Jeremiah 46
1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles,
The word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 about Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Neco, the king of Egypt, which was beside the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, struck down, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah:
Of Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh-Necho, the king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, smote, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
3 “‘Prepare the heavy and the light shield, and advance to war!
Prepare ye the buckler and shield, And move on to battle!
4 Harness the horses, and let the horsemen climb upon them! Stand forth with helmets! Sharpen the lances! Clothe yourselves in armor!’
Harness the horses, and mount, ye riders! Stand forth in your helmets; Make bright the spears, And put on the coats of mail!
5 And what is next? I have seen them terrified, and turning their backs, their strong ones cut down. They have fled in disorder and have not looked back. Terror on every side, says the Lord.
Wherefore do I see them dismayed, and turned back? Even their mighty ones are smitten; They flee apace; they look not back. Terror is on every side, saith Jehovah.
6 Let not the swift take flight; let not the strong ones think to save themselves. They have been conquered and ruined, toward the north, near the river Euphrates.
Let not the swift attempt to flee away, Nor the mighty man to escape; Toward the North by the river Euphrates shall they stumble and fall.
7 Who is this, who ascends like a flood, and whose streams swell up, like those of the rivers?
Who is he that riseth up like the Nile, Whose waters swell like floods?
8 Egypt ascends in the form of a river, and its waves will be moved like those of a river. And he will say: ‘I will ascend and cover the earth! I will perish the city and its inhabitants!’
Egypt riseth up like the Nile, And like floods do his waters swell. He saith, “I will arise, I will cover the land, I will destroy the city, and them that dwell therein.”
9 Mount the horses, and exult upon chariots, and let the strong ones advance: the Ethiopians, and the Libyans, who hold the heavy shield, and the Lydians, who grasp and shoot arrows.
Come up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots! And let the mighty men go forth, The Ethiopians, and the Libyans, that bear the shield, And the Lydians, that bear and bend the bow!
10 For this is the day of the Lord, the God of hosts, a day of vengeance, so that he may vindicate himself of his enemies. The sword will devour, and be satiated, and be inebriated with their blood. For there is a victim of the Lord, the God of hosts, in the land of the north, beside the river Euphrates.
This is the day of the Lord Jehovah of hosts, A day of vengeance, to avenge himself of his enemies; And the sword shall devour, and satiate itself, And it shall be made drunk with their blood. For Jehovah of hosts hath a sacrifice In the North country, by the river Euphrates.
11 Ascend to Gilead, and take its balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! It is in vain that you multiply medicines; there will be no health for you!
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt! In vain shalt thou use many medicines; There is no cure for thee!
12 The nations have heard of your disgrace, and your wailing has filled the earth. For the strong have stumbled against the strong, and both have fallen together.”
The nations have heard of thy shame, And thy cry hath filled the earth; For they have stumbled, the mighty against the mighty, And they are fallen both together.
13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning how Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would arrive and strike the land of Egypt:
The word which Jehovah spake to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to smite the land of Egypt.
14 “Announce it to Egypt, and make it heard in Migdol, and let it resonate in Memphis and in Tahpanhes. Say this: Stand and prepare yourself! For the sword will devour everything around you.
Declare ye in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol, Proclaim ye also in Noph and Tahpanhes! Say ye, “Stand fast and prepare thyself, For the sword shall devour round about thee!”
15 Why have your strong ones decayed? They have not stood firm, because the Lord has overthrown them.
Wherefore are thy mighty ones overthrown? They stood not, because Jehovah cast them down.
16 He has multiplied those in ruin, and each man has fallen beside his neighbor. And they will say: ‘Rise up, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our nativity, away from the face of the sword of the dove.
He caused many to fall; one fell upon another; And they said, “Arise, and let us go to our own people, And to the land of our nativity, from the overpowering sword.”
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt: ‘Time has brought tumult.’
There they cry, “Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is undone! He hath let pass the appointed time.”
18 As I live, says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, just as Tabor is among the mountains, and just as Carmel is beside the sea, so will he come.
As I live, saith the King, Whose name is Jehovah of hosts: Like Tabor among the mountains, And like Carmel by the sea, he cometh! Prepare thyself travelling equipage,
19 Equip yourself for the transmigration, O daughter who inhabits Egypt. For Memphis will be in desolation, and it will be deserted and uninhabited.
Thou who dwellest in Egypt! For Noph shall become waste, Yea, desolate without an inhabitant.
20 Egypt is like a stately and finely-formed calf. The one who will goad her will come from the north.
Egypt is a fair heifer, But destruction cometh; it cometh from the North.
21 Her hired hands also, who move within her midst, like fatted calves have been turned back, and they have fled at the same time, and they are not able to stand firm. For the day of their passing away has overwhelmed them; it is the time of their visitation.
Her mercenaries also in the midst of her are like fatted bullocks; Yet they also turn back; they flee together; they stand not; For the day of their calamity is come upon them, And the time of their punishment.
22 Her voice will sound out like brass. For they will rush forward with an army, and with axes they will come against her, like those who chop wood.
Her voice shall be heard like that of a serpent, When they shall march against her with their forces, And come against her with axes like fellers of trees.
23 They have cut down her forest, says the Lord, which was not able to be counted. They have been multiplied more than locusts, and they are without number.
They shall cut down her forest, though it be impenetrable; For they exceed the locusts in multitude, And are innumerable.
24 The daughter of Egypt has been confounded, and she has been delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
The daughter of Egypt is brought to shame; She is given into the hand of the people of the North.
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I will visit against the tumult of Alexandria, and against Pharaoh, and against Egypt, and against her gods, and against her kings, and against Pharaoh, and against those who trust in him.
Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saith: Behold, I will punish Ammon of No, And Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their kings; Even Pharaoh and all that trust in him.
26 And I will give them over to the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. And after this, it shall be inhabited, just as in the former days, says the Lord.
And I will deliver them into the hands of those that seek their lives, And into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, And into the hand of his servants. But after this it shall be inhabited, As in the days of old, saith Jehovah.
27 And as for you, my servant Jacob, you should not be afraid, and you should not dread, O Israel. For behold, I will bring your salvation from afar, and your offspring from the land of your captivity. And Jacob will return and have rest, and he will prosper. And there will be no one who may terrify him.
But fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, And be not thou dismayed, O Israel! For, behold, I will bring thee safe from afar, And thy posterity from the land of their captivity; And Jacob shall return and be at rest, Yea, he shall be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
28 And as for you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid, says the Lord. For I am with you. For I will consume all the nations to which I have cast you out. Yet truly, I will not consume you. Instead, I will chastise you in judgment, but neither will I spare you, as if you were innocent.”
Fear thou not, O Jacob, my servant, saith Jehovah, For I will be with thee; When I shall make a full end of all the nations Whither I have dispersed thee, Yet will I not make a full end of thee; I will correct thee in measure; Yet must I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
