Jeremiah, 42

1. Then all the army leaders, Johanan, son of Kareah, Azariah, son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, high and low, approached the prophet Jeremiah

1. Then all the military leaders, in particular Johanan son of Kareah and Azariah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from least to greatest, approached

2. and said, "Grant our petition; pray for us to the LORD, your God, for all this remnant. We are now few who once were many, as you well see.

2. the prophet Jeremiah and said, 'Please hear our petition and intercede with Yahweh your God for us and for all this remnant -- and how few of us are left out of many, your own eyes can see-

3. Let the LORD, your God, show us what way we should take and what we should do."

3. so that Yahweh your God may show us the way we are to go and what we must do.'

4. Very well! the prophet Jeremiah answered them: I will pray to the LORD, your God, as you desire; whatever the LORD answers you, I will tell you; I will withhold nothing from you.

4. The prophet Jeremiah replied, 'I hear you; I will indeed pray to Yahweh your God as you ask; and whatever answer Yahweh your God gives you, I will tell you, keeping nothing back from you.'

5. And they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be our witness: we will truly and faithfully follow all the instructions the LORD, your God, will send us.

5. They in their turn said to Jeremiah, 'May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not follow the instructions that Yahweh your God sends us through you.

6. Whether it is pleasant or difficult, we will obey the command of the LORD, our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us for obeying the command of the LORD, our God."

6. Whether we like it or not, we shall obey the voice of Yahweh our God to whom we are sending you, so that we may prosper by obeying the voice of Yahweh our God.'

7. Ten days passed before the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

7. Ten days later the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah.

8. Then he called Johanan, son of Kareah, his army leaders, and all the people, high and low,

8. He then summoned Johanan son of Kareah and all the military leaders who were with him, and all the people from least to greatest,

9. and said to them: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to offer your prayer:

9. and said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, to whom you deputed me to present your petition says this,

10. If you remain quietly in this land I will build you up, and not tear you down; I will plant you, not uproot you; for I regret the evil I have done you.

10. "If you will only stay in this country, I shall build you and not overthrow you; I shall plant you and not uproot you, for I am sorry about the disaster I have inflicted on you.

11. Do not fear the king of Babylon, before whom you are now afraid; do not fear him, says the LORD, for I am with you to save you, to rescue you from his power.

11. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you fear now; do not fear him, Yahweh declares, for I am with you to save you and rescue you from his clutches.

12. I will grant you mercy, so that he will be sorry for you and let you return to your land.

12. I shall take pity on you, so that he pities you and lets you return to your native soil.

13. But if you disobey the voice of the LORD, your God, and decide not to remain in this land,

13. But if you say: We will not stay in this country; if you disobey the voice of Yahweh your God,

14. saying, "No, we will go to Egypt, where we will see no more of war, hear the trumpet alarm no longer, nor hunger for bread; there we will live";

14. and say: No, Egypt is where we shall go, where we shall not see war or hear the trumpet-call or go short of food; that is where we want to live;

15. then listen to the word of the LORD, remnant of Judah: Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you are determined to go to Egypt, when you arrive there to stay,

15. in that case, remnant of Judah, listen to Yahweh's word: Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says this: If you are determined to go to Egypt, and if you do go and settle there,

16. the sword you fear shall reach you in the land of Egypt; the hunger you dread shall cling to you no less in Egypt, and there you shall die.

16. the sword you fear will overtake you there in Egypt, and there you will die.

17. All those men who determine to go to Egypt to stay, shall die by the sword, famine, and pestilence; not one shall survive or escape the evil that I will bring upon them.

17. Yes, all those who are determined to go to Egypt and settle there, will die by sword, famine and plague: not a single one of them will survive or escape the disaster I shall inflict on them.

18. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Just as my furious anger was poured out upon the citizens of Jerusalem, so shall my anger be poured out on you when you reach Egypt. You shall become an example of malediction and horror, a curse and a reproach, and you shall never see this place again.

18. Yes, Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Just as my furious anger was poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will my fury be poured out on you if you go to Egypt: you will become an object of execration and horror, a curse, a laughing-stock; and you will never see this place again."

19. It is the LORD who has spoken to you, remnant of Judah; do not go to Egypt! You can never say that I did not warn you this day.

19. Remnant of Judah, Yahweh has told you, "Do not go into Egypt." Understand clearly that today I have given you a solemn warning.

20. At the cost of your lives you have deceived me, sending me to the LORD, your God, saying, "Pray for us to the LORD, our God; make known to us all that the LORD, our God, shall say, and we will do it."

20. You were not being sincere when you sent me to Yahweh your God and said, "Intercede for us with Yahweh our God; tell us exactly what Yahweh our God says and we will do it."

21. Today I proclaim his message, but you obey the voice of the LORD, your God, in nothing that he has commissioned me to make known to you.

21. Today I have told you, but you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh your God or any part of the message he sent me to give you.

22. Have no doubt of this, you shall die by the sword, famine, and pestilence in the place where you wish to go and settle.

22. So understand this clearly: you will die by sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go and settle.'