CHAPTER 43
When Jeremiah
had finished
telling
all
the people
all
the words
of the LORD
their God—
everything that
the LORD
had sent him
to say—
then Azariah
son
of Hoshaiah,
Johanan
son
of Kareah,
and all
the arrogant
men
said
to
Jeremiah,
“You
are lying!
The LORD
our God
has not
sent
you to say,
‘You must not
go
to Egypt
to reside there.'
Rather,
Baruch
son
of Neriah
is inciting
you
against us to
hand us over to
the Chaldeans,
so that they may put us to death
or exile
us
to Babylon!”
So Johanan
son
of Kareah
and all
the commanders
of the forces
disobeyed
the command
of the LORD
to stay
in the land
of Judah.
Instead, Johanan
son
of Kareah
and all
the commanders
of the armies
took
the whole
remnant
of Judah,
those who
had returned
to the land
of Judah
from all
the nations
to which
they had been scattered,
the men,
the women,
the children,
the king’s
daughters,
and everyone
whom
Nebuzaradan
the captain
of the guard
had allowed to remain
with
Gedaliah
son
of Ahikam,
the son
of Shaphan,
as well as
Jeremiah
the prophet
and Baruch
son
of Neriah.
So they entered
the land
of Egypt
because
they did not
obey
the voice
of the LORD,
and they went
as far as
Tahpanhes.
“In the sight
of the Jews,
pick up
some large
stones
and bury them
in the clay
of the brick pavement
at the entrance
to Pharaoh’s
palace
at Tahpanhes.
Then say
to them,
‘This is what
the LORD
of Hosts,
the God
of Israel,
says:
I will send for
My servant
Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon,
and I will set
his throne
over
these
stones
that
I have embedded,
and he will spread
his royal pavilion
over them.
He will come
and strike down
the land
of Egypt,
bringing death
to those
destined for death,
captivity
to those
destined for captivity,
and the sword
to those
destined for the sword.
I will kindle
a fire
in the temples
of the gods
of Egypt,
and he will burn those temples
and take their gods as captives.
So he will wrap
himself with
the land
of Egypt
as
a shepherd
wraps himself
in his garment,
and he will depart
from there
unscathed.
He will demolish
the sacred pillars
of the temple of the sun
in Egypt,
and
he will burn down
the temples
of the gods
of Egypt.”