1 Then all the captains 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 said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we pray you, our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to Yahweh your God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us:
3 that Yahweh your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.
4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard you{+}; look, I will pray to Yahweh your{+} God according to your{+} words; and it will come to pass that whatever thing Yahweh will answer you{+}, I will declare it to you{+}; I will keep nothing back from you{+}.
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, Yahweh be a true and faithful witness among us, if we do not do according to all the word with which Yahweh your God will send you to us.
6 Whether it is good, or whether it is evil, we will obey the voice of Yahweh our God, to whom we send you; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Yahweh our God.
7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah.
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 least even to the greatest,
9 and said to them, This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, to whom you{+} sent me to present your{+} supplication before him:
10 If you{+} will still remain in this land, then I will build you{+}, and not pull you{+} down, and I will plant you{+}, and not pluck you{+} up; for I repent of the evil that I have done to you{+}.
11 Don't be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you{+} are afraid; don't be afraid of him, says Yahweh: for I am with you{+} to save you{+}, and to deliver you{+} from his hand.
12 And I will grant you{+} mercy, that he may have mercy on you{+}, and he will let you{+} return to your{+} own land.
13 But if you{+} say, We will not dwell in this land; so that you{+} do not obey the voice of Yahweh your{+} God,
14 saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we will see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there we will dwell:
15 now therefore hear{+} the word of Yahweh, O remnant of Judah: Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, If you{+} indeed set your{+} faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
16 then it will come to pass, that the sword, which you{+} fear, will overtake you{+} there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, of which you{+} are afraid, will stick [closely] after you{+} there in Egypt; and there you{+} will die.
17 So it will be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there: they will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.
18 For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath has been poured forth on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured forth on you{+}, when you{+} will enter into Egypt; and you{+} will be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and you{+} will see this place no more.
19 Yahweh has spoken concerning you{+}, O remnant of Judah, Don't go{+} into Egypt: know certainly that I have testified to you{+} this day.
20 For you{+} have dealt deceitfully against your{+} own souls; for you{+} sent me to Yahweh your{+} God, saying, Pray for us to Yahweh our God; and according to all that Yahweh our God will say, so declare to us, and we will do it:
21 and I have this day declared it to you{+}; but you{+} haven't obeyed the voice of Yahweh your{+} God in anything for which he has sent me to you{+}.
22 Now therefore know certainly that you{+} will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place where you{+} desire to go to sojourn there.