Then all the 1commanders
of the forces
, aJohanan
the son
of Kareah
, Jezaniah
the son
of Hoshaiah
, and all
the people
bboth
small
and great
approached
and said to Jeremiah
the prophet
, "Please
let our apetition
1come
before
you, and bpray
for us to the LORD
your God
, that is for all
this
remnant
; because
we are left
but a cfew
out of many
, as your own eyes
now see
us,
that the LORD your God
may tell
us the away
in which
we should walk
and the thing
that we should do
."
Then Jeremiah the prophet
said
to them, "I have heard
you. Behold
, I am going to apray
to the LORD
your God
in accordance with your words
; and I will tell
you the whole
1message
which
the bLORD
will answer
you. I will cnot keep
back
a word
from you."
Then they said to Jeremiah
, "May the aLORD
be a true
and faithful
witness
against us if
we do not act
in accordance with the whole
1message
with which
the LORD
your God
will send
you to us.
"Whether it is 1pleasant
or
2unpleasant
, we will alisten
to the voice
of the LORD
our God
to whom
we are sending
you, so
that it may go
bwell
with us when
we listen
to the voice
of the LORD
our God
."
Now at the aend of ten
days
the word
of the LORD
came
to Jeremiah
.
Then he called for Johanan
the son
of Kareah
and all
the 1commanders
of the forces
that were with him, and for all
the people
both
small
and great
,
and said to them, "Thus
asays
the LORD
the God
of Israel
, to whom
you sent
me to present
your petition
before
Him:
`If you will indeed
stay
in this
land
, then I will abuild
you up and not tear
you down
, and I will plant
you and not uproot
you; for I 1will brelent
concerning
the calamity
that I have inflicted
on you.
` aDo not be afraid of the king
of Babylon
, whom
you are now fearing
; do not be afraid
of him,' declares
the LORD
, `for bI am with you to save
you and deliver
you from his hand
.
`I will also show you compassion
, so that ahe will have
compassion
on you and restore
you to your own soil
.
`But if you are going to say
, "We will anot stay
in this
land
," so as not to listen
to the voice
of the LORD
your God
,
saying, "No
, but we will ago
to the land
of Egypt
, where
we will not see
war
or bhear
the sound
of a trumpet
or hunger
for bread
, and we will stay
there
";
then 1in that case listen
to the word
of the LORD
, O remnant
of Judah
. Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, "If
you really
set
your 2mind
to enter
aEgypt
and go
in to reside
there
,
then the asword, which
you are afraid
of, will overtake
you there
in the land
of Egypt
; and the famine
, about which
you are anxious
, will follow
closely
after
you there
in Egypt
, and you will die
there
.
"So all the men
who
set
their 1mind
to go
to Egypt
to reside
there
will die
by the asword
, by famine
and by pestilence
; and they will bhave
no
survivors
or refugees
from the calamity
that I am going to bring
on them.""'
For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, "As My aanger
and wrath
have been poured
out on the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, so
My wrath
will be poured
out on you when you enter
Egypt
. And you will become
a bcurse
, an object
of horror
, an imprecation
and a reproach
; and cyou will see
this
place
no
more
."
The LORD has spoken
to you, O remnant
of Judah
, "Do not ago
into Egypt
!" You should clearly
bunderstand
that today
I have ctestified
against you.
For you have only 1 adeceived yourselves
; for it is you who sent
me to the LORD
your God
, saying
, "Pray
for us to the LORD
our God
; and whatever
the LORD
our God
says
, tell
us so
, and we will do
it."
So I have atold you today
, but you have bnot 1obeyed
the LORD
your God
, even in whatever
He has sent
me to tell you.
Therefore you should now clearly
understand
that you will adie
by the sword
, by famine
and by pestilence
, in the bplace
where
you wish
to go
to reside
.