Prophecy against Philistia

47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the (A)Philistines, before Pharaoh [a]conquered (B)Gaza. This is what the Lord says:

“Behold, waters are going to rise from (C)the north
And become an overflowing torrent,
And (D)overflow the land and everything that is in it,
The city and those who live in it;
And the people will (E)cry out,
And every inhabitant of the land will wail.
Because of the noise of the [b](F)galloping hoofs of his [c]stallions,
The roar of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels,
The fathers have not turned back for their children,
Because of the debility of their hands,
Because of the day that is coming
To (G)destroy all the Philistines,
To eliminate from (H)Tyre and Sidon
Every surviving ally;
For the Lord is going to destroy the Philistines,
The remnant of the coastland of (I)Caphtor.
(J)Baldness has come upon Gaza;
(K)Ashkelon has been destroyed.
Remnant of their valley,
How long will you (L)gash yourself?
Ah, (M)sword of the Lord,
How long will you not be quiet?
Withdraw into your sheath;
Rest and stay still.
How can [d]it be quiet,
When the Lord has (N)given it an order?
Against Ashkelon and against the sea shore—
There He has (O)summoned it.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:1 Lit struck
  2. Jeremiah 47:3 Lit stamping of the
  3. Jeremiah 47:3 Lit mighty ones
  4. Jeremiah 47:7 Lit you

A Message about Philistia

47 This is the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines of Gaza, before it was captured by the Egyptian army. This is what the Lord says:

“A flood is coming from the north
    to overflow the land.
It will destroy the land and everything in it—
    cities and people alike.
People will scream in terror,
    and everyone in the land will wail.
Hear the clatter of stallions’ hooves
    and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by.
Terrified fathers run madly,
    without a backward glance at their helpless children.

“The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed,
    along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon.
Yes, the Lord is destroying the remnant of the Philistines,
    those colonists from the island of Crete.[a]
Gaza will be humiliated, its head shaved bald;
    Ashkelon will lie silent.
You remnant from the Mediterranean coast,[b]
    how long will you cut yourselves in mourning?

“Now, O sword of the Lord,
    when will you be at rest again?
Go back into your sheath;
    rest and be still.

“But how can it be still
    when the Lord has sent it on a mission?
For the city of Ashkelon
    and the people living along the sea
    must be destroyed.”

Footnotes

  1. 47:4 Hebrew from Caphtor.
  2. 47:5 Hebrew the plain.