5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.
5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
5 But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods.
5 But do you think anyone paid the least bit of attention or repented of evil or quit offering sacrifices to the no-gods? Not one.
5 But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
5 But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 44:5
Commentary on Jeremiah 44:1-14
(Read Jeremiah 44:1-14)
God reminds the Jews of the sins that brought desolations upon Judah. It becomes us to warn men of the danger of sin with all seriousness: Oh, do not do it! If you love God, do not, for it is provoking to him; if you love your own souls, do not, for it is destructive to them. Let conscience do this for us in the hour of temptation. The Jews whom God sent into the land of the Chaldeans, were there, by the power of God's grace, weaned from idolatry; but those who went by their own perverse will into the land of the Egyptians, were there more attached than ever to their idolatries. When we thrust ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is just with God to leave us to ourselves. If we walk contrary to God, he will walk contrary to us. The most awful miseries to which men are exposed, are occasioned by the neglect of offered salvation.