1 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; 2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. 3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. 4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. 5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD. 6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates. 7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? 8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. 9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. 10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. 11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

13 The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt. 14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee. 15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. 16 He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword. 17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed. 18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. 19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant. 20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north. 21 Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation. 22 The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood. 23 They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable. 24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north. 25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: 26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

1 Die woord van die HERE wat aangaande die volke tot die profeet Jeremia gekom het.

2 Oor Egipte. Oor die leër van Farao Nego, die koning van Egipte, wat by die Eufraatrivier by K rkemis was, wat Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, verslaan het in die vierde jaar van Jojakim, die seun van Jos¡a, die koning van Juda --

3 Hou die klein en die groot skild klaar, en kom aan na die geveg!

4 Span die perde in, en klim op, o ruiters! En staan reg, met die helms op; maak blink die spiese, trek die pantsers aan.

5 Waarom sien ek -- hulle is verslae, hulle wyk agteruit? Ja, hulle helde is verslaan en vlug al verder sonder om om te draai. Daar is skrik rondom, spreek die HERE.

6 Die wat gou is, kan nie ontvlug nie, en die held kan nie ontkom nie; teen die noorde, aan die kant van die Eufraatrivier, het hulle gestruikel en geval.

7 Wie is dit wat daar oprys soos die Nyl, waarvan die waters klots soos strome?

8 Egipte rys op soos die Nyl en sy waters klots soos strome; en hy sê: Ek sal optrek, die aarde oordek, ek wil die stad verwoes en die wat daarin woon.

9 Trek op, perde, en raas, waens! En laat die helde uittrek: Kusiete en Put,ërs wat die skild hanteer, en Ludiete wat die boog hanteer en span.

10 Maar die dag behoort aan die Here HERE van die leërskare, 'n dag van wraak, om wraak te neem op sy teëstanders; en die swaard sal verslind en versadig en dronk word van hulle bloed; want die Here HERE van die leërskare het 'n slagoffer in die Noordland, by die Eufraatrivier.

11 Gaan op na G¡lead en gaan haal balsem, o jonkvrou, dogter van Egipte! Tevergeefs vermenigvuldig jy medisyne, daar is geen genesing vir jou nie.

12 Die nasies het van jou skande gehoor en die aarde is vol van jou geskreeu; want held het gestruikel teen held, hulle altwee het saam geval.

13 Die woord wat die HERE tot die profeet Jeremia gespreek het aangaande die koms van Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, om Egipteland te verower.

14 Verkondig dit in Egipte en laat dit hoor in Migdol; ja, laat dit hoor in Nof en in Tagp nhes. Sê: Staan reg, en maak jou klaar, want die swaard het verslind wat rondom jou is.

15 Waarom is jou ruitery neergewerp? Dit het nie bly staan nie, omdat die HERE dit omgestoot het.

16 Hy het baie laat struikel, ja, die een val oor die ander, sodat hulle gesê het: Staan op en laat ons teruggaan na ons volk en na die land van ons geboorte weens die verdrukkende swaard.

17 Hulle het daar geroep: Farao, die koning van Egipte, is oorlogsrumoer; hy het die bepaalde tyd laat verbygaan.

18 So waar as Ek leef, spreek die Koning, wie se Naam is HERE van die leërskare, daar sal sekerlik een kom soos Tabor onder die berge en soos Karmel by die see.

19 Maak vir jou toebereidsels om in ballingskap te gaan, o inwoner, dogter van Egipte; want Nof sal 'n woesteny word en dit sal verniel word, sonder inwoner wees.

20 Egipte is 'n pragtige vers; 'n steekvlieg kom, dit kom van die noorde af.

21 Ook is haar huurtroepe daar by haar soos kalwers uit die stal; maar hulle het ook omgedraai, almal saam gevlug, hulle het nie bly staan nie; want die dag van hulle ondergang het oor hulle gekom, die tyd van hulle besoeking.

22 Haar geluid is soos van 'n slang wat wegseil; want met 'n leërmag trek hulle en kom na haar met byle soos houtkappers.

23 Hulle kap haar bos om, spreek die HERE; want hulle is onberekenbaar: want hulle is meer as sprinkane, sodat 'n mens hulle nie kan tel nie.

24 Die dogter van Egipte staan beskaamd; sy is oorgegee in die hand van die volk uit die Noorde.

25 Die HERE van die leërskare, die God van Israel, sê: Kyk, Ek doen besoeking oor Amon van No en oor Farao en Egipte en sy gode en sy konings, ja, oor Farao en die wat op hom vertrou;

26 en Ek sal hulle oorgee in die hand van die wat hulle lewe soek, en in die hand van Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, en in die hand van sy dienaars. Maar daarna sal dit bewoon word soos in die dae van die voortyd, spreek die HERE.

27 Maar jy, my kneg Jakob, wees nie bevrees nie; en wees nie verskrik nie, o Israel! Want kyk, Ek verlos jou uit ver plekke en jou kroos uit die land van hulle gevangenskap; en Jakob sal terugkom en stil en gerus wees sonder dat iemand hom verskrik.

28 Jy, o my kneg Jakob, wees nie bevrees nie, spreek die HERE, want Ek is met jou. Want Ek sal 'n einde maak aan al die nasies waarheen Ek jou verdryf het; maar aan jou sal Ek geen einde maak nie, maar Ek sal jou tugtig met mate, al sal Ek jou sekerlik nie ongestraf laat bly nie.