1 T hat which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

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

2 T o 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:

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

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

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

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

5 “ 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.

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

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 rises like the Nile, Like the rivers whose waters surge about?

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

8 E gypt 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.”

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 G o 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.

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 F or 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.

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

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 T he 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.

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 his 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:

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

14 “ 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.’

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

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

16 “ 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.’

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

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

18 “ 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.

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 “ 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.

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

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

21 “ 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.

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

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 “ 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.

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

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 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.

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 “ 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.

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 “ 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.”

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.