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 against 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:
Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho the king of Egypt, which was [posted] by the river Euphrates in Karkemish, which Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah.
3 “Set shield and buckler in array, And draw near to battle.
Make ye ready shield and buckler, and draw near to the 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 helmets: sharpen the spears, and 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 have I seen them dismayed, moving backward? while their mighty ones are beaten down, and seek safety in flight, and look not back? There is terror round about, 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 can the mighty man escape: toward the north by the shore of the river Euphrates do they stumble and fall.
7 Who is this? He comes up as a flood, His waters shake themselves as rivers!
Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are upheaved like the rivers?
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 cometh up like a stream, and like the rivers are the waters upheaved; and he saith, I will go up, I will cover the land; I will destroy the city and those that dwell therein.
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.
Come up, ye horses; and rush along wildly, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth: Cush and Put, that grasp the shield, and the Ludim, that grasp 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.
And this same day is for the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, a day of vengeance, to be avenged on his adversaries; that the sword may devour, and may be satiated and made drunken with their blood; for there is a sacrifice for the Lord the Eternal of hosts 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 Gil'ad, and fetch balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt: in vain usest thou many remedies; there is no recovery 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!”
Nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry of anguish hath filled the earth; for the mighty man over the mighty have they stumbled, together are both of them fallen.
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 which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, to 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,
Announce ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Thachpanches: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thyself; for the sword devoureth round about thee.
15 Why has your bull been swept away? He has not stood, because YHWH thrust him away.
Why are thy valiant men swept away? not one hath stood, because the Lord did drive him off.
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 caused many to stumble; yea, one also fell over the other; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from before the wasting sword.
17 They have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt [is] a desolation, The appointed time has passed by.
They called out there, Pharaoh is king of Egypt, it was but vaunting, he hath let the time appointed 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, the Lord of hosts is his name, Surely as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel is 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.
Appurtenances of exile make for thyself, O thou inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; for Noph shall be made a waste and be left desolate without an inhabitant.
20 Egypt [is] a very beautiful heifer, Destruction comes into her from the north.
O fairest heifer, Egypt! the butcher from the north cometh, he cometh.
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 hired troops in the midst of her are like fatted calves; for they also are turned round, are fled away together, they do not stand; because the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their punishment.
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.
Her cry shall come like [the hissing of] a serpent; for with an army shall they march, and with axes do they come against her, like 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 out; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and there is no number to them.
24 The daughter of Egypt has been ashamed, She has been given into the hand of the people of the north.
Ashamed hath been made the daughter of Egypt: she hath been given up 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, hath said, Behold, I will send visitation on Ahmon of No, and on Pharaoh, and on Egypt, and on her gods, and on her kings; even on Pharaoh, and on those that trust on 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 give them up into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward shall she 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 thou, —fear thou not, 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 he shall be at rest and at ease, with none to 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!”
Thou, —fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; for I am with thee: and although I make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, yet of thee will I not make a full end; and I will correct thee in measure; yet wholly will I not leave thee unpunished.
