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43 So Jeremiah finished telling the people the message from the Lord their God; he told them everything the Lord their God had sent him to tell them.

Azariah son of Hoshaiah [42:1], Johanan son of Kareah, and some other men were ·too proud [arrogant]. They said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to ·live [sojourn; wander] there.’ Baruch son of Neriah [C Jeremiah’s assistant; chs. 35; 45] is causing you to be against us. He wants you to hand us over to the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] so they can kill us or ·capture us and take [exile] us to Babylon.”

So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people ·disobeyed the Lord’s command [did not listen to the voice of the Lord] to stay in Judah. But Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers ·led away [L took] ·those who were left alive from [the remnant of] Judah. They were the people who had ·run away from the Babylonians [been driven] to other countries but then had ·come back to live in [returned to] Judah. They ·led away [L took] the men, women, and children, and the king’s daughters. Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had ·put Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of those people [L left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan; C who had been appointed governor]. Johanan also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. These people did not listen to the voice of the Lord. So they all went to Egypt to the city of Tahpanhes [C in the eastern region of the Nile Delta].

In Tahpanhes the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: “Take some large stones. Bury them in the clay in the brick pavement in front of the ·king of Egypt’s palace [L house of Pharaoh] in Tahpanhes. Do this ·while the Jews are watching you [L before the eyes of the Judeans]. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will soon send for my servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones I have buried, and he will spread his ·covering for shade [canopy] above them. 11 He will come here and ·attack [L strike] Egypt. He will bring death to those who are supposed to die. He will make ·prisoners [exiles] of those who are to be ·taken captive [exiled], and he will bring ·war to [L to the sword] those who are to be killed with a sword. 12 Nebuchadnezzar will ·set [kindle a] fire to the ·temples [L houses] of the gods of Egypt and burn them. And he will take ·the idols [L them] away as captives. As a shepherd ·wraps himself in [or picks lice from] his clothes, so Nebuchadnezzar ·will wrap Egypt around him [or picks the land of Egypt clean]. Then he will safely leave Egypt. 13 He will ·destroy [break] the stone pillars in the ·temple [L house] of the sun god in Egypt, and he will burn ·down [L with fire] the ·temples [L houses] of the gods of Egypt.’”

43 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them(A) Azariah son of Hoshaiah(B) and Johanan(C) son of Kareah and all the arrogant(D) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!(E) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’(F) But Baruch(G) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”(H)

So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people(I) disobeyed the Lord’s command(J) to stay in the land of Judah.(K) Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.(L) They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,(M) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch(N) son of Neriah along with them. So they entered Egypt(O) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.(P)

In Tahpanhes(Q) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones(R) with you and bury them in clay in the brick(S) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace(T) in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant(U) Nebuchadnezzar(V) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne(W) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy(X) above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt,(Y) bringing death(Z) to those destined(AA) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,(AB) and the sword to those destined for the sword.(AC) 12 He will set fire(AD) to the temples(AE) of the gods(AF) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.(AG) As a shepherd picks(AH) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[b](AI) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars(AJ) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 43:3 Or Chaldeans
  2. Jeremiah 43:13 Or in Heliopolis

43 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:

But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah.

But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;

Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

10 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

11 And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

12 And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

13 He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.