5)
The dishonesty of the remnant and the leaders in asking Jeremiah to pray for them
42:1—43:7
Jer. 42
:1
42:1
And all the captains of the forces and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah and all the people, from the small even unto the great, came near
Jer. 42
:2
42:2
And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our supplication come before you, and
apray for us to Jehovah your God for all this remnant — for we are left
only a few out of many, as your eyes see us —
Jer. 42
:3
42:3
That Jehovah your God may tell us the way in which we should go and the thing which we should do.
Jer. 42
:4
42:4
Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard. I will pray to Jehovah your God according to your words; and whatever Jehovah answers you, I will tell you; I will not withhold anything from you.
Jer. 42
:5
42:5
And they said to Jeremiah, May Jehovah be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not do according to every word with which Jehovah your God sends you to us.
Jer. 42
:6
42:6
Whether it is good or whether it is evil, we will listen to the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send you, that it may be well with us, when we listen to the voice of Jehovah our God.
Jer. 42
:7
42:7
And at the end of ten days the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah.
Jer. 42
:8
42:8
Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him and all the people, from the small even unto the great,
Jer. 42
:9
42:9
And said to them, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before Him:
Jer. 42
:10
42:10
If you will still remain in this land, I will
abuild you up and not tear
you down, and I will plant you and not pluck
you up; for I repent of the evil which I have done to you.
Jer. 42
:11
42:11
Do not fear the king of Babylon, whom you fear. Do not fear him, declares Jehovah, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.
Jer. 42
:12
42:12
And I will show compassions to you, that he may have compassion on you and may bring you back to your own land.
Jer. 42
:13
42:13
But if you say, We will not remain in this land, so that you do not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God,
Jer. 42
:14
42:14
Saying, No, but we will go to the land of
1Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there;
Jer. 42
:15
42:15
Then hear now the word of Jehovah, O remnant of Judah: Thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, If indeed you set your faces to go to
aEgypt and go to sojourn there,
Jer. 42
:16
42:16
Then the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, about which you are worried, will follow hard after you there in Egypt; and you will die there.
Jer. 42
:17
42:17
And all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt, to sojourn there, will die by sword, by famine, and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or any who have escaped from the evil which I will bring on them.
Jer. 42
:18
42:18
For thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, As My anger and My wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. And you will become an execration and an astonishment and a curse and a reproach, and you will see this place no more.
Jer. 42
:19
42:19
Jehovah has spoken concerning you, O remnant of Judah, Do not go to Egypt! Know assuredly that today I have testified against you,
Jer. 42
:20
42:20
That you deceived yourselves when you sent me to Jehovah your God, saying, Pray for us to Jehovah our God, and whatever Jehovah our God says, tell this to us, and we will do
it.
Jer. 42
:21
42:21
And today I have told you, but you have not listened to the voice of Jehovah your God in anything for which He has sent me to you.
Jer. 42
:22
42:22
And now therefore know assuredly that you will die by sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go and sojourn.
