Jeremiah 46

1 So much of the word of Yahweh as came unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

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

2 Of Egypt, Concerning the force of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates, in Carchemish, —which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, smote, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: —

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:

3 Prepare ye buckler and shield, And draw near to battle:

“Set shield and buckler in array, And draw near to battle.

4 Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, Stand forth in helmets, —Polish the lances, put on the coats of mail.

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

5 Why have I seen it? They, panic-struck, are drawing back, Yea, their heroes, are crushed, Yea they have, fled, and not turned, —Terror round about! Declareth Yahweh.

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.

6 Let not the swift, flee, Nor let the hero, escape, —Northward, beside the river Euphrates, have they stumbled, and fallen.

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

7 Who is it that is like the Nile when it riseth, Like rivers when his waters are tossed?

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

8 Egypt was like the Nile when it riseth, And like rivers, when the waters are tossed: So he said—I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city, and the dwellers therein.

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.

9 Mount the horses, And drive the chariots madly on, So let the heroes, go forth, —Ethiopians and Libyans that grasp the buckler, And Lydians that grasp—that tread—the bow, But, that day, belongeth to My Lord Yahweh of hosts—

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.

10 A day of avenging, to avenge him of his adversaries, When the sword shall devour and be filled, and be sated with their blood, —For, a sacrifice, hath My Lord, Yahweh of hosts, In the land of the North Towards the river Euphrates.

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.

11 Go up to Gilead and fetch balsam, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain, hast thou multiplied remedies, Healing, there is none for thee.

Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, You have multiplied medicines in vain, There is no healing for you.

12 The nations have heard of thy disgrace, And, thine outcry, hath filled the earth, —For hero against hero, have they stumbled, Together, have fallen, the twain!

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!”

13 The word which Yahweh spake unto Jeremiah the prophet, —as to the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt: —

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:

14 Tell ye it in Egypt, And let it be heard in Migdol, Yea let it be heard in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, —Say ye—Stand thou forth, and prepare thyself, For a sword hath devoured round about thee.

“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,

15 Wherefore have thy valiant ones been laid prostrate? He hath made no stand, because, Yahweh, hath driven him back:

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

16 Hath made many a one to be stumbling, Yea fallen is every one against his neighbour, So they have said—Arise and let us return to our own people, And unto the land of our birth, From the face of the sword of the oppressor.

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.

17 Proclaim ye a name, —Pharaoh, king of Egypt—a Sound! He hath overstepped the time appointed!

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

18 As I live, saith the King, Yahweh of hosts, is his name: Though Like Tabor among mountains, Like Carmel, Into the sea shall he go!

[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,

19 Baggage for captivity, prepare thee, O inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; For, Noph, shall become a desolation, And be burned without inhabitant.

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

20 A calf of great beauty, is Egypt: The gad-fly, out of the North, cometh—cometh.

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

21 Even her hirelings in her midst are like fatted calves, For, even they, have turned—have fled at once! have made no stand! For, their day of doom, hath come upon them, The time of their visitation.

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.

22 Her noise, like a serpent, departeth, —For, with a force, they advance, And with axes, have they come against her, like them who fell trees:

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.

23 They have cut down her forest Declareth Yahweh, Surely he cannot be searched out, —For they have outnumbered locusts, and cannot be counted.

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.

24 Put to shame is the daughter of Egypt, —She hath been delivered into the hand of the people of the North.

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

25 Saith Yahweh of host God of Israel, —Behold me! bringing punishment—against Amon of No, and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, and upon her gods and upon her kings, —Even upon Pharaoh, and upon all that trust in him;

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,

26 And I will deliver them—Into the hand of them who are seeking their life, Even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon And into the hand of his servants, —And after that, shall it be inhabited as in the days of old Declareth Yahweh.

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.

27 Thou, therefore, do not fear, O my Servant Jacob Nor be dismayed O Israel, For behold me! Saving thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, —So shall Jacob return and be quiet and shall rest, With none to occasion alarm.

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.

28 Thou, do not fear, O my Servant Jacob, Urgeth Yahweh, For, with thee, am I: Though I make an end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, Yet of thee, will I not make an end, But will correct thee in measure, And not hold thee, guiltless,

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!”