< Jeremiæ 46 >
1 Quod factum est verbum Domini ad Ieremiam prophetam contra Gentes
These are messages that Yahweh gave to the prophet Jeremiah about [other] nations.
2 ad Aegyptum adversum exercitum Pharaonis Nechao regis Aegypti, qui erat iuxta fluvium Euphraten in Charcamis, quem percussit Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis, in quarto anno Ioakim filii Iosiae regis Iuda.
After Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah, had been ruling Judah for almost four years, this message about Egypt was given [by Yahweh]. It was when the army of King Neco of Egypt was defeated by the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon along the Euphrates River. [This is what Yahweh said: “The officers of the army of Egypt are saying to their troops],
3 Praeparate scutum, et clypeum, et procedite ad bellum.
‘Prepare your shields and march out to fight the battle!
4 Iungite equos, et ascendite equites: state in galeis, polite lanceas, induite vos loricis.
Put harnesses on your horses, and get on their backs. (Get into your positions/Line up) [for the battle]; put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and put on your armor!’
5 Quid igitur? vidi ipsos pavidos, et terga vertentes, fortes eorum caesos: fugerunt conciti, nec respexerunt: terror undique, ait Dominus.
But what [RHQ] do I see? I see that the soldiers of Egypt will be terrified and will be fleeing. [Even] the bravest of their soldiers will be running away, without [even] looking backward! [I, ] Yahweh, say that [their soldiers] will be terrified on all sides!
6 Non fugiat velox, nec salvari se putet fortis: Ad Aquilonem iuxta flumen Euphraten victi sunt, et ruerunt.
[Even] the fastest [runners] will try to run away, but [even the greatest of] their warriors will not escape. In the north, by the Euphrates [River], they will stumble and fall.
7 Quis est iste, qui quasi flumen ascendit: et veluti fluviorum, intumescunt gurgites eius?
What group is this that will be covering the land like the water of the Nile [River] covers the land when it floods?
8 Aegyptus, fluminis instar ascendit, et velut flumina movebuntur fluctus eius, et dicet: Ascendens operiam terram: perdam civitatem, et habitatores eius.
[It is the army of] Egypt that will be covering the land like a surging/huge flood, and they will boast that they will cover the earth and will destroy cities and the people [who live in them].
9 Ascendite equos, et exultate in curribus, et procedant fortes, Aethiopia, et Libyes tenentes scutum, et Lydii arripientes, et iacientes sagittas.
You [riders of] horses, charge/rush [into the battle]! You [drivers of] chariots, drive furiously! [All] you warriors from Ethiopia and Libya who carry your shields, you warriors from Lydia who shoot arrows, you come!
10 Dies autem ille Domini Dei exercituum dies ultionis, ut sumat vindictam de inimicis suis: devorabit gladius, et saturabitur, et inebriabitur sanguine eorum: victima enim Domini Dei exercituum in Terra Aquilonis iuxta flumen Euphraten.
But, [you need to know that] this is the day when [I], Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels, will get revenge on my enemies. With my sword [PRS] I will kill [my enemies] until I am satisfied; my sword will [be like a monster that] [MET, PRS] drinks the blood [of the animals it kills] until it is no longer thirsty. [The enemy soldiers who will be killed] in the north beside the Euphrates River [will be like] [MET] a sacrifice to [me], the Commander of the armies of angels.
11 Ascende in Galaad, et tolle resinam virgo filia Aegypti: frustra multiplicas medicamina, sanitas non erit tibi.
You people [IDM] of Egypt, go up to the Gilead [region] to obtain medicine; but it will be useless to take all those medicines; you will not be healed.
12 Audierunt Gentes ignominiam tuam, et ululatus tuus replevit terram: quia fortis impegit in fortem, et ambo pariter conciderunt.
[People in] the [other] nations will hear how you were humiliated. [People] all over the earth will hear you wailing. [Your mighty] warriors will stumble over each other and they will all fall down together.”
13 Verbum quod locutus est Dominus ad Ieremiam prophetam, super eo quod venturus esset Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis et percussurus Terram Aegypti:
[Then] Yahweh gave me this message about King Nebuchadnezzar when he planned to attack Egypt [with his army]:
14 Annunciate Aegypto, et auditum facite in Magdalo, et resonet in Memphis, et in Taphnis, dicite: Sta, et praepara te: quia devorabit gladius ea, quae per circuitum tuum sunt.
“Shout [this message] throughout Egypt! Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpenes [cities]! ‘(Get into your positions/Line up) [for the battle]; Prepare to defend yourselves, because [everyone] around you will be killed.’ [PRS, MTY]
15 Quare computruit fortis tuus? non stetit: quoniam Dominus subvertit eum.
Your god is a bull; Why does he fall down? He will not be able to stand up, because Yahweh will knock him down.
16 Multiplicavit ruentes, ceciditque vir ad proximum suum: et dicent: Surge, et revertamur ad populum nostrum, et ad terram nativitatis nostrae, a facie gladii columbae.
The soldiers from other countries will stumble and fall over each other, and [then] they will say to each other, ‘Let’s get up and go back to our own people, to our own land. Let’s get away from the swords of our enemies!’
17 Vocate nomen Pharaonis regis Aegypti, tumultum adduxit tempus.
There [in Egypt] they will say, ‘The king of Egypt talks loudly, but when our [army] had an opportunity [to defeat our enemies], they failed.’
18 Vivo ego (inquit rex, Dominus exercituum nomen eius) quoniam sicut Thabor in montibus, et sicut Carmelus in mari, veniet.
[I, ] the King, who am called the Commander of the armies of angels, say this: ‘As [surely as] I live, someone’s army will be coming [to fight against the army of Egypt]. They will be [extremely powerful], [as though they were as tall] as Tabor Hill, or [as high] as Carmel [Mountain] close to the [Mediterranean] Sea.
19 Vasa transmigrationis fac tibi habitatrix filia Aegypti: quia Memphis in solitudinem erit, et deseretur, et inhabitabilis erit.
[All] you people who live in Egypt, pack your possessions/clothes and prepare to be exiled. Memphis [city] will be destroyed; it will become a ruin, and no one will be living there.
20 Vitula elegans atque formosa Aegyptus: stimulator ab Aquilone veniet ei.
Egypt is [like] [SIM] a beautiful young cow, but [the army of a powerful king] from the northeast will come to attack it [like] a horsefly [MET] [bites a cow].
21 Mercenarii quoque eius, qui versabantur in medio eius, quasi vituli saginati versi sunt, et fugerunt simul, nec stare potuerunt: quia dies interfectionis eorum venit super eos, tempus visitationis eorum.
The (mercenaries/soldiers [from other countries] who have been hired) will become like [SIM] fat calves; but they also will turn around and run away; they will not stand [there and fight], because it will be a day when there will be a [great] disaster in Egypt, a day when their people will be [greatly] punished.
22 Vox eius quasi aeris sonabit: quoniam cum exercitu properabunt, et cum securibus venient ei, quasi caedentes ligna.
[The soldiers of] Egypt will run away, as silently as a snake scurries/crawls away. [The army of] the enemy will advance; they will march along carrying their axes like [SIM] men who cut down trees.
23 Succiderunt saltum eius, ait Dominus, qui supputari non potest: multiplicati sunt super locustas, et non est eis numerus.
[I, ] Yahweh, say that they will kill the soldiers [of Egypt] as though [SIM] they were a forest of trees, because the enemy soldiers will be as numerous as [a swarm of] locusts.
24 Confusa est filia Aegypti, et tradita in manu populi Aquilonis.
The people of Egypt will be humiliated; they will be conquered by people from the northeast.’
25 Dixit Dominus exercituum Deus Israel: Ecce ego visitabo super tumultum Alexandriae, et super Pharaonem, et super Aegyptum, et super deos eius, et super reges eius, et super Pharaonem, et super eos, qui confidunt in eo.
[I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israelis [worship], say, ‘I will punish Amon, [the god whom the people] of Thebes [city] worship, and [all] the [other] gods in Egypt. [I will punish] the King of Egypt and [all] those who trust in him.
26 Et dabo eos in manu quaerentium animam eorum, et in manu Nabuchodonosor regis Babylonis, et in manu servorum eius: et post haec habitabitur sicut diebus pristinis, ait Dominus.
I will cause them to be captured by those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon, and his army officers. But many years later, people will live in Egypt again. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.’
27 Et tu ne timeas serve meus Iacob, et ne paveas Israel: quia ecce ego salvum te faciam de longinquo, et semen tuum de terra captivitatis tuae: et revertetur Iacob, et requiescet, et prosperabitur: et non erit qui exterreat eum.
But you people of Israel who serve me, do not be at all dismayed [DOU] now, because some day I will bring you back from distant places; I will bring your descendants from the land to which they were exiled. [Then you] Israeli people will again live peacefully and safely, and there will not be any [nation] to cause you to be terrified.
28 Et tu noli timere serve meus Iacob, ait Dominus: quia tecum ego sum, quia ego consumam cunctas gentes, ad quas eieci te: te vero non consumam, sed castigabo te in iudicio, nec quasi innocenti parcam tibi.
[I, ] Yahweh, say to you people of Israel who serve me, ‘Do not be afraid, because I will be with you. I will completely destroy the nations among whom I have scattered you, but I will not completely get rid of you. I will punish you, but I will punish you only as severely as you deserve: It would be wrong if I did not punish you at all.’”