“Therefore,
Hear the word of Yahweh!
All you Judeans
Who live in the land of Egypt!
‘See!
I swear
By my great name!’
Says Yahweh.
‘My name shall no longer
Be pronounced
On the lips
Of any of the people of Judah
In all the land of Egypt.’
Saying.
‘As Yahweh God lives,
I am going to watch
Over them
For harm,
Not for good.
All the people of Judah
Who are in the land of Egypt
Shall perish
By the sword
By famine,
Until no one is left.
Those who escape the sword
Shall return
From the land of Egypt
To the land of Judah,
Few in number.
All the remnant of Judah,
Who came to the land of Egypt
To settle,
Shall know
Whose words will stand,
Mine or theirs!’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, lets the Judeans in Egypt know about their punishment. They will no longer call Yahweh, their God. Yahweh was going to bring them harm, not good things. They were all going to die by the sword or famine, until no one was left there. Then there was a caveat, if some did escape from the wrath of Yahweh, they would be very few in number. They were going to know whose words had more power. Yahweh made it very personal with the taunt about which word was going to stand, theirs or his.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 