The People Go to Egypt
1 I told the people everything the Lord had told me. 2 But Azariah, Johanan and some other arrogant men said to me, “You're lying! The Lord didn't tell you to say that we shouldn't go to Egypt. 3 Baruch son of Neriah must have told you to say that. He wants the Babylonians to capture us, so they can take us away to Babylonia or even kill us.”
4 Johanan, the other army officers, and everyone else refused to stay in Judah in spite of the Lord's command. 5 So Johanan and the officers led us away toward Egypt. The group that left Judah included those who had been scattered in other countries and who had then come back to live in Judah. 6 Baruch and I and others in the group had been staying with Gedaliah, because Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guard, had ordered him to take care of the king's daughters and quite a few men, women, and children.
7 The people disobeyed the Lord and went to Egypt. The group had settled in Tahpanhes, 8 when the Lord told me:
9 Jeremiah, carry some large stones to the entrance of the government building in Tahpanhes. Bury the stones underneath the brick pavement and be sure the Jews are watching.
10 Then tell them that I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, have sent for my servant, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. I will bring him here and have him set up his throne and his royal tent over these stones that I told you to bury. 11 He will attack Egypt and kill many of its people; others will die of disease or be dragged away as prisoners. 12-13 I will let him set Egypt's temples on fire, and he will either burn or carry off their idols. He will destroy the sacred monuments at the temple of the sun-god. Then Nebuchadnezzar will pick the land clean, just like a shepherd picking the lice off his clothes. And he will return safely home.
1 Nowe when Ieremiah had made an ende of speaking vnto ye whole people all the wordes of the Lord their God, for the which the Lord their God had sent him to them, euen all these wordes, 2 Then spake Azariah the sonne of Hoshaiah, and Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the proude men, saying vnto Ieremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Goe not into Egypt to dwell there, 3 But Baruch ye sonne of Neriah prouoketh thee against vs, for to deliuer vs into the hand of the Caldeans, that they might slay vs, and cary vs away captiues into Babel. 4 So Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste, and all the people obeied not the voyce of the Lord, to dwell in the lande of Iudah. 5 But Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste tooke all the remnant of Iudah, that were returned from al nations, whither they had bene driuen, to dwel in ye land of Iudah: 6 Euen men and women, and children, and the Kinges daughters, and euery person, that Nebuzar-adan the chiefe steward had left with Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, ye sonne of Shaphan, and Ieremiah the Prophet, and Baruch the sonne of Neriah. 7 So they came into the lande of Egypt: for they obeied not the voice of the Lord: thus came they to Tahpanhes. 8 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Ieremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9 Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the claie in the bricke kill, which is at the entrie of Pharaohs house in Tanpanhes in ye sight of the men of Iudah, 10 And say vnto them, Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, Beholde, I will sende and bring Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel my seruant, and will set his throne vpon these stones that I haue hid, and he shall spread his pauilion ouer them. 11 And when he shall come, he shall smite the land of Egypt: such as are appoynted for death, to death, and such as are for captiuitie, to captiuitie, and such as are for the sword to the sword. 12 And I wil kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burne them and carie them away captiues, and he shall aray himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepheard putteth on his garment, and shall depart from thence in peace. 13 He shall breake also ye images of Beth-shemesh, that is in the lande of Egypt, and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burne with fire.