1 T hat which hath been the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh smiteth Gaza:

This is the Word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the man of God about the Philistines, before Pharaoh won the war against Gaza.

2 ` Thus said Jehovah: Lo, waters are coming up from the north, And have been for an overflowing stream, And they overflow the land and its fulness, The city, and the inhabitants in it, And men have cried out, And howled hath every inhabitant of the land.

The Lord says, “Waters are going to rise from the north and become a flood. They will flow over the land and everything in it, the cities and all who live in them. The men will cry out. Every person living in the land will cry in a loud voice.

3 F rom the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his mighty ones, From the rushing of his chariot, the noise of his wheels, Fathers have not turned unto sons, From feebleness of hands,

Because of the noise of the feet of horses running, the noise of war-wagons and the sound of wheels, fathers have not turned back for their children. Their hands have become too weak,

4 B ecause of the day that hath come to spoil all the Philistines, To cut off to Tyre and to Zidon every helping remnant. For Jehovah is spoiling the Philistines, The remnant of the isle of Caphtor.

because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines. And all those who helped Tyre and Sidon will be destroyed. For the Lord is going to destroy the Philistines, those who are left of the land of Caphtor by the sea.

5 C ome hath baldness unto Gaza, Cut off hath been Ashkelon, O remnant of their valley, Till when dost thou cut thyself?

All the hair is gone from the head of Gaza. Ashkelon has been destroyed. O you who are left of their valley, how long will you cut yourselves?

6 H o, sword of Jehovah, till when art thou not quiet? Be removed unto thy sheath, rest and cease.

O, sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you are quiet? Return to your holder. Be at rest and do not move.

7 H ow shall it be quiet, And Jehovah hath given a charge to it, Against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? There hath He appointed it!'

How can it be quiet, when the Lord has given it work to do? He has sent it against Ashkelon and against the land by the sea.”