Warning wey our Papa give di Jews for Egypt
As e dey talk to Judah people wey settle all over Egypt, we Papa ask why dem dey repeat the same thing wey empty Judah. Dem answer straight say life better when dem dey burn incense give the queen of heaven, and dem no gree stop. The sign wey dem get na say Pharaoh Hophra go fall.
44 1Di word wey come to Jeremiah about all di Jews wey dey live for Egypt, for Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and Pathros:
2Na wetin di Papa of heaven army, our Papa of Israel, talk be dis: Una see all di wahala wey I bring on Jerusalem and every city of Judah. Today dem don turn to rubbish, nobody dey live dere, 3because of di evil wey dem do to provoke me—dem dey burn offering, dey serve oda gods wey dem, una, or una ancestors no know. 4But still I send una all my servants di prophets, again and again, dey talk say, ‘No do dis nasty thing wey I hate! 5But dem no listen or turn from dem evil, from di way dem dey burn incense to oda gods. 6So my vex and anger pour out, dey blaze through Judah cities and Jerusalem streets; dem turn to di waste land and rubbish wey dem still be today.
7Na wetin di Papa of heaven army, our Papa of Israel, talk be dis: Why una dey harm una sef so tey, dey cut off man, woman, pikin, and small baby from Judah, dey leave nobody remain for una?
8“Una dey provoke me with di work wey una hand do, dey burn offering to oda gods for Egypt, where una come live—dey cut una sef off, dey turn to curse and shame among all di nations for earth. 9Una don forget di evil wey una ancestors do, di kings of Judah, dem wives, una own, and una wives own—wey dem do for Judah land and Jerusalem streets? 10Reach today dem never humble dem sef, never fear, or follow my law and di rules wey I put before una and una ancestors.”
11Na so di Papa of heaven army, our Papa of Israel, talk: I don set my face against una for harm, to cut off all Judah. 12“I go take di remnant of Judah wey make up dem mind to go live for Egypt: dem all go perish, dey fall dere by sword and hunger, from di smallest reach di biggest, dey die by sword and hunger, dey turn to curse, to something wey dey shake person, to shame, and to mockery. 13I go punish dose wey dey live for Egypt just as I punish Jerusalem—by sword, hunger, and plague. 14Nobody for di remnant of Judah wey come live for Egypt go escape or survive to return to Judah, where dem dey hungry to live again—nobody except small people wey escape go return.”
15Then all di men wey know say dem wives dey make offering to oda gods, all di women wey stand dere—plenty crowd—and all di people wey dey live for Egypt, for Pathros, answer Jeremiah: 16“Di word wey you talk to us for our Papa name—we no go listen to you. 17No—we go surely do all wetin we swear: make offering to di queen of heaven, pour her drink offering, just as we do am—we, our ancestors, our kings, our officials—for Judah cities and Jerusalem streets. That time we get plenty food, we dey prosper, and we no see any wahala. a a v17 Di Queen of Heaven na popular fertility goddess for di ancient Near East, e fit be Astarte or Ishtar, wey plenty people worship for Judah. 18But since we stop to burn incense and pour drink offering to di queen of heaven, we don lack everything and sword and hunger don dey finish us.”
19Di women add say, “When we dey make offering to di queen of heaven, dey pour drink offering to her, abi we make cake wey shape like her and pour drink offering without our husbands know am?”
20Then Jeremiah talk to all di people, men and women, wey answer am dis way. 21“Di offering wey una burn for Judah cities and Jerusalem streets—una, una fathers, una kings, una officials, di people of di land—our Papa no remember am? E no come im mind? 22So our Papa no fit bear una evil deeds and nasty things again; una land turn to rubbish, to something wey dey shake person, to curse, wey nobody dey live, as e be today. 23Because una burn offering, sin against our Papa, and una no obey im voice or waka for im law, im statutes, and im testimonies, dis wahala catch una, as e be today.”
24Jeremiah talk to all di people and all di women say, “Hear our Papa word, all una Judah for di land of Egypt.
25Na wetin di Papa of heaven army, di God of Israel, talk be dis: Una and una wives talk am with una mouth and do am with una hand: ‘We go keep di vows wey we make—burn incense to di queen of heaven and pour her drink offering.’ Then keep una vows! Carry dem out!”
26“Hear our Papa word, all una Judah wey dey live for Egypt land: Look, I don swear by my great name, na so he talk, say no man of Judah for all Egypt land go call my name again, dey talk say, ‘As di Sovereign Papa dey live.’ 27Look, I dey watch over dem for harm, no be for good. All di men of Judah for Egypt go die by sword and hunger till nobody remain. 28Small people wey escape sword go return from Egypt to Judah; then all di remnant of Judah wey go Egypt to live dere go know whose word stand—my own or dem own.”
29Dis na di sign to una, na so our Papa talk: I go punish una for dis place, so una go know say my words against una go surely come true—for harm. 30Na wetin our Papa talk be dis: I go hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt give im enemies wey want am dead, just as I hand Zedekiah king of Judah give Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, im enemy wey want am dead.’
