Jeremiah 42:16

¹⁴ and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’

¹⁵ then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there,

then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.

¹⁷ So all who resolve to go to Egypt to reside there will die by sword and famine and plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring upon them.’

¹⁸ For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.
KJV: Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
WEB: then it will happen that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are afraid, will follow close behind you there in Egypt; and you will die there.
ASV: then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
DARBY: then it shall come to pass, that the sword which ye fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye are afraid, shall follow hard after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
BLB: then it will come to pass [that] the sword that you⁺ were afraid of it, will overtake you⁺ there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you⁺ were afraid, will follow close after you⁺ there [in] Egypt, and there you⁺ will die!

ÅB: da skal sverdet dere frykter for, nå dere der i Egypt, og hungeren som dere er redde for, skal følge dere i hælene der i Egypt, og der skal dere dø.
OTB: da vil sverdet dere frykter finne dere der, og hungersnøden dere gruer dere til vil nå dere i Egypt, og der vil dere omkomme.
B1930: da skal sverdet I frykter for, nå eder der i Egyptens land, og hungeren som I er redde for, skal følge eder i hælene der i Egypten, og der skal I dø.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 44:27
I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine, until they are finished off.
Read in context
Ezekiel 11:8
You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you, declares the Lord GOD.
Read in context
Amos 9:1–4
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.
Read in context
John 11:48
If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
Read in context
Jeremiah 44:11–13
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah.
Read in context
Zechariah 1:6
But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? They repented and said, ‘Just as the LORD of Hosts purposed to do to us according to our ways and deeds, so He has done to us.’”
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:45
All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, since you did not obey the LORD your God and keep the commandments and statutes He gave you.
Read in context
Proverbs 13:21
Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
Read in context