1 ¶ The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles.

Yahweh’s word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 T o Egypt: against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the 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 O rder ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

Prepare the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!

4 H arness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets; furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.

5 W hy have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down and are fled in haste, and do not look back: for fear was round about, said the LORD.

Why have I seen it? they are dismayed and are turned backward; and their mighty ones are beaten down, and have fled apace, and don’t look back: terror is on every side, says Yahweh.

6 D o not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they stumbled and fell toward the north by the river Euphrates.

Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

7 W ho is this that comes up as a flood, whose waters move as rivers?

Who is this who rises up like the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?

8 E gypt rises up like a flood, and his waters move like rivers; and he said, I will go up and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.

Egypt rises up like the Nile, and his waters toss themselves like the rivers: and he says, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.

9 C ome up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

Go up, you horses; and rage, you chariots; and let the mighty men go out: Cush and Put, who handle the shield; and the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow.

10 B ut this day shall be unto the Lord GOD of the hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; for it shall be a slaughter unto the Lord GOD of the hosts in the north country by the river Euphrates.

For that day is of the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

11 G o up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for there is no cure for thee.

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain do you use many medicines; there is no healing for you.

12 ¶ The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry has filled the land; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, and they are both fallen together.

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 are fallen both of them together.

13 T he word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

The word that Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt.

14 D eclare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

Declare in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say, Stand up, and prepare; for the sword has devoured around you.

15 W hy is thy fortress swept away? It could not stand because the LORD pushed it over.

Why are your strong ones swept away? they didn’t stand, because Yahweh pushed them.

16 H e multiplied the fallen; yea, one fell upon another; and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people and to the land of our nativity, away from the overcoming sword.

He made many to stumble, yes, they fell one on another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.

17 T hey cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he allowed the appointed time to pass by.

They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass by.

18 A s I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of the hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

As I live, says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall be a pasture and shall be made desolate without an inhabitant.

You daughter who dwells in Egypt, furnish yourself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall become a desolation, and shall be burnt up, without inhabitant.

20 E gypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction comes; it comes out of the north.

Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; but destruction out of the north has come, it has come.

21 A lso her soldiers are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also turned back, and all fled away without stopping: because the day of their calamity was come upon them and 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 are fled away together, they didn’t stand: for the day of their calamity has come on them, the time of their visitation.

22 H er voice shall go forth like a serpent; for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes as hewers of wood.

The sound of it shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.

23 T hey shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, for they cannot be counted because they are more than the locusts; they are innumerable.

They shall cut down her forest, says Yahweh, though it can’t be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

24 T he daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

The daughter of Egypt shall be disappointed; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25 T he LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I will visit the multitude of Alexandria, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all those that trust in him.

Yahweh of Armies, 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 A nd I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their soul and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his slaves; and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

and 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; and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, says Yahweh.

27 B ut fear not thou, O my slave Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and be in rest and be prospered, and no one shall make him afraid.

But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and no one shall make him afraid.

28 F ear thou not, O Jacob my slave, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the Gentiles where I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will chastise thee with judgment; and I will not completely cut thee off.

Don’t you be afraid, O Jacob my servant, says Yahweh; 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.