the landº of Egypt,º whither²² ye² be goneºª to dwell,ºª that² ye might cut yourselves off,ºª and that² ye might be² a curseº and a reproachº among all² the nationsº of the earth?º 9 Have ye forgottenºª² the wickednessº of your fathers,º and the wickednessº of the kingsº of Judah,º and the wickednessº of their wives,º and your own wickedness,º and the wickednessº of your wives,º which² they have committedºª in the landº of Judah,º and in the streetsº of Jerusalem?º 10 They are not² humbledºª [even] unto² this² day,º neither² have they feared,ºª nor² walkedºª in my law,º nor in my statutes,º that² I setºª beforeº you and beforeº your fathers.º

He prophesieth their destruction, who commit idolatry in Egypt.

11 ¶ Therefore² thus² saithºª the LORDº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel;º Behold,² I will setºª my faceº against you for evil,º and to cut offºª² all² Judah.º 12 And I will takeºª² the remnantº of Judah,º that² have setºª their facesº to go¹ª into² the landº of Egyptº to sojournºª there,² and they shall all² be consumed,ºª [and] fallºª in the landº of Egypt;º they shall [even] be consumedºª by the swordº [and] by the famine:º they shall die,ºª from the leastº² even unto² the greatest,º by the swordº and by the famine:º and they shall be² an execration,º [and] an astonishment,º and a curse,º and a reproach.º 13 For I will punishºª² them that dwellºª in the landº of Egypt,º as² I have punishedºª² Jerusalem,º by the sword,º by the famine,º and by the pestilence:º 14 So that none² of the remnantº of Judah,º which are goneºª into the landº of Egyptº to sojournºª there,² shall² escapeº or remain,º that they should returnºª into the landº of Judah,º to the which² they² have¹ª a desireº²² to returnºª to dwellºª there:² for² none² shall returnºª but²² such as shall escape.¹²

The obstinacy of the Jews.

15 ¶ Then all² the men¹² which knewºª that² their wivesº had burned incenseºª unto otherº gods,º and all² the womenº that stood by,ºª a greatº multitude,º even all² the peopleº that dweltºª in the landº of Egypt,º in Pathros,º answeredºª² Jeremiah,º saying,ºª 16 [As for] the wordº that² thou hast spokenºª unto² us in the nameº of the LORD,º we will not² hearkenºª unto² thee. 17 But² we will certainly¹ª doºª² whatsoever²² thingº goeth forthºª out of our own mouth,º² to burn incenseºª unto the queenº of heaven,º and to pour outºª drink offeringsº unto her, as² we have done,ºª we,² and our fathers,º our kings,º and our princes,º in the citiesº of Judah,º and in the streetsº of Jerusalem:º for [then] had we plentyºª of victuals,º and were² well,º and sawºª no² evil.º 18 But since²² we left offºª to burn incenseºª to the queenº of heaven,º and to pour outºª drink offeringsº unto her, we have wantedºª all² [things], and have been consumedºª by the swordº and by the famine.º 19 And when² we² burned incenseºª to the queenº of heaven,º and poured outºª drink offeringsº unto her, did we makeºª her cakesº to worshipºª her, and pour outºª drink offeringsº unto her, withoutº² our men?¹²

Jeremiah threateneth them for the same,

20 ¶ Then Jeremiahº saidºª unto² all² the people,º to² the men,º and to² the women,º and to² all² the peopleº which had given him [that] answer,ººª² saying,ºª 21 ² The incenseº that² ye burnedºª in the citiesº of Judah,º and in the streetsº of Jerusalem,º ye,² and your fathers,º your kings,º and your princes,º and the peopleº of the land,º did not² the LORDº rememberºª them, and cameºª it [not] into² his mind?º 22 So that the LORDº couldºª no² longer² bear,ºª becauseº² of the evilº of your doings,º [and] becauseº² of the abominationsº which² ye have committed;ºª therefore is² your landº a desolation,º and an astonishment,º and a curse,º without²² an inhabitant,ºª as at this² day.º 23 Becauseºº² ye have burned incense,ºª and because² ye have sinnedºª against the LORD,º and have not² obeyedºª the voiceº of the LORD,º nor² walkedºª in his law,º nor in his statutes,º nor in his testimonies;º therefore²² this² evilº is happened¹ª unto² you, as at this² day.º 24 Moreover Jeremiahº saidºª unto² all² the people,º and to² all² the women,º Hearºª the wordº of the LORD,º all² Judahº that² [are] in the landº of Egypt:º 25 Thus² saithºª the LORDº of hosts,º the Godº of Israel,º saying;ºª Ye² and your wivesº have both spokenºª with your mouths,º and fulfilledºª with your hand,º saying,ºª We will surely¹ª performºª² our vowsº that² we have vowed,ºª to burn incenseºª to the queenº of heaven,º and to pour outºª drink offeringsº unto her: ye will surely¹ª accomplishºª² your vows,º and surely¹ª performºª² your vows.º 26 Therefore² hearºª ye the wordº of the LORD,º all² Judahº that dwellºª in the landº of Egypt;º Behold,² I have swornºª by my greatº name,º saithºª the LORD,º that my nameº shall no² more² be² namedºª in the mouthº of any² manº of Judahº in all² the landº of Egypt,º saying,ºª The Lordº GODº liveth.º 27 Behold,² I will watchºª over² them for evil,º and not² for good:º and all² the menº of Judahº that² [are] in the landº of Egyptº shall be consumedºª by the swordº and by the famine,º until² there be an endºª of them. 28 Yet a smallº numberº that escapeº the swordº shall return² out¹ª of² the landº of Egyptº into the landº of Judah,º and all² the remnantº of Judah,º that are goneºª into the landº of Egyptº to sojournºª there,² shall knowºª whose² wordsº shall stand,ºª mine,² or theirs.²

and for a sign prophesieth the destruction of Egypt.

29 ¶ And this² [shall be] a signº unto you, saithºª the LORD,º that² I² will punishºª² you in this² place,º that² ye may knowºª that² my wordsº shall surely¹ª standºª against² you for evil:º 30 Thus² saithºª the LORD;º Behold,² I will giveºª² Pharaohhophraº kingº of Egyptº into the handº of his enemies,ºª and into the handº of them that seekºª his life;º as² I gaveºª² Zedekiahº kingº of Judahº into the handº of Nebuchadrezzarº kingº of Babylon,º his enemy,ºª and that soughtºª his life.º