| Jeremiah 42:1
| Then *all the captains of the warriors, and Johanan, the son of Caree, and Jezonias, the son of Osaias, and the rest of the people, from the least to the greatest, came near:
| Year of the World 3417.
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| Jeremiah 42:2
| And they said to Jeremias, the prophet: Let our supplication fall before thee: and pray thou for us to the Lord, thy God, for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as thy eyes do behold us.
| Pray; consult, ver. 4., and Jeremias 37:3. (Haydock) --- Few; comparatively, though there was a great number, Jeremias 43:5.
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| Jeremiah 42:3
| And let the Lord, thy God, shew us the way by which we may walk, and the thing that we must do.
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| Jeremiah 42:4
| And Jeremias, the prophet, said to them: I have heard you: behold I will pray to the Lord, your God, according to your words: and whatsoever thing he shall answer me, I will declare it to you: and I will hide nothing from you.
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| Jeremiah 42:5
| And they said to Jeremias: The Lord be witness between us of truth and faithfulness, if we do not according to every thing for which the Lord, thy God, shall send thee to us.
| Witness. Jeremias knew their fickle temper. They will obey, only if God comply with their desires. (Calmet) --- They began with piety, but soon refused to obey the directions given, Jeremias 43:2. (Worthington)
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| Jeremiah 42:6
| Whether it be good or evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord, our God, to whom we send thee: that it may be well with us when we shall hearken to the voice of the Lord, our God.
| Good or evil. That is, agreeable or disagreeable. (Challoner) --- It would have been well for them if they had been sincere, (ver. 10.; Haydock) and determined to comply whether the prophet announced prosperity or the reverse. (Worthington)
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| Jeremiah 42:7
| Now, after ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremias.
| Days. The Spirit breathes where he will, and the prophets must wait his good time. Jeremias prayed for ten days in that place. He now resumes his discourse, Jeremias 40:1.
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| Jeremiah 42:8
| And he called Johanan, the son of Caree, and all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.
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| Jeremiah 42:9
| And he said to them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me, to present your supplications before him:
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| Jeremiah 42:10
| If you will be quiet and remain in this land, I will build you up, and not pull you down: I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for now I am appeased for the evil that I have done to you.
| Appeased. Hebrew, "comforted." Septuagint, "at rest." I forget (Calmet) or pardon (Haydock) the past.
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| Jeremiah 42:11
| Fear not, because of the king of Babylon, of whom you are greatly afraid: fear him not, saith the Lord; for I am with you, to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
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| Jeremiah 42:12
| And I will shew mercies to you, and will take pity on you, and will cause you to dwell in your own land.
| And will. Hebrew, "and he will." The king will take pity on you. --- Dwell. Septuagint, "return;" which is less correct.
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| Jeremiah 42:13
| But if you say: We will not dwell in this land, neither will we hearken to the voice of the Lord our God,
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| Jeremiah 42:14
| Saying: No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor suffer hunger: and there we will dwell.
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| Jeremiah 42:15
| For this now hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Juda: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to go into Egypt, and enter in to dwell there:
| Faces; obstinately, ver. 17., and Jeremias 44:12.
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| Jeremiah 42:16
| The sword which you fear, shall overtake you there, in the land of Egypt: and the famine, whereof you are afraid, shall cleave to you in Egypt, and there you shall die.
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| Jeremiah 42:17
| And all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt, to dwell there, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: none of them shall remain, nor escape from the face of the evil that I will bring upon them.
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| Jeremiah 42:18
| For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my indignation hath been kindled against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall my indignation be kindled against you, when you shall enter into Egypt, and you shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.
| Kindled. Hebrew, "hath dropped," 2 Paralipomenon 12:7. --- Curse. People can wish no greater misery to their enemies. (Calmet) --- They shall be execrated, Isaias 65:15. (Worthington)
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| Jeremiah 42:19
| This is the word of the Lord concerning you, O ye remnant of Juda: Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have adjured you this day.
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| Jeremiah 42:20
| For you have deceived your own souls; for you sent me to the Lord our God, saying: Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord our God shall say to thee, so declare unto us, and we will do it.
| Deceived. Septuagint, "done ill in your souls." Your intention was bad. You thought that I should speak conformably to your wishes. (Calmet) --- He saw by the prophetic light, or by their deportment, that they were bent on going. (Haydock) --- They were doubly guilty in neither observing their promise nor obeying God's decree. (Worthington)
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| Jeremiah 42:21
| And now I have declared it to you this day, and you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, with regard to all the things for which he hath sent me to you.
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| Jeremiah 42:22
| Now, therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence in the place to which you desire to go to dwell there.
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