1 T he word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning and against the nations.

That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 C oncerning and against Egypt: against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote and defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

3 P ut in order the buckler and shield, and advance for battle!

“ Line up the shield and buckler, And draw near for the battle!

4 H arness the horses, and mount, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets! Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail!

“Harness the horses, And mount the steeds, And take your stand with helmets on! Polish the spears, Put on the scale-armor!

5 W hy have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward, and their mighty warriors are beaten down. They flee in haste and look not back; terror is on every side! says the Lord.

“Why have I seen it ? They are terrified, They are drawing back, And their mighty men are defeated And have taken refuge in flight, Without facing back; Terror is on every side!” Declares the Lord.

6 L et not the swift flee nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they stumble and fall.

Let not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

7 W ho is this that rises up like the Nile, like the branches whose waters surge and toss?

Who is this that rises like the Nile, Like the rivers whose waters surge about?

8 E gypt rises like the Nile, like the rivers whose waters surge and toss. She says, I will rise, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.

Egypt rises like the Nile, Even like the rivers whose waters surge about; And He has said, “I will rise and cover that land; I will surely destroy the city and its inhabitants.”

9 G o up, you horses, and drive furiously, you chariots! Let the warriors go forth—men of Ethiopia and Put who handle the shield, men of Lud who are skilled in handling and stringing the bow.

Go up, you horses, and drive madly, you chariots, That the mighty men may march forward: Ethiopia and Put, that handle the shield, And the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

10 B ut that day is a day of the Lord, the Lord of hosts—a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. And the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, the Lord of hosts has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

For that day belongs to the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the sword will devour and be satiated And drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a slaughter for the Lord God of hosts, In the land of the north by the river Euphrates.

11 G o up into Gilead and take balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain do you use many medicines; for you there is no healing or remedy.

Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you.

12 T he nations have heard of your disgrace and shame, and your cry has filled the earth. For warrior has stumbled against and thrown down warrior, and they have fallen both of them together.

The nations have heard of your shame, And the earth is full of your cry of distress; For one warrior has stumbled over another, And both of them have fallen down together.

13 T he word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and his smiting of the land of Egypt:

This is the message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

14 D eclare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol; and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, Stand forth and get yourself ready, for the sword devours round about you.

“Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the sword has devoured those around you.’

15 W hy is your strong one swept and dragged away? He stood not, because the Lord drove him and thrust him down.

“Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the Lord has thrust them down.

16 m ade many to stumble and fall; yes, they fell one upon another. And they said, Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor.

“They have repeatedly stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up! And let us go back To our own people and our native land Away from the sword of the oppressor.’

17 T hey cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is destroyed and is only a noise; he has let the appointed time pass by!

“ They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’

18 A s 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 shall he come.

“As I live,” declares the King Whose name is the Lord of hosts, “Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains, Or like Carmel by the sea.

19 O you daughter who dwells in Egypt and you who dwell with her, furnish yourselves to go into exile, for Memphis will be waste, desolate, and burned up, without inhabitant.

“Make your baggage ready for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt, For Memphis will become a desolation; It will even be burned down and bereft of inhabitants.

20 E gypt is a very fair heifer, but destruction is coming—out of the north it is coming!

“Egypt is a pretty heifer, But a horsefly is coming from the north—it is coming!

21 A lso her hired troops in the midst of her are like fatted calves, for they also are turned back and are fleeing together; they do not stand, because the day of their calamity is coming upon them, the time of their visitation (their inspection and punishment).

“Also her mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened calves, For even they too have turned back and have fled away together; They did not stand their ground. For the day of their calamity has come upon them, The time of their punishment.

22 T he sound is like the rustling of an escaping serpent, for her foes advance with a mighty army and come against her with axes, like those who fell trees and cut wood.

“Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

23 T hey shall cut down her forest, says the Lord, though it is impenetrable, because they are more numerous than locusts and cannot be counted.

“They have cut down her forest,” declares the Lord; “Surely it will no more be found, Even though they are now more numerous than locusts And are without number.

24 T he Daughter of Egypt shall be disgraced; she shall be delivered into the hands of the people of the north.

“The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Given over to the power of the people of the north.”

25 T he Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Behold, I will visit punishment upon Amon of No or Thebes, and upon Pharaoh and Egypt, with her gods and her kings—even Pharaoh and all those who put their trust in.

The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

26 A nd I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hands of his servants. Afterward will be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord.

I shall give them over to the power of those who are seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his officers. Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

27 B ut fear not, O My servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their exile; and Jacob will return and be quiet and at ease, and none will make him afraid.

“But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be undisturbed And secure, with no one making him tremble.

28 F ear not, O Jacob My servant, says the Lord, for I am with you. For I will make a full and complete end of all the nations to which I have driven you; yet I will not make a full end of you. But I will chasten and correct you in just measure, and I will not hold you guiltless by any means or leave you unpunished.

“O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”