Jeremiah 46

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

The LORD’s word which came 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: —

Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

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

“Prepare the buckler and shield, 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.

Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets. Polish the spears, 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 it? They are dismayed and are turned backward. Their mighty ones are beaten down, have fled in haste, and don’t look back. Terror is on every side,” says the LORD.

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

“Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates 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 who rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge?

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 rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He says, ‘I will rise up. I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.’

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! Rage, you chariots! Let the mighty men go out: Cush and Put, who handle the shield; and the Ludim, who handle and bend 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.

For that day is of the Lord, GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge himself of his adversaries. The sword will devour and be satiated, and will drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, GOD of Hosts, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

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 into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You use many 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!

The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, they both fall together.”

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 the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and 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, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, ‘Stand up, and prepare, for the 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 are your strong ones swept away? They didn’t stand, because the LORD pushed them.

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 made many to stumble. Yes, they fell on one another. They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.’

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

They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass 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,” says the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts, “surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so he will come.

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

You daughter who dwells in Egypt, furnish yourself to go into captivity; for Memphis will become a desolation, and will be 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; but destruction out of the north has come. It has come.

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.

Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall, for they also are turned back. They have fled away together. They didn’t stand, for the day of their calamity has come on them, the time of their visitation.

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 sound will go like the serpent, for they will march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.

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 will cut down her forest,” says the LORD, “though it can’t be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

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 will be disappointed; she will be delivered 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;

The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh, and those who trust 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.

I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. Afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old,” says the LORD.

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.

“But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant. Don’t be dismayed, Israel; for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.

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,

Don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant,” says the LORD, “for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”