Jeremiah 44:16-18

44:16 “We will not listen to what you claim the Lord has spoken to us! ¹  44:17 Instead we will do everything we vowed we would do. ²  We will sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the goddess called the Queen of Heaven ³  just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders previously did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and had no troubles. ⁴  44:18 But ever since we stopped sacrificing and pouring out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven, we have been in great need. Our people have died in wars or of starvation.” ⁵ 

[44:16]  ¹ tn Heb “the word [or message] you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord.” For an explanation of the rendering of “in the name of the Lord” see the study notes on 10:25 and 23:27.

[44:17]  ² tn Heb “that went out of our mouth.” I.e., everything we said, promised, or vowed.

[44:17]  ³ tn Heb “sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” The expressions have been combined to simplify and shorten the sentence. The same combination also occurs in vv. 18, 19.

[44:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “saw [or experienced] no disaster/trouble/harm.”

[44:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “we have been consumed/destroyed by sword or by starvation.” The “we” cannot be taken literally here since they are still alive.