Jeremiah 45:1-46:12

English Standard Version

Message to Baruch

45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to ^(A)Baruch the son of Neriah, ^(B)when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, ^(C)in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: ²“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: ³You said, ^(D)‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. ^(E)I am weary with my groaning, ^(F)and I find no rest.’ ⁴Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: ^(G)Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. ⁵And ^(H)do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, ^(I)I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you ^(J)your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”

Judgment on Egypt

46 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet ^(K)concerning the nations.

²About Egypt. ^(L)Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in ^(M)the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

³^(N)“Prepare buckler and shield,
    and advance for battle!
⁴^(O)Harness the horses;
    mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
    ^(P)polish your spears,
    put on your armor!
⁵Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
    and have turned backward.
Their ^(Q)warriors are beaten down
    and have fled in haste;
^(R)they look not back—
    ^(S)terror on every side!
declares the Lord.

⁶“The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
^(T)in the north by the river Euphrates
^(U)they have stumbled and fallen.

⁷“Who is this, ^(V)rising like the Nile,
    like rivers ^(W)whose waters surge?
⁸Egypt rises like the Nile,
    like rivers ^(X)whose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
    I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
⁹^(Y)Advance, O horses,
    and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
    men of Cush and ^(Z)Put who handle the shield,
    ^(AA)men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
¹⁰^(AB)That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
    ^(AC)a day of vengeance,
    ^(AD)to avenge himself on his foes.
^(AE)The sword shall devour and be sated
    and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of hosts holds ^(AF)a sacrifice
    ^(AG)in the north country ^(AH)by the river Euphrates.
¹¹^(AI)Go up to Gilead, and take ^(AJ)balm,
    O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
    ^(AK)there is no healing for you.
¹²The nations have heard of your shame,
    and the earth is full of your cry;
^(AL)for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
    they have both fallen together.”