Jeremiah 47

1 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.

The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh had smitten Gaza.

2 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.

Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, waters rise up out of the North, And they shall become an overflowing torrent, And shall overflow the land, and all that is therein, —The city, and them that dwell therein; And the men shall cry aloud, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

3 [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].

At the noise of the stamping of the horses, At the rattling of his chariots, And at the rumbling of his wheels, Fathers look not back for their children, For feebleness of hands,

4 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].

Because of the day which cometh, To lay waste all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and from Sidon Every helper that remaineth. For Jehovah will lay waste the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor.

5 [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]?”

Baldness is come upon Gaza, Askelon is in ruins, And the remnant of their valley! How long wilt thou cut thyself?

6 [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!”

Ah! sword of Jehovah, How long ere thou wilt be quiet? Retire into thy scabbard, Rest, and be still!

7 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.

But how canst thou be at rest, Since Jehovah hath given thee a charge against Askelon, And against the coast of the sea? There hath he appointed it.