1 Jeremiah Taken to Egypt But it happened that as soon as Jeremiah, whom Yahweh their God had sent, had finished speaking to all the people all the words of Yahweh their God—that is, all these words—
2 Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are speaking a lie! Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to sojourn there’;
3 but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.”
4 So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the 43:4Or princes commanders of the military forces and all the people did not listen to the voice of Yahweh to stay in the land of Judah.
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the 43:5Or princes commanders of the military forces took the entire remnant of Judah, who had returned from all the nations to which they had been banished, in order to sojourn in the land of Judah—
6 the men, the women, the little ones, the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam 43:6Lit the son and grandson of Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah—
7 and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh) and went in as far as Tahpanhes.
8 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9 “Takesomelarge stones in your 43:9Lit hand hands and hide them in the mortar in the 43:9Or brickwork brickterracewhich is at the entrance of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of 43:9Lit men someof theJews;
10 and you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I am going to set his thronerightover these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them.
11 He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who aremeantfor deathwill be given overto death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword.
12 And 43:12Some ancient versions He will set I shall set fire to the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely.
13 He will also shatter the 43:13Or obelisks sacredpillars of 43:13The house of the sun-god; Heb Beth-shemesh Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire.” ’ ”