Jeremiah – Chapter 44

Old Testament30 Verses

Chapter Summary

Jeremiah 44 opens with the words: "The word that came to Jeremiah, concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, dwelling in Magdal, and in Taphnis, and in…" The chapter centers on Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh. Across its 30 verses, two threads run through the text: sin and divine judgment and worship and praise. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1The word that came to Jeremiah, concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, dwelling in Magdal, and in Taphnis, and in Memphis, and in the land of Phatures, saying:

2Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: You have seen all this evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Juda: and behold they are desolate this day, and there is not an inhabitant in them:

3Because of the wickedness which they have committed, to provoke me to wrath, and to go and offer sacrifice, and worship other gods, which neither they, nor you, nor your fathers knew.

4And I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early, and sending, and saying: Do not commit this abominable thing, which I hate.

5But they heard not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their evil ways, and not to sacrifice to strange gods.

6Wherefore my indignation and my fury was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem: and they are turned to desolation and waste, as at this day.

7And now thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against your own souls, that there should die of you man and woman, child and suckling out of the midst of Juda, and no remnant should be left you:

8In that you provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands, by sacrificing to other gods in the land of Egypt, into which you are come to dwell there: and that you should perish, and be a curse, and a reproach to all the nations of the earth?

9Have you forgotten the evils of your fathers, and the evils of the kings of Juda, and the evils of their wives, and your evils, and the evils of your wives, that they have done in the land of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10They are not cleansed even to this day: neither have they feared, nor walked in the law of the Lord, nor in my commandments, which I set before you and your fathers.

11Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will set my face upon you for evil: and I will destroy all Juda.

12And I will take the remnant of Juda that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt, and to dwell there; and they shall be all consumed in the land of Egypt: they shall fall by the sword, and by the famine: and they shall be consumed from the least even to the greatest, by the sword, and by the famine shall they die: and they shall be for an execration, and for a wonder, and for a curse, and for a reproach.

13And I will visit them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have visited Jerusalem by the sword, and by famine and by pestilence.

14And there shall be none that shall escape, and remain of the remnant of the Jews that are gone to sojourn in the land of Egypt: and that shall return into the land of Juda, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there: there shall none return but they that shall flee.

15Then all the men that knew that their wives sacrificed to other gods: and all the women of whom there stood by a great multitude, and all the people of them that dwelt in the land of Egypt in Phatures, answered Jeremiah, saying:

16As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken to thee:

17But we will certainly do every word that shall proceed out of our own mouth, to sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we and our fathers have done, our kings, and our princes in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem: and we were filled with bread, and it was well with us, and we saw no evil.

18But since we left off to offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out frank offerings to her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword, and by famine.

19And if we offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and pour out drink offerings to her: did we make cakes to worship her, to pour out drink offerings to her, without our husbands?

20And Jeremiah spoke to all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying:

21Was it not the sacrifice that you offered in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, which the Lord hath remembered, and hath it not entered into his heart?

22So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which you have committed: therefore your land is become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

23Because you have sacrificed to idols, and have sinned against the Lord: and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have not walked in his law, and in his commandments, and in his testimonies: therefore are these evils come upon you, as at this day.

24And Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women: Hear ye the word of the Lord, all Juda, you that dwell in the land of Egypt:

25Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, saying: You and your wives have spoken with your mouth, and fulfilled with your hands, saying: Let us perform our vows which we have made, to offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her: you have fulfilled your vows, and have performed them indeed.

26Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Juda, you that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord: that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Juda, in the land of Egypt, saying: The Lord God liveth.

27Behold I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Juda that are in the land of Egypt, shall be consumed, by the sword, and by famine, till there be an end of them.

28And a few men that shall flee from the sword, shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Juda: and all the remnant of Juda that are gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine, or theirs.

29And this shall be a sign to you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place: that you may know that my words shall be accomplished indeed against you for evil.

30Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver Pharao Nechao king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life: as I delivered Sedecias king of Juda into the land of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon his enemy, and that sought his life.

Important Verses in Jeremiah 44

Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: You have seen all this evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Juda: and behold they are desolate this day, and there is not an inhabitant in them:

Jeremiah 44:2

And now thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against your own souls, that there should die of you man and woman, child and suckling out of the midst of Juda, and no remnant should be left you:

Jeremiah 44:7

Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Behold I will set my face upon you for evil: and I will destroy all Juda.

Jeremiah 44:11

Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver Pharao Nechao king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life: as I delivered Sedecias king of Juda into the land of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon his enemy, and that sought his life.

Jeremiah 44:30

Historical Context

As a Old Testament book, Jeremiah was written with judah on the brink of destruction, called to repentance in view. Chapter 44 of 52 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a prophetic oracle addressed to Israel in a moment of covenant crisis or renewal with 30 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The chapter begins: "The word that came to Jeremiah, concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, dwelling in Magdal, and in…" The chapter ends with: "Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver Pharao Nechao king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand…" Read against its original backdrop, Jeremiah prophesied through Judah's final decades, warning of Babylon's coming judgment while priests and false prophets promised peace. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

Who Wrote It

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch

When It Was Written

Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC

Catholic Commentary

The prophetic discourse in this chapter speaks to a community facing the consequences of its choices before God. A pivotal line is verse 2: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: You have seen all this evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Juda: and behold…" The passage repeatedly touches on sin and divine judgment.

Catholic exegesis reads Jeremiah 44 within the unity of Scripture and Tradition. Jeremiah's new covenant prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (CIC 1965). St. John Damascene and other Fathers of the Church saw in texts like this a preparation for or reflection of Christ, the center of revelation (CIC 355).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God writes His law on our hearts. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Jeremiah 44 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • God's kingdom is not of this world; every earthly throne stands under His eternal reign.

People in This Chapter

Jeremiah4 mentionsNebuchadnezzar1 mentionPharaoh1 mention

Reflection for Today

Jeremiah Chapter 44, containing 30 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation, offers a distinct passage for prayer and meditation.

The Magisterium teaches that every biblical passage must be read in light of Christ, the center of Scripture (CIC 133). Here the emphasis falls on hope in the resurrection, which shapes how the Church understands judgment, the new covenant, and hope.

Entrust your meditation to Mary, who pondered God's Word in her heart. Through her intercession, may the message of hope in the resurrection bear fruit in humility, courage, and charity this day.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jeremiah Chapter 44 about?

Jeremiah 44 contains 30 verses. It opens with "The word that came to Jeremiah, concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, dwelling in Magdal, and in…" and closes with "Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver Pharao Nechao king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand…". The book as a whole is prophetic oracles, biography, and laments.

What is a key verse in Jeremiah 44?

One of the most significant verses is verse 2: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: You have seen all this evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Juda: and behold they are desolate this…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Jeremiah Chapter 44?

This chapter mentions Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh.

Who wrote Jeremiah and when?

The prophet Jeremiah, with his scribe Baruch. Jeremiah's ministry about 627-580 BC.

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