42
1 Then
all the captains
of the forces,
and Johanan the
son of Kareah,
and Jezaniah the
son of Hoshaiah,
and all the
people from the
least even to
the greatest, came
near,
2 and said
to Jeremiah the
prophet, “Please
let our
supplication be
presented before
you, and pray
for us to
the LORD your
God, even for
all this remnant,
for we are
left but a
few of many,
as your eyes
see us,
3 that
the LORD your
God may show
us the way
in which we
should walk, and
the things that
we should do.”
4 Then
Jeremiah the
prophet said to
them, “I have
heard you. Behold,
I will pray
to the LORD
your God according
to your words;
and it will
happen that
whatever thing the
LORD answers you,
I will declare
it to you.
I will keep
nothing back from
you.”
5 Then
they said to
Jeremiah, “May the
LORD be a
true and faithful
witness among us,
if we don’t
do according to
all the word
with which the
LORD your God
sends you to
tell us.
6 Whether it
is good, or whether
it is bad,
we will obey
the voice of
the LORD our
God, to whom
we send you;
that it may
be well with
us, when we
obey the voice
of the LORD
our God.”
7 After
ten days, the
LORD’s word came
to Jeremiah.
8 Then
he called Johanan
the son of
Kareah, and all
the captains of
the forces who
were with him,
and all the
people from the
least even to
the greatest,
9 and said
to them, “The
LORD, the God
of Israel, to
whom you sent
me to present
your supplication
before him, says:
10 ‘If
you will still
live in this land,
then I will
build you, and
not pull you
down, and I
will plant you,
and not pluck
you up; for
I grieve over the
distress that I
have brought on
you.
11 Don’t be
afraid of the
king of Babylon,
of whom you
are afraid. Don’t
be afraid of
him,’ says the
LORD, ‘for I
am with you
to save you,
and to deliver
you from his
hand.
12 I
will grant you
mercy, that he
may have mercy
on you, and
cause you to
return to your own
land.
13 “ ‘But if
you say, “We
will not dwell
in this land,” so
that you don’t
obey the LORD
your God’s voice,
14 saying, “No, but we will go
into the land of
Egypt, where we
will see no
war, nor hear
the sound of
the trumpet, nor
have hunger of
bread; and there
we will dwell;” ’
15 now
therefore hear the
LORD’s word, O
remnant of Judah!
The LORD of
Armies, the God
of Israel, says,
‘If you indeed
set your faces
to enter into
Egypt, and go
to live there,
16 then
it will happen
that the sword,
which you fear,
will overtake you
there in the land
of Egypt; and
the famine, about
which you are
afraid, will
follow close
behind you there
in Egypt; and
you will die
there.
17 So
will it be
with all the
men who set
their faces to
go into Egypt
to live there.
They will die
by the sword,
by the famine,
and by the
pestilence. None
of them will
remain or escape
from the evil
that I will
bring on them.’
18 For
the LORD of
Armies, the God
of Israel, says:
‘As my anger
and my wrath
has been poured
out on the
inhabitants of
Jerusalem, so my
wrath will be
poured out on
you, when you enter
into Egypt; and
you will be
an object of
horror, an
astonishment, a
curse, and a
reproach; and you
will see this
place no more.’
19 “The
LORD has spoken
concerning you,
remnant of Judah,
‘Don’t go into
Egypt!’ Know
certainly that I
have testified to
you today.
20 For
you have
dealt deceitfully against
your own souls;
for you sent
me to the
LORD your God,
saying, ‘Pray for
us to the
LORD our God;
and according to
all that the
LORD our God says,
so declare to
us, and we
will do it.’
21 I
have declared it
to you today;
but you have
not obeyed the
LORD your God’s
voice in anything
for which he
has sent me
to you.
22 Now
therefore know
certainly that you
will die by
the sword, by
the famine, and
by the pestilence
in the place
where you desire
to go to
live.”