1
When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God -
everything the LORD had sent him to tell them -
2
Azaraiah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and
all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying!
The LORD our God has not sent you to say,
'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.'
3
But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over
to the Babylonians, so they may killus or carry us into exile to Babylon."
4
So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers
and all the people disobeyed the LORD's command
to stay in the land of Judah.
5
Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away
all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah
from all the nations where they had been scattered.
6
They also led away all the men, women and children and the king's daughters
whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah
son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,
and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.
7
So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes.
8
In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
9
"While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them
in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Phraoh's palace in Tahpanhes.
10
Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and
I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here;
he will spread his royal canopy above them.
11
He will come and attack Egypt, bringing
death to those destined for death,
captivity to those destined for captivity, and
the sword to those destined for the sword.
12
He will set fire to the temples of gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples
and take their gods captive. As a shepherd wraps his garment around him,
so will he wrap Egypt around himself and depart from there unscathed.
13
There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars
and will burn down the temples of the gods Egypt.' "
