Jeremiah 42 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then all the military commanders — including Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah — and all the people, from the least important to the most important, came forward

and said to the prophet Jeremiah, "Please — hear our request. Pray to Yahweh your God on our behalf, for all of us who are left here. Because as you can see, there are only a few of us remaining out of what was once a large population."

"Ask Yahweh your God to show us where we should go and what we should do."

The prophet Jeremiah said to them, "I hear you. I will pray to Yahweh your God just as you've asked, and whatever Yahweh answers, I will tell you everything. I won't hold anything back from you."

Then they said to Jeremiah, "May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness against us if we don't do exactly what Yahweh your God tells us through you."

"Whether the answer is what we want to hear or not, we will obey Yahweh our God — the one we're sending you to. We will obey so that things will go well for us, because we will be listening to Yahweh our God."

Ten days later, Yahweh's word came to Jeremiah.

So he called together Johanan son of Kareah, all the military commanders who were with him, and all the people from the least important to the most important.

He told them, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says — the one you sent me to bring your request to:

"'If you stay in this land, I will build you up — not tear you down. I will plant you — not uproot you. Because I am deeply grieved over the disaster I have brought on you."

"Don't be afraid of the king of Babylon, the one you're so afraid of right now. Don't be afraid of him" — this is Yahweh's declaration — "because I am with you to rescue you and save you from his power."

"I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and let you return to your own land."

"But if you say, 'We're not going to stay in this land' — refusing to listen to Yahweh your God —"

"and instead say, 'No — we're going to Egypt, where we won't see war, won't hear the sound of the battle horn, and won't go hungry for bread. That's where we'll live' — "

"then hear Yahweh's word, you remnant of Judah. This is what Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: 'If you are absolutely determined to go to Egypt, and you go to settle there — "

"the sword you're so afraid of will catch up to you right there in Egypt, and the famine you're so worried about will follow you all the way to Egypt. You will die there."

"Every person who is determined to go to Egypt and settle there will die by the sword, by famine, and by disease. Not a single one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.'"

"Because this is what Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Just as my burning anger was poured out on the people of Jerusalem, my anger will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become an object of horror, a cautionary tale, a curse word, and a disgrace. And you will never see this place again.'"

"Yahweh has spoken to you, remnant of Judah: Do not go to Egypt. Understand clearly that I am warning you today."

"Because you have deceived yourselves. You're the ones who sent me to Yahweh your God, saying, 'Pray to Yahweh our God on our behalf, and tell us everything Yahweh our God says, and we'll do it.'"

I have told you today, and you have not listened to Yahweh your God — not in anything he sent me to tell you.

So now, know for certain: you will die by the sword, by famine, and by disease in the place where you've decided you want to go and live.