1Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan, son of Kareah, Jezaniah, son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near, 2And said to Jeremiah, the prophet, “Let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray unto the LORD, your God, for all of us that are left, for as you can see, while we were many, only a few of us are now left, 3Pray that the LORD, your God, may show us where we should go, and what we should do.” 4Then Jeremiah replied, “I have heard you; and I will pray unto the LORD, your God, according to your words; and whatever the LORD shall answer, I will disclose it to you; I will keep nothing back from you.” 5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not abide by all that the LORD, your God, shall send you to tell us, 6Whether it be good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD, our God, to Whom we send you, that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD, our God.”

7And after ten days, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. 8Then he called Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, 9And said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to Whom you sent me to present your supplication before Him: 10‘If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not uproot you; for I have relented of the disaster that I have inflicted upon you. 11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon that you now fear; do not fear him’, says the LORD; ‘for I am with you to protect you, and to deliver you from harm from him. 12And I will show you compassion so that he will have mercy on you, and let you return to your own land. 13But if you say, “We will not live in this land, nor obey the word of the LORD, your God, 14And say, ‘No; we will go and live in Egypt, where we shall not see war, nor hear the trumpet call to arms, nor want for food’”’”; 15Then hear this word of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, you remnant of Judah: “If you are determined to go and settle in Egypt, 16Then the sword that you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, which you also feared, shall follow you to Egypt; and there you shall die. 17All those that stubbornly choose to go and settle in Egypt shall die by the sword, famine, or pestilence; and none of them shall survive the disasters that I will bring upon them.” 18For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “As My anger and My fury has been poured out upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall My fury be poured out upon you, if you enter Egypt; and you shall be abhorred and loathed, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall never see your homeland again.” 19The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go into Egypt”; know for certain that I have warned you this day. 20For you were not sincere in your hearts, when you sent me (Jeremiah) to the LORD your God, saying, “Pray to the LORD, our God, for us, and tell us what the LORD says; and we will do according to all that the LORD, our God, shall say.” 21And now I have this day reported to you all that He has said; but you have not obeyed the LORD, your God, in anything that He has sent me to tell you. 22So now, be sure of this: you shall die by the sword, famine, and pestilence, in the place in Egypt where you want to go and settle.”