1 T he word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations.

This is the Word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the man of God about the nations.

2 A gainst Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

This is what He said about Egypt, and about the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had won the battle against Pharaoh’s army in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

3 “ Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle!

“Get your coverings ready and go out to the battle!

4 H arness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor!

Get the horses ready and get on them! Take your places with your head-coverings on! Make your spears shine, and put on your heavy battle-clothes!

5 W hy have I seen them dismayed and turned back? Their mighty ones are beaten down; They have speedily fled, And did not look back, For fear was all around,” says the Lord.

What do I see? They are filled with fear and are turning back. Their strong men are beaten and are running away without looking back. Much fear is on every side,” says the Lord.

6 “ Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates.

Do not let the fast man run away. Do not let the strong man get away. In the north by the River Euphrates they have lost their step and fallen.

7 “ Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers?

Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of rising waters?

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

Egypt rises like the Nile, like the rivers of rising waters. He has said, “I will rise and cover that land. I will destroy the city and its people.”

9 C ome up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.

Go up, you horses! Drive hard, you war-wagons! Let the men of war go up, Ethiopia and Put who use the battle-covering, and the Lydians who are able men with the bow.

10 F or this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.

That day is the day of the Lord God of All, a day of punishment, when He will punish those who hate Him. The sword will destroy until it is filled. It will drink its fill of their blood. For there will be many killed for the Lord, the God of All, in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

11 “ Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.

Go up to Gilead and get healing oil, O young daughter of Egypt! You have used many medicines for nothing. There is no healing for you.

12 T he nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land; For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; They both have fallen together.” Babylonia Will Strike Egypt

The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry. For one soldier has fallen over another. They have both fallen together. Nebuchadnezzar and Egypt

13 T he word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and strike the land of Egypt.

This is the word which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the man of God about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to punish the land of Egypt:

14 “ Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.’

“Make it known in Egypt. Make it known in Migdol, in Memphis, and in Tahpanhes. Say, ‘Take your places and get ready, for the sword has destroyed those around you.’

15 W hy are your valiant men swept away? They did not stand Because the Lord drove them away.

Why have your strong ones gone away? They did not stand because the Lord has thrown them down.

16 H e made many fall; Yes, one fell upon another. And they said, ‘Arise! Let us go back to our own people And to the land of our nativity From the oppressing sword.’

The Lord made many fall. They have fallen on each other. And they said, ‘Get up! Let us return to our own people and our own land, away from the sword of the one who makes it hard for us.’

17 T hey cried there, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise. He has passed by the appointed time!’

There they cried, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise. He has passed by the time he was to have!’

18 “ As I live,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts, “Surely as Tabor is among the mountains And as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come.

“As I live,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of All, “one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, or like Carmel by the sea.

19 O you daughter dwelling in Egypt, Prepare yourself to go into captivity! For Noph shall be waste and desolate, without inhabitant.

Get your things ready for when you are taken away, you who are living in Egypt. For Memphis will become a waste. It will be burned down and will have no people.

20 “ Egypt is a very pretty heifer, But destruction comes, it comes from the north.

Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But a horsefly has come upon her from the north.

21 A lso her mercenaries are in her midst like fat bulls, For they also are turned back, They have fled away together. They did not stand, For the day of their calamity had come upon them, The time of their punishment.

Her hired soldiers among her are like calves, ready to eat. For they also have turned back and have run away together. They did not stay in their places. For the day of their trouble has come upon them, the time of their punishment.

22 H er noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood.

Egypt will sound like a snake moving away. For an army will come against her with axes, like those who cut down trees.

23 “ They shall cut down her forest,” says the Lord, “Though it cannot be searched, Because they are innumerable, And more numerous than grasshoppers.

They will cut down all her trees,” says the Lord, “even though there are so many. There are more trees than locusts, too many to number.

24 T he daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed; She shall be delivered into the hand Of the people of the north.”

The people of Egypt will be put to shame. She will be given over to the people of the north.”

25 T he Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring punishment on Amon of No, and Pharaoh and Egypt, with their gods and their kings—Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

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

26 A nd I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of his servants. Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old,” says the Lord. God Will Preserve Israel

I will give them over to those who want to kill them, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his captains. After that, Egypt will be filled with people as it was long ago,” says the Lord. God Will Save Israel

27 “ But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid.

“But do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant. Do not be troubled, O Israel. For I am going to save you from far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they are held. Jacob will return and have quiet and rest. And no one will make him afraid.

28 D o not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord, “For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”

O Jacob My servant, do not be afraid,” says the Lord, “for I am with you. I will make a complete end of all the nations where I have driven you. But I will not make a complete end of you. I will punish you so you will go the right way. I will not leave you without punishment.”