Jeremiah Is Taken to Egypt

The commanders and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came to Jeremiah. They said only a small remnant was left, and they asked him to pray to the Lord for them. They wanted to know the way they should walk and what they should do. Jeremiah said he would pray and tell them everything the Lord answered.

The people promised they would obey whatever message came, whether it sounded good or bad to them. After ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. He called Johanan, the commanders, and all the people to hear the answer they had requested.

The Lord told them to stay in the land. They were not to fear the king of Babylon, because the Lord said he would save them, show them mercy, and let them remain in their land. But if they chose Egypt to escape war and hunger, sword, famine, and pestilence would reach them there.

Jeremiah warned them clearly not to go to Egypt. He said they had asked for God's word but were refusing to obey it. Then Azariah, Johanan, and other proud men answered that Jeremiah was speaking falsely. They even accused Baruch of turning Jeremiah against them so they would be handed over to the Chaldeans.

So Johanan, the commanders, and the people did not obey the Lord. They took the whole remnant of Judah to Egypt, including men, women, children, the king's daughters, Jeremiah, and Baruch, and they came to Tahpanhes. There the Lord told Jeremiah to hide large stones in the brickwork at the entry of Pharaoh's house as a sign that the king of Babylon would come to Egypt, strike the land, and burn the houses of Egypt's gods.