1 T hat which hath been the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations,

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

2 F or Egypt, concerning the force of Pharaoh-Necho king of Egypt, that hath been by the river Phrat, in Carchemish, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath smitten, 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 ` Set ye in array shield and buckler, And draw nigh to battle.

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

4 G ird the horses, and go up, ye horsemen, And station yourselves with helmets, Polish the javelins, 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 herefore have I seen them dismayed -- They are turned backward, And their mighty ones are beaten down, And a refuge they have fled, and not turned the face? Fear round about -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

“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 T he swift do not flee, nor do the mighty escape, Northward, by the side of the river Phrat, They have stumbled and fallen.

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? as a flood he cometh up, As rivers do his waters shake themselves!

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

8 E gypt, as a flood cometh up, And as rivers the waters shake themselves. And he saith, I go up; I cover the land, I destroy the city and the inhabitants in it.

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, ye horses; and boast yourselves, ye chariots, And go forth, ye mighty, Cush and Phut handling the shield, And Lud handling -- treading 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 A nd that day to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts A day of vengeance, To be avenged of His adversaries, And the sword hath devoured, and been satisfied, And it hath been watered from their blood, For a sacrifice to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, In the land of the north, by the river Phrat.

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 to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, In vain thou hast multiplied medicines, Healing there is none for thee.

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 N ations have heard of thy shame, And thy cry hath filled the land, For the mighty on the mighty did stumble, Together they have fallen -- both of them!'

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 Jehovah hath spoken unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming in of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, to smite 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 ` Declare ye in Egypt, and sound in Migdol, Yea, sound in Noph, and in Tahpanhes say: Station thyself, yea, prepare for thee, For a sword hath devoured around thee,

“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 herefore hath thy bull been swept away? He hath not stood, because Jehovah thrust him away.

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

16 H e hath multiplied the stumbling, Yea one hath fallen upon his neighbour, And they say: Rise, and we turn back to our people, And unto the land of our birth, Because of the oppressing sword.

“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 have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt a desolation, Passed by hath the appointed time.

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

18 I live -- an affirmation of the King, Jehovah of Hosts His name, Surely as Tabor among mountains, And as Carmel by the sea -- he cometh in,

“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 G oods for removal make for thee, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, For Noph becometh a desolation, And hath been burnt 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 A heifer very fair Egypt, Rending from the north doth come into her.

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

21 E ven her hired ones in her midst as calves of the stall, For even they have turned, They have fled together, they have not stood, For the day of their calamity hath come on them, The time of their inspection.

“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 I ts voice as a serpent goeth on, For with a force they go, And with axes they have come in to her, As hewers of trees.

“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 have cut down her forest, An affirmation of Jehovah -- for it is not searched, For they have been more than the grasshopper, And they have no numbering.

“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 A shamed hath been the daughter of Egypt, She hath been given into the hand 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 S aid hath Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, I am seeing after Amon of No, And after Pharaoh, and after Egypt, And after her gods, and after her kings, And after Pharaoh, and after those trusting in him,

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 have given them into the hand of those seeking their life, And into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of his servants, And afterwards it is inhabited, As days of old -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

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 A nd thou, thou dost not fear, my servant Jacob, Nor thou dismayed, O Israel, For lo, I am saving thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob hath turned back, And hath been at rest, and been at ease, And there is none disturbing.

“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 T hou, thou dost not fear, My servant Jacob, An affirmation of Jehovah -- for with thee I, For I make an end of all the nations Whither I have driven thee, And of thee I do not make an end, And I have reproved thee in judgment, And do not entirely acquit thee!'

“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.”