Jeremiah 43

The People Reject God’s Word

1 When Jeremiah finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God, everything the LORD had sent him to say.

2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men spoke up and said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to live there.’”

3 “Baruch son of Neriah is stirring you up against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans, So they can kill us or carry us off to Babylon.”

The Remnant Goes to Egypt

4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces, and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD to remain in the land of Judah.

5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders took the entire remnant of Judah, Those who had returned from all the nations where they had been scattered to live in the land of Judah.

6 The men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and everyone Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, Including Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.

7 So they went to the land of Egypt, because they did not listen to the LORD. They entered as far as Tahpanhes.

Nebuchadnezzar Will Conquer Egypt

8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes:

9 “Take large stones in your hands and bury them in the mortar at the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes, In the sight of the men of Judah.”

10 Then say to them, “This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones I have hidden, And he will spread his royal canopy over them.”

11 “He will come and strike the land of Egypt, Those destined for death, to death; Those for captivity, to captivity; Those for the sword, to the sword.”

12 “I will set fire to the temples of Egypt’s gods. He will burn them down and carry them away captive. He will wrap himself in the land of Egypt like a shepherd wraps himself in a cloak, And he will leave from there in peace.”

13 “He will smash the sacred pillars of the sun temple in the land of Egypt, And the temples of Egypt’s gods will be burned with fire.”