Chapter 42

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,⁴

And said⁴ unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted⁴ before thee, and pray¹⁰⁰ for us unto the LORD thy God, [even] for all this remnant; (for we are left⁸ [but] a few of many,⁵³ as thine eyes do behold⁶ us:)

That the LORD thy God may shew⁵⁵ us the way wherein we may walk,⁴ and the thing that we may do.⁴

Then Jeremiah the prophet said⁴ unto them, I have heard¹ [you]; behold, I will pray¹⁰² unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, [that] whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer⁴ you, I will declare⁵⁵ [it] unto you; I will keep nothing back⁴ from you.

Then they said¹ to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful¹² witness between us, if we do⁴ not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send⁴ thee to us.

Whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil, we will obey⁴ the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send⁶ thee; that it may be well⁴ with us, when we obey⁴ the voice of the LORD our God.

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

Then called⁴ he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which [were] with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

And said⁴ unto them, Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent¹ me to present⁵³ your supplication before him;

If ye will still² abide⁴ in this land, then will I build¹ you, and not pull [you] down,⁴ and I will plant¹ you, and not pluck [you] up:⁴ for I repent⁸ me of the evil that I have done¹ unto you.

Be not afraid⁴ of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid⁴ of him, saith⁷ the LORD: for I [am] with you to save⁵³ you, and to deliver⁵³ you from his hand.

And I will shew⁴ mercies unto you, that he may have mercy¹⁴ upon you, and cause you to return⁵² to your own land.

But if ye say,⁶ We will not dwell⁴ in this land, neither obey² the voice of the LORD your God,

Saying,² No; but we will go⁴ into the land of Egypt, where we shall see⁴ no war, nor hear⁴ the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger⁴ of bread; and there will we dwell:⁴

And now therefore hear³ the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly² set⁴ your faces to enter into² Egypt, and go¹ to sojourn² there;

Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake⁵⁵ you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid,⁶ shall follow close⁴ after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.⁴

So shall it be with all the men that set¹ their faces to go into² Egypt to sojourn² there; they shall die⁴ by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring⁵⁶ upon them.

For thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth⁸ upon the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth⁴ upon you, when ye shall enter into² Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see⁴ this place no more.

The LORD hath said¹⁴ concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go⁴ ye not into Egypt: know⁴ certainly² that I have admonished⁵² you this day.

For ye dissembled⁵² in your hearts, when ye sent¹ me unto the LORD your God, saying,² Pray¹⁰⁰ for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say,⁴ so declare⁵⁴ unto us, and we will do¹ [it].

And [now] I have this day declared⁵⁵ [it] to you; but ye have not obeyed¹ the voice of the LORD your God, nor any [thing] for the which he hath sent¹ me unto you.

Now therefore know⁴ certainly² that ye shall die⁴ by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire¹ to go² [and] to sojourn.²