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

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

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 ` Set ye in array shield and buckler, And draw nigh to battle.

“Get your coverings ready and go out to 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.

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 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.

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

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 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 rivers of rising waters?

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, 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 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! 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 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.

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 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 get healing oil, O young daughter of Egypt! You have used many medicines for nothing. 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. For one soldier has fallen over another. They have both fallen together. Nebuchadnezzar and Egypt

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 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 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,

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

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

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 have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt a desolation, Passed by hath 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 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,” 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 G oods for removal make for thee, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, For Noph becometh a desolation, And hath been burnt up, 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 A heifer very fair Egypt, Rending from the north doth come into her.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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 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 A shamed hath been the daughter of Egypt, She hath been given 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.”