Jeremiah 47
1 So much of the word of Yahweh as came unto Jeremiah the prophet, Against the Philistines, —before Pharaoh smote Gaza:
Yahweh gave to the prophet Jeremiah a message about the people of Philistia. [The message was given to me] before Gaza [city in Philistia] was captured by [the army of] Egypt.
2 Thus, saith Yahweh—Lo! waters rising from the North And they shall become a torrent overflowing, Which shall overflow The land and the fulness thereof, The city, and the dwellers therein, —Then shall men make outcry, And all the inhabitants of the land, howl.
This is what Yahweh said: “[An army] [MET] will be coming from the northeast that will cover the land like a flood. They will destroy the land and everything in it; [they will destroy] people and cities. People will scream; everyone in the land will wail.
3 Because of the sound of the tramping of the hoofs of his chargers, Because of the rushing of his chariots, the rumbling of his wheels Fathers shall not turn, to children, Because of the unnerving of their hands;
[They will hear] the sound of the hooves of the [enemy] horses, and [they will hear] the rumble/noise of the wheels [of their enemies’] chariots. Men [will run away; ] they will not stop to help their children; they will be completely weak and helpless [MTY].
4 On account of the day that cometh to lay waste all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Zidon every escaped one that could have helped, —For Yahweh is laying waste the Philistines, The remnant of the Coastland of Caphtor.
It will be the time for all the people of Philistia to be destroyed, and the time to prevent the remaining soldiers from helping [the people of] Tyre and Sidon [cities]. [I, ] Yahweh, will get rid of the people of Philistia, those whose ancestors [long ago] came from Crete [island].
5 Baldness hath come, upon Gaza, Silenced is Ashkelon the remnant of their vale, —How long, wilt thou cut thyself?
[The people of] Gaza will be humiliated; they will shave off all the hair on their heads [to indicate that they are ashamed]. The [people of] [city] will all be silent [because they will be mourning]. [All you people who live] along the coast [of the Mediterranean Sea] who are still alive, how long [RHQ] will you gash yourselves [because you are mourning]?”
6 Ah! thou sword of Yahweh, How long, wilt thou not be quiet? Withdraw into thy scabbard, Rest thyself and be still.
[The people of Philistia say, ] “Yahweh, when [RHQ] will you [tell our enemies to stop killing us with] [PRS] their swords? Tell them to [PRS] put them back into their sheaths and keep them there!”
7 How, can it be quiet, when, Yahweh, hath given it a charge, —against Ashkelon and against the shore of the sea? There, hath he appointed it!
But it would not be right [RHQ] for their swords to stay there, because Yahweh has commanded their enemies [to do something more]; Yahweh intends to tell them to attack [all the people living in] Ashkelon and [in other cities] along the coast.
