A Warning against Going to Egypt

1And they came near—all the captains of the forces, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Jezaniah† and son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least even to the greatest, 2and they said to Jeremiah the prophet: “Please, let our supplication fall before your face, and pray for us to YHWH your God, on behalf of all this remnant—since we have left remaining a few of the many, as your eyes can see with us— 3that YHWH your God may present to us the way in which we should walk in it, and the thing that we should do.

4And Jeremiah the prophet said to them: “I have heard;” behold, I will pray to YHWH your⁺ God according to your⁺ words; and it will come to pass that every word that YHWH answers you⁺, I will declare to you⁺—I will not withhold from you⁺ a word.

5And they said to Jeremiah: “May YHWH be against us as a true and faithful witness, if according to every word that YHWH your God sends you to us, we do not thus. 6Whether good or whether bad, to the voice of YHWH our God, to whom we are sending you, we will listen, so that it may be good for us when we listen to the voice of YHWH our God.

7And it came to pass after ten days that the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah. 8And he called to Johanan son of Kareah, and to all the captains of the forces that were with him, and to all the people, from the least even to the greatest,

9and said to them: “Thus says YHWH the God of Israel to Him to whom you⁺ sent me to cause your⁺ supplication to fall before His face: 10‘If, turning back, you⁺ will dwell in this land, then I will build you⁺ up and not pull you down, and I will plant you⁺ and not pluck you up; for I will relent concerning the disaster that I have done to you⁺.

11You⁺ shall not be afraid before the face of the king of Babylon, whom you⁺ are afraid of him. Do not be afraid of him, a declaration of YHWH, for I am with you⁺ to save you⁺ and to deliver you⁺ from his hand! 12And I will give to you⁺ compassion, that he may have compassion on you⁺ and return you⁺ to your⁺ own land.’

13And if you⁺ are saying ‘We do not dwell in this land, so as not to listen to the voice of YHWH your⁺ God, 14saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, and the voice of the shofar will we not hear, and we will not be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell,’ 15then now thus will you hear the word of YHWH, O remnant of Judah! Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you⁺ really set your⁺ faces to go to Egypt, and to go to dwell there, 16then it will come to pass that the sword that you⁺ were afraid of it, will overtake you⁺ there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you⁺ were afraid, will follow close after you⁺ there in Egypt, and there you⁺ will die! 17And will it come to pass with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there, that they will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, and will there be of them no survivor or escapee from the disaster that I am bringing upon them!’

18For thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As My anger and My fury were poured out on those dwelling in Jerusalem, so My fury will be poured out on you⁺ in your⁺ coming to Egypt. And you⁺ will become as an object of cursing, and as a horror, and as a curse, and a reproach; and you⁺ will not see this place again.

19YHWH has said concerning you⁺, O remnant of Judah: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Know you⁺ for sure that I have given a warning to you⁺ this day 20that you⁺ have gone astray in your⁺ souls, when you⁺ sent me to YHWH your⁺ God, saying, ‘Pray on our behalf to YHWH our God, and according to all that YHWH your God says, so declare it to us, and we will do it!

21And I have declared it to you⁺ this day, and you⁺ have not listened to the voice of YHWH your⁺ God, and in all that He has sent me to you⁺. 22And now, know you⁺ for sure that by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence you⁺ will die in the place where you⁺ delight to go to dwell there.