46 The Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah messages about the nations.
2 This is the message about Egypt.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his army fought against the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt. Babylon's army won the battle against Egypt's army at Carchemish on the Euphrates river. That happened in the fourth year that Josiah's son Jehoiakim ruled Judah as king.
3 ‘Get ready to march to the battle!
Pick up your shields and your weapons.
4 Prepare your horses and sit on them.
Put on your helmets and be ready to fight.
Make your spears sharp.
Put on your armour!’
5 The Lord says,
‘But I see this:
The soldiers are afraid and they are running away!
They cannot win the fight.
Terror is everywhere around them. [ b ]
They do not turn to look behind them.
They run away as fast as they can.
6 But none of them can run fast enough.
Even the strongest soldiers cannot escape.
In the north, beside the River Euphrates,
they fall down to the ground.
7 A nation is rising up, like the great waters of the Nile river.
Who is this nation?
8 Egypt is rising like the waters of the Nile.
Its streams of water quickly pour out over the earth.
Egypt says, “I will rise up and I will cover the earth.
I will destroy cities.
I will kill the people who live in them.”
9 So ride your horses quickly into the battle!
Drive your chariots as fast as they will go!
Tell your soldiers to march forward into the battle.
Send your soldiers of Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields.
Send your soldiers of Lydia who have bows and arrows.
10 But it is the Lord God Almighty who will win!
It is the day when he will punish his enemies.
His sword will completely destroy them,
like a hungry person who cannot stop eating!
His sword will cause a lot of blood to pour out.
The Lord God Almighty will accept his enemies as a sacrifice.
That is what will happen in the northern land beside the Euphrates river.
11 Dear people of Egypt,
go to Gilead and find medicine to make you well.
But that will not help you.
There is no medicine that will make you better.
12 The other nations will see that you are ashamed.
All over the earth, people will hear you as you weep.
As your soldiers run from the battle,
they will fall over each other.
They will fall to the ground together.’
13 The Lord gave this message to the prophet Jeremiah about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He said that Nebuchadnezzar would come to attack Egypt.
14 ‘Shout this message everywhere in Egypt.
Let people hear it in Migdol, Memphis and in Tahpanhes.
“Get ready to fight against your enemies!
They are already killing the people all around you.”
15 Your brave soldiers will fall.
They will lie flat on the ground.
They cannot stand and fight because the Lord will knock them down.
16 They will continue to fall over each other.
They will say to each other, “Get up!
We must return to our homes where our own people live.
We must escape from our enemies, who want to kill us.”
17 When they get back home, they will say,
“The king of Egypt is only a loud noise.
He could not win when he had the chance.” ’
18 The Lord Almighty is the great King. He says,
‘I promise you, as surely as I live,
that a powerful army will come to fight against you!
They will look as great as Tabor looks among the other mountains.
They will seem like Carmel mountain that stands beside the sea.
19 You dear people of Egypt, be ready to travel as prisoners to a foreign land!
Your enemy will destroy Memphis city.
It will become a heap of stones where nobody lives.
20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But an army from the north will attack her, like a crowd of flies that bite.
21 Egypt has paid soldiers from other countries to help her.
But they are like fat calves that are too weak to fight.
They will not stand and fight, but they will turn and run away.
Yes, the day of Egypt's punishment has arrived!
Their enemy has come to destroy them.
22 Egypt's people will run away, like a snake along the ground.
The enemy's strong army will march forward.
They will attack Egypt with axes, like men who cut down trees.
23 Egypt's soldiers are as many as the trees in a great forest.
But the enemy's soldiers will cut them down.
Their army is like a hungry crowd of locusts.
They are too many to count.
24 The people of Egypt will be ashamed.
They will be under the power of the people from the north.’
That is what the Lord says.
25 The Lord Almighty, Israel's God, also says, ‘Now I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes city, and the other gods of Egypt. I will also punish Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and Egypt's other rulers. I will punish Egypt's people and everyone who trusts in Pharoah's power. 26 I will put them under the power of King Nebuchadnezzar and his army, who want to kill them. But in later years, people will again live in Egypt, as they did before.’ That is what the Lord says.
27 ‘My servants, descendants of Jacob, do not be afraid. [ c ]
People of Israel, do not be upset.
You have been prisoners in countries far away.
But I will rescue you and your descendants.
You will return to your own land and you will live in peace.
Jacob's descendants will be safe and nobody will make them afraid.
28 So do not be afraid, descendants of my servant Jacob.
I am with you to help you.
I may completely destroy all the nations where I send you to live.
But I will never completely destroy you.
I will certainly punish you, to teach you what is right.
But I will do that in a fair way.’
That is what the Lord says.
46 These messages about different nations came to Jeremiah the prophet from the Lord .
2 This message is about the nation of Egypt. It is about the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt. His army was defeated at the town of Carchemish. Carchemish is on the Euphrates River. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the army of Pharaoh Neco at Carchemish in the fourth year that Jehoiakim [ a ] son of Josiah was king of Judah. The Lord said,
3 “Get your large and small shields ready.
March out for battle.
4 Get the horses ready.
Soldiers, get on your horses.
Go to your places for battle.
Put your helmets on.
Sharpen your spears.
Put your armor on.
5 What do I see?
That army is afraid.
The soldiers are running away.
Their brave soldiers are defeated.
They run away in a hurry.
They don’t look back.
There is danger all around.”
This is what the Lord said.
6 “Fast men cannot run away.
Strong soldiers cannot escape.
They will all stumble and fall.
This will happen in the north, by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is coming like the Nile River?
Who is coming like that strong, fast river?
8 It is Egypt that comes like the rising Nile River.
It is Egypt that comes like that strong, fast river.
Egypt says, ‘I will come and cover the earth.
I will destroy the cities and the people in them.’
9 Horse soldiers, charge into battle.
Chariot drivers, drive fast.
March on, brave soldiers.
Soldiers from Cush and Put, carry your shields.
Soldiers from Lydia, use your bows.
10 “But on that day, the Lord God All-Powerful will win.
He will give his enemies the punishment they deserve.
His sword will kill until it is finished,
until it has satisfied its thirst for blood.
Yes, the Lord God All-Powerful will kill them as a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
11 “Egypt, go to Gilead and get some medicine.
You will make up many medicines, but they will not help.
You will not be healed.
12 The nations will hear you crying.
Your cries will be heard all over the earth.
One ‘brave soldier’ will run into another ‘brave soldier.’
And both ‘brave soldiers’ will fall down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack Egypt.
14 “Announce this message in Egypt.
Tell it in the city of Migdol.
Tell it in Memphis and Tahpanhes.
‘Get ready for war,
because people all around you are being killed with swords.’
15 Egypt, your strong soldiers will be killed.
They will not be able to stand
because the Lord will push them down.
16 They will stumble again and again.
They will fall over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up; let’s go back to our own people.
Let us go back to our homeland.
Our enemy is defeating us.
We must get away.’
17 In their homelands, those soldiers will say,
‘Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is only a lot of noise.
His time of glory is over.’”
18 This message is from the King.
The King is the Lord All-Powerful.
“I promise, as surely as I live, a powerful leader will come.
He will be like Mount Tabor or Mount Carmel among smaller mountains.
19 People of Egypt, pack your things.
Get ready for captivity,
because Memphis will be a ruined, empty land.
Those cities will be destroyed,
and no one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful cow.
But a horsefly [ b ] is coming from the north [ c ] to attack her.
21 The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army are like fat calves.
They will all turn and run away.
They will not stand strong against the attack.
Their time of destruction is coming.
They will soon be punished.
22 Egypt is like a snake hissing
and trying to escape.
The enemy comes closer and closer,
and the Egyptian army is trying to slither away.
The enemy will attack Egypt with axes,
like men cutting down trees.”
23 This is what the Lord says:
“They will chop down Egypt’s forest.
There are many trees in that forest,
but they will all be cut down.
There are more enemy soldiers than locusts.
There are so many soldiers that no one can count them.
24 Egypt will be ashamed.
The enemy from the north will defeat her.”
25 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says, “Very soon I will punish Amon, [ d ] the god of Thebes, and I will punish Pharaoh, Egypt, and her gods. I will punish the kings of Egypt, and I will punish the people who depend on Pharaoh. 26 I will let all of them be defeated by their enemies—their enemies want to kill them. I will give the people to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his servants.
“Long ago, Egypt lived in peace. And after all these times of trouble, Egypt will live in peace again.” This is what the Lord said.
27 “Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid.
Do not be frightened, Israel.
I will save you from those faraway places.
I will save your children from the countries where they are captives.
Jacob will have peace and safety again,
and no one will make him afraid.”
28 This is what the Lord says.
“Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid.
I am with you.
I sent you away to many different places.
But I will not destroy you completely.
But I will destroy all those nations.
You must be punished for the bad things you did.
So I will not let you escape your punishment.
I will discipline you, but I will be fair.”
46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the Lord .
6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
10 For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
13 The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.
16 He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.
17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
21 Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.
22 The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
23 They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord , though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord .
27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord : for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
46 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet ( A ) concerning the nations.
2 To ( B ) Egypt, concerning the army of ( C ) Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at ( D ) Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the ( E ) fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 “ ( F ) Set up the [ a ] buckler and shield,
And advance to the battle!
4 Harness the horses,
And [ b ] mount the steeds,
Take your stand with helmets on !
( G ) Polish the spears,
Put on the ( H ) coats of armor!
5 Why have I seen it ?
They are terrified,
They are ( I ) retreating,
And their ( J ) warriors are defeated
And have taken refuge in flight,
Without facing back.
[ c ] ( K ) Terror is on every side!”
Declares the Lord .
6 Let not the ( L ) swift man flee,
Nor the warrior escape.
In the north beside the river Euphrates
They have ( M ) stumbled and fallen.
7 Who is this that ( N ) rises like the Nile,
Like the rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
And like the rivers whose waters surge;
And He has said, “I will ( O ) rise and cover that land;
I will ( P ) destroy the city and its inhabitants.”
9 Go up, you horses, and [ d ] ( Q ) drive wildly, you chariots,
So that the warriors may [ e ] march forward:
[ f ] Cush and [ g ] ( R ) Put, who handle the shield,
And the [ h ] ( S ) Lydians, who handle and bend the bow.
10 For ( T ) that day belongs to the Lord [ i ] God of armies,
A day of ( U ) vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes;
And the ( V ) sword will devour and be satisfied,
And [ j ] drink its fill of their blood;
For there will be a ( W ) slaughter for the Lord [ k ] God of armies,
In the land of the north at the river Euphrates.
11 Go ( X ) up to Gilead and obtain balm,
( Y ) Virgin daughter of Egypt!
You have used many [ l ] remedies in vain;
There is ( Z ) no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your ( AA ) shame,
And the earth is full of your ( AB ) cry of distress ;
For one ( AC ) warrior has stumbled over [ m ] another,
And both of them have fallen down together.
13 This is the [ n ] message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the ( AD ) coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to ( AE ) strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Declare in Egypt and proclaim in ( AF ) Migdol,
Proclaim also in Memphis and ( AG ) Tahpanhes;
Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready,
For the ( AH ) sword has devoured those around you.’
15 Why have your ( AI ) powerful ones been cut down?
They do not stand because the Lord has ( AJ ) thrust them away.
16 They have repeatedly ( AK ) stumbled;
Indeed, they have fallen, one against another.
Then they said, ‘Get up, and ( AL ) let’s go back
To our own people and our native land,
Away from the [ o ] ( AM ) sword of the oppressor!’
17 [ p ] They shouted there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is nothing but ( AN ) a big noise;
He has let the appointed time pass by!’
18 As I live,” declares the ( AO ) King,
Whose name is the Lord of armies,
“One certainly shall come who is like ( AP ) Tabor among the mountains,
Or like ( AQ ) Carmel by the sea.
19 Make your baggage ready for ( AR ) exile,
( AS ) Daughter living in Egypt,
For ( AT ) Memphis will become a desolation;
It will be destroyed and [ q ] deprived of inhabitants.
20 Egypt is a pretty ( AU ) heifer,
But a [ r ] horsefly is coming ( AV ) from the north—it is coming!
21 Also her ( AW ) mercenaries in her midst
Are like fattened ( AX ) calves,
For they too have turned away and have fled together;
They did not stand their ground .
For the day of their disaster has come upon them,
The time of their ( AY ) punishment.
22 Its sound moves along like a serpent;
For they move on [ s ] like an army
And come to her as woodcutters with axes.
23 They have cut down her ( AZ ) forest,” declares the Lord ;
“Certainly it will no longer be found,
Even though [ t ] they are more numerous than ( BA ) locusts
And are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame,
Turned over to the [ u ] power of the ( BB ) people of the north.”
25 The Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of ( BC ) Thebes, and ( BD ) Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her ( BE ) gods and her kings, indeed, Pharaoh and those who ( BF ) trust in him. 26 I shall hand them over to those who are ( BG ) seeking their lives, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his [ v ] officers. ( BH ) Afterward, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord .
27 “But as for you, Jacob My servant, ( BI ) do not fear,
Nor be dismayed, Israel!
For, see, I am going to ( BJ ) save you from far away,
And your descendants from the land of their captivity;
And Jacob will return and be ( BK ) undisturbed
And secure, with no one making him afraid.
28 Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord ,
“For ( BL ) I am with you.
For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations
Where I have driven you,
Yet I will ( BM ) not make a complete destruction of you;
But I will ( BN ) correct you properly
And by no means leave you unpunished.”
46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: ( A )
2 Concerning Egypt: ( B )
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho ( C ) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish ( D ) on the Euphrates ( E ) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim ( F ) son of Josiah king of Judah:
3 “Prepare your shields, ( G ) both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish ( H ) your spears,
put on your armor! ( I )
5 What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee ( J ) in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror ( K ) on every side,”
declares the Lord .
6 “The swift cannot flee ( L )
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates ( M )
they stumble and fall. ( N )
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters? ( O )
8 Egypt rises like the Nile, ( P )
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’ ( Q )
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers! ( R )
March on, you warriors—men of Cush [ a ] ( S ) and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia ( T ) who draw the bow.
10 But that day ( U ) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
a day of vengeance ( V ) , for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour ( W ) till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood. ( X )
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice ( Y )
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. ( Z )
11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm, ( AA )
Virgin ( AB ) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
there is no healing ( AC ) for you.
12 The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall ( AD ) down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ( AE ) to attack Egypt: ( AF )
14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis ( AG ) and Tahpanhes: ( AH )
‘Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours ( AI ) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down. ( AJ )
16 They will stumble ( AK ) repeatedly;
they will fall ( AL ) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
to our own people ( AM ) and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.’ ( AN )
17 There they will exclaim,
‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; ( AO )
he has missed his opportunity. ( AP ) ’
18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King, ( AQ )
whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor ( AR ) among the mountains,
like Carmel ( AS ) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile, ( AT )
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis ( AU ) will be laid waste ( AV )
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north. ( AW )
21 The mercenaries ( AX ) in her ranks
are like fattened calves. ( AY )
They too will turn and flee ( AZ ) together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day ( BA ) of disaster is coming upon them,
the time ( BB ) for them to be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
like men who cut down trees. ( BC )
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord ,
“dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts, ( BD )
they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
given into the hands of the people of the north. ( BE ) ”
25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, ( BF ) on Pharaoh, ( BG ) on Egypt and her gods ( BH ) and her kings, and on those who rely ( BI ) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands ( BJ ) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king ( BK ) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited ( BL ) as in times past,” declares the Lord .
27 “Do not be afraid, ( BM ) Jacob ( BN ) my servant; ( BO )
do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile. ( BP )
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,” ( BQ ) declares the Lord .
“Though I completely destroy ( BR ) all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
