20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people , to the men and women -even to all the people who were giving him such an answer -saying , 21 "As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem , you and your forefathers , your kings and your princes , and the people of the land , did not the Lord remember them and did not all this come into His mind ? 22 "So the Lord was no longer able to endure it, because e of the evil of your deeds , because e of the abominations which you have committed ; thus your land has become a ruin , an object of horror and a curse , without an inhabitant , as it is this day . 23 "Because e you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law , His statutes or His testimonies , therefore e this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day ." 24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people , including all the women , " Hear the word of the Lord , all Judah who are in the land of Egypt , 25 thus says the Lord of hosts , the God of Israel , as follows : 'As for you and your wives , you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands , saying , "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed , to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows , and certainly perform your vows !' 26 "Nevertheless hear the word of the Lord , all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt , 'Behold , I have sworn by My great name ,' says the Lord , ' never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt , saying , " As the Lord GOD lives ." 27 'Behold , I am watching over them for harm and not for good , and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone . 28 ' Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number . Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand , Mine or theirs . 29 'This will be the sign to you,' declares the Lord , 'that I am going to punish you in this place , so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm .' 30 "Thus says the Lord , 'Behold , I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies , to the hand of those who seek his life , just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , who was his enemy and was seeking his life .' "
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 44:20-30
Commentary on Jeremiah 44:20-30
(Read Jeremiah 44:20-30)
Whatever evil comes upon us, it is because we have sinned against the Lord; we should therefore stand in awe, and sin not. Since they were determined to persist in their idolatry, God would go on to punish them. What little remains of religion were among them, would be lost. The creature-comforts and confidences from which we promise ourselves most, may fail as soon as those from which we promise ourselves least; and all are what God makes them, not what we fancy them to be. Well-grounded hopes of our having a part in the Divine mercy, are always united with repentance and obedience.