Jeremiah 42

1. Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came near.

2. And they said to Jeremiah the prophet, “We beseech you, let our supplication be pleasing to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant, (for we are left but a few out of many, as your eyes behold us,)

3. That the LORD your God may show us the way in which we may walk, and the thing that we may do.”

4. And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall be, all the word the LORD shall answer, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”

5. And they said to Jeremiah, “Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not do even according to all things for which the LORD your God shall send you to us.

6. Whether it is good, or whether it is evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to Whom we send you; so that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

7. And it came to pass after ten days, the Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

8. And he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the commanders of the forces with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest.

9. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to Whom you sent me to present your petition before Him,

10. ‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and will not pull you down. And I will plant you and will not pluck you up. For I repent of the evil that I have done to you.

11. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not be afraid of him,’ says the LORD. ‘For I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.

12. And I will show compassion to you, so that he may have compassion on you and cause you to return to your own land.’

13. But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land, nor obey the voice of the LORD your God,’

14. Saying, ‘No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, or hear the sound of the ram’s horn, or hunger for bread; and there we will dwell;’

15. Then now hear the Word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you surely set your faces to go into Egypt, and go to live there,

16. Then it will come to pass, the sword which you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt. And the famine that you dread shall follow after you there in Egypt; and you shall die there.

17. So it shall be to all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live there. They shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. And none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.’

18. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘As My anger and My fury has been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall My fury be poured forth upon you when you shall enter into Egypt. And you shall be a curse, and a wonder, and a shame, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.’

19. The LORD has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go into Egypt.’ Know certainly that I have warned you this day.

20. For you dealt deceitfully against your souls when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do it.’

21. And I have declared it to you today; but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor anything for which He has sent me to you.

22. And therefore know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague, in the place where you desire to go to live.”