1 Yahweh’s word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
3 "Prepare the buckler and shield,
and draw near to battle!
4 Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen,
and stand up with your helmets.
Polish the spears,
put on the coats of mail.
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed and are turned backward.
Their mighty ones are beaten down,
have fled in haste,
and don’t look back.
Terror is on every side,"
says Yahweh.
6 "Don’t let the swift flee away,
nor the mighty man escape.
In the north by the river Euphrates
they have stumbled and fallen.
7 "Who is this who rises up like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge.
He says, ‘I will rise up. I will cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.’
9 Go up, you horses!
Rage, you chariots!
Let the mighty men go out:
Cush and Put, who handle the shield;
and the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow.
10 For that day is of the Lord, Yahweh of Armies,
a day of vengeance,
that he may avenge himself of his adversaries.
The sword will devour and be satiated,
and will drink its fill of their blood;
for the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt.
You use many medicines in vain.
There is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and the earth is full of your cry;
for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty,
they both fall together."
13 The word that Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:
14 "Declare in Egypt,
publish in Migdol,
and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes;
say, ‘Stand up, and prepare,
for the sword has devoured around you.’
15 Why are your strong ones swept away?
They didn’t stand, because Yahweh pushed them.
16 He made many to stumble.
Yes, they fell on one another.
They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people,
and to the land of our birth,
from the oppressing sword.’
17 They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise;
he has let the appointed time pass by.’
18 "As I live," says the King,
whose name is Yahweh of Armies,
"surely like Tabor among the mountains,
and like Carmel by the sea,
so he will come.
19 You daughter who dwells in Egypt,
furnish yourself to go into captivity;
for Memphis will become a desolation,
and will be burned up,
without inhabitant.
20 "Egypt is a very beautiful heifer;
but destruction out of the north has come.
It has come.
21 Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall,
for they also are turned back.
They have fled away together.
They didn’t stand,
for the day of their calamity has come on them,
the time of their visitation.
22 Its sound will go like the serpent,
for they will march with an army,
and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.
23 They will cut down her forest," says Yahweh,
"though it can’t be searched;
because they are more than the locusts,
and are innumerable.
24 The daughter of Egypt will be disappointed;
she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north."
25 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh, and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. Afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old," says Yahweh.
27 "But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant.
Don’t be dismayed, Israel;
for, behold, I will save you from afar,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return,
and will be quiet and at ease.
No one will make him afraid.
28 Don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant," says Yahweh,
"for I am with you;
for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you,
but I will not make a full end of you,
but I will correct you in measure,
and will in no way leave you unpunished."
1 耶和华论到列国的话临到耶利米先知。
2 以下的话是关于埃及， 论到埃及王法老尼哥的军队， 这军队在犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬第四年， 被巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒在靠近幼发拉底河的迦基米施击败。
3 "要准备好大小的盾牌， 踏上战场。
4 要装备马匹， 骑上战马； 站好岗位， 戴上头盔； 磨快枪矛， 穿上铁甲。
5 但为什么我看见他们惊惶， 转身退后呢？他们的勇士被击败了， 他们急速奔逃， 不敢回转。四围都是惊慌。"这是耶和华的宣告。
6 "快跑的跑不掉， 勇士也不能逃脱； 他们在北方、在幼发拉底河边， 都绊跌仆到。
7 那像尼罗河上涨， 像江河的水翻腾的是谁呢？
8 埃及像尼罗河上涨， 像江河的水翻腾； 它说： ‘我要上涨， 淹盖大地； 我要毁灭城镇和城里的居民。’
9 马匹啊， 上前吧！ 战车啊， 狂奔吧！ 勇士啊， 就是紧握盾牌的古实人和弗人， 以及拉弓的吕底亚人哪， 上阵吧！
10 那是主万军之耶和华的日子， 是报仇的日子， 他要向自己的敌人报仇； 刀剑必吞噬、饱餐他们的肉， 痛饮他们的血。因为在北方， 靠近幼发拉底河之地， 主万军之耶和华要屠宰敌人像杀祭牲一样。
11 埃及的人民哪， 上基列去取乳香吧！ 你虽多用药物都是无效， 你必不得医治。
12 列国听见你的羞耻， 大地满了你的哀号； 因为勇士和勇士相碰， 双方一同仆倒。"
13 以下是耶和华对耶利米先知所说的话， 论到巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒要来攻打埃及地。
14 "你们要在埃及传扬， 在密夺宣告， 在挪弗和答比匿宣扬， 说： ‘要站好岗位， 作好准备， 因为刀剑要吞灭你周围的人！ ’
15 你的壮士为什么俯伏？他们站立不住（"你的壮士为什么俯伏？他们站立不住"或可参照《七十士译本》译作"为什么亚比士神逃跑？你的牛神站立不住"）， 是因耶和华把他们推倒了。
16 他使众人绊跌， 倒在一起； 他们说： ‘起来！ 我们要回到我们本族， 和我们出生之地那里去， 躲避欺压者的刀剑。’
17 他们在那里喊叫： ‘埃及王法老不过是喧哗的声音； 他已失去机会。’"
18 名叫万军之耶和华的王宣告说： "我指着我的永生起誓， 必有一位要来， 像群山中的他泊山， 像海边的迦密山一样。
19 住在埃及的人民哪！ 要为自己预备被掳时所需的器物； 因为挪弗必成为荒场， 必被烧毁， 无人居住。
20 埃及是一头肥美的母牛， 但北方的牛虫已经来到它身上（"它身上"有古卷作"来到了"）。
21 它中间的雇佣兵像棚里的肥牛犊， 他们一同转身逃跑， 没有一个站立得住； 因为他们遭灾的日子、受惩罚的时候， 已经临到他们身上。
22 它逃走的声音像蛇行的响声， 因为敌人要成队而来， 像砍伐树木的， 拿着斧子前来攻击它。
23 他们要砍伐它的森林。这是耶和华的宣告； 它的森林虽然茂密难以通过， 但敌人比蝗虫还多， 无法数算。
24 埃及的人民必蒙羞受辱， 必交在北方的民族的手中。"
25 万军之耶和华以色列的 神说： "看哪！ 我必惩罚挪的亚扪神、法老和那些倚靠法老的人。
26 我必把他们交在那些寻索他们性命的人的手里， 就是交在巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒和他的臣仆的手中。但以后， 埃及必再有人居住， 像从前一样。"这是耶和华的宣告。
27 "至于你， 我的仆人雅各啊！ 你不要惧怕。以色列啊！ 你不要惊慌。因为我必从远方拯救你回来， 从被掳之地必拯救你的后裔脱离他们被掳之地。雅各必归回， 得享平静安逸， 没有人可以使他害怕。
28 我的仆人雅各啊！ 你不要惧怕。因为我与你同在； 我要消灭我赶逐你去的列国。却必不消灭你。我要按公正惩治你， 决不能免你受罚。"这是耶和华的宣告。