Jeremiah 46

1 That which has been the word of YHWH to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations,

The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 for Egypt, concerning the force of Pharaoh-Necho king of Egypt, that has been by the Euphrates River, in Carchemish, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has struck, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco 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 “Set shield and buckler in array, And draw near to battle.

Make ready buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

4 Gird the horses, and go up, you horsemen, And station yourselves with helmets, Polish the javelins, put on the coats of mail.

Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.

5 Why have I seen them dismayed [and] turned backward? And their mighty ones are beaten down, And they have fled [to] a refuge, And did not turn their face, Fear [is] all around—a declaration of YHWH.

Wherefore do I see them dismayed and turned backward? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and they are fled apace, and look not back; terror is on every side, saith the LORD.

6 The swift do not flee, nor do the mighty escape, Northward, by the side of the Euphrates River, They have stumbled and fallen.

The swift cannot flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

7 Who is this? He comes up as a flood, His waters shake themselves as rivers!

Who is this like the Nile that riseth up, like the rivers whose waters toss themselves?

8 Egypt comes up as a flood, And the waters shake themselves as rivers. And he says, I go up; I cover the land, I destroy the city and the inhabitants in it.

Egypt is like the Nile that riseth up, and like the rivers whose waters toss themselves; and he saith: 'I will rise up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.'

9 Go up, you horses; and boast yourselves, you chariots, And go forth, you mighty, Cush and Phut handling the shield, And Lud handling—treading the bow.

Prance, ye horses, and rush madly, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.

10 And that day [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts A day of vengeance, To be avenged of His adversaries, And the sword has devoured, and been satisfied, And it has been watered from their blood, For a sacrifice [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts, In the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.

For the Lord GOD of hosts shall have on that day a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Him of His adversaries; and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall be 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 to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, You have multiplied medicines in vain, There is no healing for you.

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no cure for thee.

12 Nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land, For the mighty stumbled on the mighty, Together they have fallen—both of them!”

The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them together.

13 The word that YHWH has spoken to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming in of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to strike the land of Egypt:

The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

14 “Declare in Egypt, and sound in Migdol, And sound in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, say, Stand firm and prepare yourself, For a sword has devoured around you,

Declare ye in Egypt, and announce in Migdol, and announce in Noph and in Tahpanhes; say ye: 'Stand forth, and prepare thee, for the sword hath devoured round about thee.'

15 Why has your bull been swept away? He has not stood, because YHWH thrust him away.

Why is thy strong one overthrown? He stood not, because the LORD did thrust him down.

16 He has multiplied the stumbling, Indeed, one has fallen on his neighbor, And they say: Rise, and we return to our people, And to the land of our birth, Because of the oppressing sword.

He made many to stumble; yea, they fell one upon another, and said: 'Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.'

17 They have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt [is] a desolation, The appointed time has passed by.

They cried there: 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the appointed time pass by.'

18 [As] I live—an affirmation of the King, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name, Surely as Tabor [is] among mountains, And as Carmel by the sea—he comes in,

As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19 Make goods for yourself for removal, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, For Noph becomes a desolation, And has been burned up, without inhabitant.

O thou daughter that dwellest in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Noph shall become a desolation, and shall be laid waste, without inhabitant.

20 Egypt [is] a very beautiful heifer, Destruction comes into her from the north.

Egypt is a very fair heifer; but the gadfly out of the north is come, it is come.

21 Even her hired ones in her midst [are] as calves of the stall, For even they have turned, They have fled together, they have not stood, For the day of their calamity has come on them, The time of their inspection.

Also her mercenaries in the midst of her are like calves of the stall, for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they did not stand; for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

22 Its voice goes on as a serpent, For they go with a force, And they have come in to her with axes, As hewers of trees.

The sound thereof shall go like the serpent's; for they march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

23 They have cut down her forest, A declaration of YHWH, For it is not searched, For they have been more than the grasshopper, And they have no numbering.

They cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

24 The daughter of Egypt has been ashamed, She has been given into the hand of the people of the north.

The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25 YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, has said: Behold, I am seeing after Amon of No, And after Pharaoh, and after Egypt, And after her gods, and after her kings, And after Pharaoh, and after those trusting in him,

The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith: Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods, and her kings; even Pharaoh, and them that trust in him;

26 And I have given them into the hand of those seeking their life, And into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of his servants, And afterward it is inhabited, As [in] days of old—a declaration of YHWH.

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 afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

27 And you, you do not fear, My servant Jacob, Nor [are] you dismayed, O Israel, For behold, I am saving you from afar—And your seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob has turned back, And has been at rest, and been at ease, And there is none disturbing.

But fear not thou, O Jacob My servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel; for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall again be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

28 You do not fear, My servant Jacob, A declaration of YHWH, For I [am] with you, For I make an end of all the nations To where I have driven you, And I do not make an end of you, And I have reproved you in judgment, And do not entirely acquit you!”

Fear not thou, 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; and I will correct thee in measure, but will not utterly destroy thee.