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 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles.
2 To Egypt: against the army of Pharaohnecho 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 Why have I seen them dismayed [and] turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down and are fled in haste, and do not look back: [for] fear [was] round about, said the LORD.
6 Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they stumbled and fell toward the north by the river Euphrates.
7 Who [is] this [that] comes up as a flood, whose waters move as rivers?
8 Egypt rises up like a flood, and [his] waters move like rivers; and he said, I will go up [and] will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.
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 But this day [shall be] unto the Lord GOD of the hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; for it [shall be a] slaughter unto the Lord GOD of the hosts 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] there is no cure for thee.
12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry has filled the land; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, [and] they are both fallen together.
13 The word that the LORD spoke 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 Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
15 Why is thy fortress swept away? It could not stand because the LORD pushed it [over].
16 He multiplied the fallen; 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, away from the overcoming sword.
17 They cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt [is but] a noise; he allowed the appointed time to pass [by].
18 [As] I live, saith the King, whose name [is] the LORD of the 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 Memphis shall be a pasture and shall be made desolate without an inhabitant.
20 Egypt [is like] a very fair heifer, [but] destruction comes; it comes out of the north.
21 Also her soldiers [are] in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also turned back, [and] all fled away without stopping: because the day of their calamity was come upon them [and] the time of their visitation.
22 Her voice shall go forth 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, for they cannot be counted because they are more than the locusts; they [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 the hosts, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I will visit the multitude of Alexandria, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and [all] those that trust in him.
26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their soul 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 be prospered, and no one 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 Gentiles where I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will chastise thee with judgment; and I will not completely cut thee off.: