Jeremiah 42

¹ Then al the military leaders, in particular Johanan son of Kareah and Azariah son of Hoshaiah, and althe people from least to greatest, approached

² the prophet Jeremiah and said, 'Please hear our petition and intercede with Yahweh your God for usand for al this remnant -- and how few of us are left out of many, your own eyes can see-

³ so that Yahweh your God may show us the way we are to go and what we must do.'

⁴ The prophet Jeremiah replied, 'I hear you; I will indeed pray to Yahweh your God as you ask; andwhatever answer Yahweh your God gives you, I wil tel you, keeping nothing back from you.'

⁵ They in their turn said to Jeremiah, 'May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do notfol ow the instructions that Yahweh your God sends us through you.

⁶ Whether we like it or not, we shal obey the voice of Yahweh our God to whom we are sending you, sothat we may prosper by obeying the voice of Yahweh our God.'

⁷ Ten days later the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah.

⁸ He then summoned Johanan son of Kareah and al the military leaders who were with him, and al thepeople from least to greatest,

⁹ and said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, to whom you deputed me to present your petition says this,

¹⁰ "If you wil only stay in this country, I shal build you and not overthrow you; I shal plant you and notuproot you, for I am sorry about the disaster I have inflicted on you.

¹¹ Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you fear now; do not fear him, Yahweh declares, for Iam with you to save you and rescue you from his clutches.

¹² I shal take pity on you, so that he pities you and lets you return to your native soil.

¹³ But if you say: We will not stay in this country; if you disobey the voice of Yahweh your God,

¹⁴ and say: No, Egypt is where we shal go, where we shall not see war or hear the trumpet-cal or goshort of food; that is where we want to live;

¹⁵ in that case, remnant of Judah, listen to Yahweh's word: Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says this: Ifyou are determined to go to Egypt, and if you do go and settle there,

¹⁶ the sword you fear wil overtake you there in Egypt, and there you wil die.

¹⁷ Yes, al those who are determined to go to Egypt and settle there, wil die by sword, famine andplague: not a single one of them wil survive or escape the disaster I shal inflict on them.

¹⁸ Yes, Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Just as my furious anger was poured out on theinhabitants of Jerusalem, so wil my fury be poured out on you if you go to Egypt: you wil become an object ofexecration and horror, a curse, a laughing-stock; and you wil never see this place again."

¹⁹ Remnant of Judah, Yahweh has told you, "Do not go into Egypt." Understand clearly that today I havegiven you a solemn warning.

²⁰ You were not being sincere when you sent me to Yahweh your God and said, "Intercede for us withYahweh our God; tell us exactly what Yahweh our God says and we wil do it."

²¹ Today I have told you, but you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh your God or any part of themessage he sent me to give you.

²² So understand this clearly: you wil die by sword, famine and plague in the place where you want togo and settle.'