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Jeremiah 44:24-47:7
New English Translation

24 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people, particularly to all the women,[a] “Listen to the Lord’s message, all you people of Judah who are in Egypt. 25 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, has said, ‘You women[b] have confirmed by your actions what you vowed with your lips! You said, “We will certainly carry out our vows to sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.” Well, then fulfill your vows! Carry them out!’[c] 26 But[d] listen to the Lord’s message, all you people of Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: The Lord says, ‘I hereby swear by my own great name that none of the people of Judah who are living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name in their oaths! Never again will any of them use it in an oath saying, “As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives.”[e] 27 I will indeed[f] see to it that disaster, not prosperity, happens to them.[g] All the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will die in war or from starvation until not one of them is left. 28 Some who survive the battle will return to the land of Judah from the land of Egypt. But they will be very few indeed![h] Then the Judean remnant who have come to live in the land of Egypt will know whose word proves true,[i] mine or theirs.’ 29 Moreover the Lord says,[j] ‘I will make something happen to prove that I will punish you in this place. I will do it so that you will know that my threats to bring disaster on you will prove true.[k] 30 I, the Lord, promise that[l] I will hand Pharaoh Hophra[m] king of Egypt over to his enemies who are seeking to kill him. I will do that just as surely as I handed King Zedekiah of Judah over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, his enemy who was seeking to kill him.’”

Baruch is Rebuked but also Comforted

45 The prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch son of Neriah while he was writing down in a scroll the words that Jeremiah spoke to him.[n] (This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah.)[o] 2 Jeremiah said, “The Lord God of Israel has a message for you, Baruch. 3 ‘You have said, “I feel so hopeless![p] For the Lord has added sorrow to my suffering.[q] I am worn out from groaning. I can’t find any rest.”’”

4 The Lord told Jeremiah,[r] “Tell Baruch,[s] ‘The Lord says, “I am about to tear down what I have built and to uproot what I have planted. I will do this throughout the whole earth.[t] 5 Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm[u] that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity.[v] But I will allow you to escape with your life[w] wherever you go.”’”

Prophecies Against Foreign Nations[x]

46 This was[y] the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations.

The Prophecy about Egypt’s Defeat at Carchemish

2 He spoke about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Now this was the army that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over[z] Judah:[aa]

3 “Fall into ranks with your shields ready![ab]
Prepare to march[ac] into battle!
4 Harness the horses to the chariots;
mount your horses!
Take your positions with helmets on;
ready[ad] your spears!
Put on the armor![ae]
5 “What do I see?[af]

The soldiers[ag] are frightened.
They are retreating.
They are being scattered.[ah]
They have fled for refuge
without looking back.[ai]
Terror is all around them,”[aj] says the Lord.
6 But even the swiftest cannot get away.
Even the strongest cannot escape.[ak]
There in the north by the Euphrates River
they have stumbled and fallen in defeat.[al]
7 Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like its streams[am] turbulent at flood stage?[an]
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like its streams turbulent at flood stage.
Egypt said, ‘I will arise and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.’[ao]
9 Go ahead and[ap] charge into battle, you horsemen!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
Let the soldiers march out into battle,
those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,
and those from Lydia[aq] who are armed with the bow.[ar]
10 But that day belongs to the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[as]
It is a day of reckoning, when he will pay back his adversaries.[at]
His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied.
It will drink its fill from their blood![au]
Indeed it will be a sacrifice for the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
11 Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment,[av]
you dear poor people of Egypt.[aw]
But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use;[ax]
there will be no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shameful defeat.[ay]
Your cries of distress fill[az] the earth.
One soldier has stumbled over another
and both of them have fallen down defeated.”[ba]

The Lord Predicts that Nebuchadnezzar Will Attack and Plunder Egypt

13 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt:[bb]

14 “Make an announcement throughout Egypt.
Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes.[bc]
‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle.
For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’[bd]
15 Why will your soldiers[be] be defeated?[bf]
They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust[bg] them down.
16 I will make many stumble.[bh]
They will fall over one another in their hurry to flee.[bi]
They will say, ‘Get up!
Let’s go back to our own people.
Let’s go back to our homelands
because the enemy is coming to destroy us.’[bj]
17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise![bk]
He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’[bl]
18 I the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[bm] swear this:
‘I swear as surely as I live that[bn] a conqueror is coming.
He will be as imposing as Mount Tabor is among the mountains,
as Mount Carmel is against the backdrop of the sea.[bo]
19 Pack your bags for exile,
you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt.[bp]
For Memphis will be laid waste.
It will lie in ruins[bq] and be uninhabited.
20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies.[br]
21 Even her mercenaries[bs]
will prove to be like pampered,[bt] well-fed calves.
For they too will turn and run away.
They will not stand their ground
when[bu] the time for them to be destroyed comes,
the time for them to be punished.
22 Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake,[bv]
as the enemy comes marching up in force.
They will come against her with axes
as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.
23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.
But I, the Lord, affirm[bw] that the enemy will cut them down.
For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts.
They will be too numerous to count.[bx]
24 Poor dear Egypt[by] will be put to shame.
She will be handed over to the people from the north.’”

25 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,[bz] says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes.[ca] I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him.[cb] 26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!”[cc]

A Promise of Hope for Israel

27 [cd] “You descendants of Jacob, my servants,[ce] do not be afraid;
do not be terrified, people of Israel.
For I will rescue you and your descendants
from the faraway lands where you are captives.[cf]
The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.
They will be secure and no one will terrify them.
28 I, the Lord, tell[cg] you not to be afraid,
you descendants of Jacob, my servant,
for I am with you.
Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.
I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”[ch]

Judgment on the Philistine Cities

47 This was[ci] the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:[cj]

2 “Look! Enemies are gathering in the north like water rising in a river.[ck]
They will be like an overflowing stream.
They will overwhelm the whole country and everything in it like a flood.
They will overwhelm the cities and their inhabitants.
People will cry out in alarm.
Everyone living in the country will cry out in pain.
3 Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses,
the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels.
They will not turn back to save their children
because they will be paralyzed with fear.[cl]
4 For the time has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
The time has come to destroy all the help
that remains for Tyre and Sidon.
For I, the Lord, will[cm] destroy the Philistines,
that remnant that came from the island of Crete.[cn]
5 The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning.
The people of Ashkelon will be struck dumb.
How long will you gash yourselves to show your sorrow,[co]
you who remain of Philistia’s power?[cp]
6 How long will you cry out,[cq] ‘Oh, sword of the Lord,
how long will it be before you stop killing?[cr]
Go back into your sheath;
stay there and rest!’[cs]
7 But how can it rest[ct]
when I, the Lord, have[cu] given it orders?
I have ordered it to attack
the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast.”[cv]

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 44:24 tn Heb “and to all the women.” The “and” (ו, vav) is to be explained here according to BDB 252 s.v. וַ 1.a. The focus of the address that follows is on the women. See the translator’s note on the next verse.
  2. Jeremiah 44:25 tn Or “You and your wives.” The text and referent here are uncertain because of the confusing picture that the alternation of pronouns presents in this verse. Three of the main verbs are second person feminine plurals, and one of them is second person masculine plural. All the pronominal suffixes on the nouns are second person masculine plurals. The Hebrew text reads, “You [masc. pl.] and your [masc. pl.] wives have spoken [second fem. pl.; תְּדַבֵּרְנָה, tedabbernah] with your [masc. pl.] mouth, and you have fulfilled [masc. pl.; מִלֵּאתֶם, milleʾtem] with your [masc. pl.] hands, saying, ‘We [common gender] will certainly carry out….’ Indeed, fulfill [second fem. pl.; תָּקִימְנָה, taqimnah] your [masc. pl.] vows and, indeed, carry out [second fem. pl.; תַעֲשֶׂינָה, taʿasenah] your [masc. pl.] vows.” Older commentaries, such as K&D 22:165, explain the feminine verbs as a matter of the women being the principle subject. Most all modern commentaries (e.g., J. A. Thompson, J. Bright, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers) follow the reading of the Greek version, which reads “you women” (= אַתֵּנָה הַנָּשִּׁים, [ʾattenah hannashim]) in place of “you and your wives” (אַתֶּם וּנְשֵׁיכֶם, ʾattem uneshekhem) in the Hebrew. None of them, however, explain the use of the second masc. plurals here. This is possibly a case where the masculine forms are used in the place of the feminine due to Hebrew's dislike of using the feminine plural forms (cf. GKC 459 §144.a and 466 §145.t). This seems all the more probable when second fem. pl. verbs are qualified by nouns with second masc. pl. suffixes. The translation here follows this interpretation of the masc. pl. forms, reads “you women” with the Greek version in place of “you and your wives,” and sees the referents throughout as the women.
  3. Jeremiah 44:25 tn Heb “Carry out your vows!”sn The commands here are, of course, sarcastic and not meant to be taken literally.
  4. Jeremiah 44:26 tn Heb “Therefore.” This particle quite often introduces the announcement of judgment after an indictment or accusation of a crime. That is its function here after the statement of cause in vv. 24-25. However, it would not sound right after the immediately preceding ironical or sarcastic commands to go ahead and fulfill their vows. “But” is a better transition unless one wants to paraphrase: “Therefore, since you are so determined to do that….”
  5. Jeremiah 44:26 tn Heb “Behold, I swear by…that my name will no more be pronounced in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord Yahweh lives.’” The sentence has been broken up and restructured to better conform with contemporary English style, and the significance of pronouncing the name has been interpreted for the sake of readers who might not be familiar with this biblical idiom.sn They will no longer be able to invoke his name in an oath because they will all be put to death (v. 27; cf. vv. 11-14).
  6. Jeremiah 44:27 tn Heb “Behold, I.” For the use of this particle see the translator’s note on 1:6. Here it announces the reality of a fact.
  7. Jeremiah 44:27 tn Heb “Behold, I am watching over them for evil/disaster/harm, not for good/prosperity/blessing.” See a parallel usage in 31:28.
  8. Jeremiah 44:28 tn Heb “The survivors of the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number [more literally, “men of number”; for the idiom see BDB 709 s.v. מִסְפָּר 1.a].” The term “survivors of the sword” may be intended to represent those who survive death by war, starvation, and disease, as a synecdoche of species for all three genera.sn This statement shows that the preceding “none,” “never again,” and “all” in vv. 26-27 are rhetorical hyperbole: not all but almost all. Very few would survive. The following statement implies that the reason they are left alive is to bear witness to the fact that the Lord’s threats were indeed carried out. See vv. 11-14 for a parallel use of “all” and “none” qualified by a “few.”
  9. Jeremiah 44:28 tn Heb “will stand,” i.e., in the sense of being fulfilled, proving to be true, or succeeding (see BDB 878 s.v. קוּם 7.g).
  10. Jeremiah 44:29 tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
  11. Jeremiah 44:29 tn Heb “This will be to you the sign, oracle of the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my threats against you for evil/disaster/harm will certainly stand [see the translator’s note on the preceding verse for the meaning of this word here].” The word “sign” refers to an event that is an omen or portent of something that will happen later (see BDB 16 s.v. אוֹת 2 and compare usage in 1 Sam 14:10 and 2 Kgs 19:29). The best way to carry that idea across in this context seems to be, “I will make something happen to prove [or portend].” Another possibility would be, “I will give you an omen that,” but many readers would probably not be familiar with “omen.” Again, the sentence has been broken in two and restructured to better conform with English style.
  12. Jeremiah 44:30 tn Heb “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will hand…’” The first person and indirect quote have been chosen because the Lord is already identified as the speaker and the indirect quote eliminates an extra level of embedded quotes.
  13. Jeremiah 44:30 sn Hophra ruled over Egypt from 589-570 b.c. He was the Pharaoh who incited Zedekiah to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar and whose army proved ineffective in providing any long-term relief to Jerusalem when it was under siege (see Jer 37 and especially the study note on 37:5). He was assassinated following a power struggle with a court official who had earlier saved him from a rebellion of his own troops and had ruled as co-regent with him.
  14. Jeremiah 45:1 sn It is unclear whether this refers to the first scroll (36:4) or the second (36:32). Perhaps, from the reactions of Baruch, this refers to the second scroll, which was written after he had seen how the leaders had responded to the first (36:19). Baruch was from a well-placed family; his grandfather, Mahseiah (32:12), had been governor of Jerusalem under Josiah (2 Chr 34:8), and his brother was a high-ranking official in Zedekiah’s court (Jer 51:59). He himself appears to have had some personal aspirations that he could see were being or going to be jeopardized (v. 5). The passage is both a rebuke to Baruch and an encouragement that his life will be spared wherever he goes. This latter promise is perhaps the reason that the passage is placed where it is, i.e., after the seemingly universal threat of destruction of all who have gone to Egypt in Jer 44.
  15. Jeremiah 45:1 tn Heb “[This is] the word/message that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch, son of Neriah, when he wrote these words on a scroll from the mouth of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah, saying.”
  16. Jeremiah 45:3 tn Heb “Woe to me!” See the translator’s notes on 4:13 and 10:19 for the rendering of this term.
  17. Jeremiah 45:3 sn From the context it appears that Baruch was feeling sorry for himself (v. 5), as well as feeling anguish for the suffering that the nation would need to undergo, according to the predictions of Jeremiah that he was writing down.
  18. Jeremiah 45:4 tn The words “The Lord told Jeremiah” are not in the text but are implicit in the address that follows: “Thus you shall say to him.” These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  19. Jeremiah 45:4 tn Heb “Thus you shall say to him [i.e., Baruch].”
  20. Jeremiah 45:4 tn Heb “and this is with regard to the whole earth.” The feminine pronoun הִיא (hiʾ) at the end refers to the verbal concepts just mentioned, i.e., this process (cf. GKC 459 §144.b and compare the use of the feminine singular suffix in the same function at GKC 440-41 §135.p). The particle אֶת (ʾet) is here functioning to introduce emphatically the object of the action (cf. BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3.α). There is some debate whether אֶרֶץ (ʾerets) here applies to the whole land of Israel or to the whole earth. However, the reference to “all mankind” (Heb “all flesh”) in the next verse as well as “anywhere you go” points to “the whole earth” as the referent.
  21. Jeremiah 45:5 tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
  22. Jeremiah 45:5 sn Cf. Jer 25:31, 33. The reference here to universal judgment also forms a nice transition to the judgments on the nations that follow in Jer 46-51. This may be another reason for the placement of this chapter here, out of its normal chronological order (see also the study note on v. 1).
  23. Jeremiah 45:5 tn Heb “I will give you your life for a spoil.” For this idiom see the translator’s note on 21:9 and compare the usage in 21:9; 38:2; 39:18.
  24. Jeremiah 46:1 sn Jeremiah was called to be a prophet not only to Judah and Jerusalem but to the nations (1:5, 10). The prophecies or oracles that are collected here in Jer 46-51 are found after 25:13a in the Greek version, where they are also found in a different order and with several textual differences. The issue of which represents the original writing is part of the broader issue of the editorial or redactional history of the book of Jeremiah, which went through several editions, two of which are referred to in Jer 36, i.e., the two scrolls written in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 b.c.). A third edition included all the preceding plus the material down to the time of the fall of Jerusalem (cf. the introduction in 1:1-3), and a fourth included all the preceding plus the materials in Jer 40-44. The oracles against the foreign nations collected here are consistent with the note of judgment sounded against all nations (including some not mentioned in Jer 46-51) in Jer 25. See the translator’s note on 25:13 for further details regarding the relationship that the oracles to the foreign nations may have to the judgment speeches in Jer 25.
  25. Jeremiah 46:1 tn Heb “that which was.”
  26. Jeremiah 46:2 sn The fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign proved very significant in Jeremiah's prophecies. It was in that same year that he issued the prophecies against the foreign nations recorded in Jer 25 (and probably the prophecies recorded here in Jer 46-51). In that year he had Baruch record and read to the people gathered in the temple all the prophecies he had uttered against Judah and Jerusalem up to that point, in the hopes that they would repent and the nation would be spared. The fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 b.c.) marked a significant shift in the balance of power in Palestine. With the defeat of Necho at Carchemish in that year, the area came under the control of Nebuchadnezzar, and Judah and the surrounding nations had two options, either submit to Babylon and pay tribute, or suffer the consequences of death in war or exile in Babylon for failure to submit.
  27. Jeremiah 46:2 tn Heb “Concerning Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was beside the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah.” The sentence has been broken up, restructured, and introductory words supplied in the translation to make the sentences better conform with contemporary English style.
  28. Jeremiah 46:3 tn Heb “Arrange shield and buckler.” The verb עָרַךְ (ʿarakh) refers to arranging or setting things in order, such as altars in a row, dishes on a table, or soldiers in ranks. Here the shields also stand for the soldiers holding them. The visual picture presented is of the shields aligning in position as the soldiers get into proper battle formation with shields at the ready. The צִנָּה (tsinnah; cf. BDB 857 s.v. III צִנָּה) is the long oval or rectangular “shield” that protected the whole body. And the מָגֵן (magen) is the smaller round “buckler,” which only protected the torso. The relative size of these two kinds of shields can be seen from the weight of each in 1 Kgs 10:16-17). Each soldier probably carried only one kind of shield. It is uncertain who is issuing the commands here. TEV adds, “The Egyptian officers shout,” which is the interpretation of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 688).
  29. Jeremiah 46:3 tn Heb “Draw near.”
  30. Jeremiah 46:4 tc The LXX reads προβάλετε (probalete), meaning “to hold before oneself, to present arms” (see LSJ s.v. προβάλλω B. III.). Instead of the MT’s מִרְקוּ (mirequ), this may reflect an original הָרִקוּ (hariqu), from רִיק (riq), or הָרִמוּ (harimu), from רוּם (rum). Both readings assume a Hiphil form where the ה (he) was replaced by duplicating the מ (mem) ending the previous word. In Ps 35:3 the Hiphil of ריק (riq) means to draw a spear, while the Hiphil of רוּם (rum) would mean to raise [a spear]. tn Or “polish” or “clean.” The other three uses of the verb מָרַק (maraq) refer to scouring or polishing. The context refers to the final stages of battle preparations, so whether it was “polishing,” “drawing,” or “raising” spears (see tc note above), the main point seems to be to have them ready to use. Some translations say “sharpen” (NLT, NRSV), but this meaning does not fit the proposed readings and would be an earlier activity in battle preparations.
  31. Jeremiah 46:4 sn A Hurrian loanword into Semitic. The Akkadian use refers to mail armor for either persons or horses.
  32. Jeremiah 46:5 tn Heb “Why do I see?” or “Why have I seen?” The rendering is that of J. A. Thompson (Jeremiah [NICOT], 685, 88) and J. Bright (Jeremiah [AB], 301; TEV; NIV). The question is not asking for information but expressing surprise or wonder (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 951).sn The passage jumps forward in time here, moving from the Egyptian army being summoned to battle to a description of their being routed in defeat.
  33. Jeremiah 46:5 tn Heb “Their soldiers.” These words are actually at the midpoint of the stanza as the subject of the third of the five verbs. However, as G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 291) note, this is the subject of all five verbs: “are terrified,” “are retreating,” “have been defeated,” “have run away,” and “have not looked back.” The subject is put at the front to avoid an unidentified “they.”
  34. Jeremiah 46:5 tn The verb יֻכַּתּוּ (yukkattu) is a Hophal imperfect from כָּתַת (katat). The imperfect can depict an action in progress, which fits the present timeframe of the verse. Many different constructions are employed to fit the present timeframe in this verse: predicate adj., participle, imperfect, perfect (for past action with continuing results), and a nominal clause.
  35. Jeremiah 46:5 tn Heb “have not looked back.”
  36. Jeremiah 46:5 tn Heb “Terror is all around.” This phrase also appears at Jer 6:25; 20:3 (cf. v. 4); 20:10; and, in a nearly identical form, Lam 2:22.
  37. Jeremiah 46:6 tn The translation understands the articular adjectives to function as superlatives (cf. GKC 431 §133.g). The negator אַל (ʾal) usually occurs with the jussive, but the form here is imperfect (יָנוּס [yanus] rather than יָנָס [yanos]). It should be understood modally, as an abilitive modal (“unable to”) or deontic modal (ought not [try to]), or as expressing the speaker’s “conviction that something cannot happen” (GKC 317 §107.p).
  38. Jeremiah 46:6 tn Heb “they stumbled and fell.” The words “in defeat” are added for clarity. The picture is not simply of having fallen down physically; it implies not getting up and therefore being defeated in battle. The account either moves ahead from the process of defeating Egypt to its defeat, or it follows a couple of soldiers amid the skirmish of v. 4 to their demise.
  39. Jeremiah 46:7 tn The word translated “streams” here refers to the streams of the Nile (cf. Exod 7:19 and 8:1 for parallel usage).
  40. Jeremiah 46:7 sn The time frame moves backward now to where it began in v. 3. Possibly v. 6 ends an oracle, and now Jeremiah continues on the same topic. Or it could be that the rhetoric of a single oracle starts at battle preparations and then, after showing what God has foreseen about the battle, returns to address those preparing for battle.
  41. Jeremiah 46:8 sn Jeremiah shows the hubris of the Egyptian Pharoah by comparing his might to that of the Nile River. Isaiah 8:7-8 similarly pictures the armies of Assyria overcoming everything in their path.
  42. Jeremiah 46:9 tn The words “Go ahead and” are not in the text but are intended to suggest the ironical nature of the commands here. Because the outcome has been made known, their actions will be pointless; they are only heading for a fall.
  43. Jeremiah 46:9 sn The peoples referred to here are all known to have been mercenaries in the army of Egypt (see Nah 3:9; Ezek 30:5). The place names in Hebrew are actually Cush, Put, and Lud. “Cush” has already been identified in Jer 13:23 as the region along the Nile south of Egypt most commonly referred to as Ethiopia. The identification of “Put” and “Lud” are both debated, though it is generally felt that Put was a part of Libya and Lud is to be identified with Lydia in Asia Minor. For further discussion see M. J. Mellink, “Lud, Ludim” IDB 3:178, and T. O. Lambdin, “Put,” IDB 3:971.
  44. Jeremiah 46:9 tn Heb “who grasp and bend the bow.”
  45. Jeremiah 46:10 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh of Armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.
  46. Jeremiah 46:10 tn Heb “a day of vengeance, for [the purpose of] taking vengeance against his adversaries.”sn Most commentators think that this is a reference to the Lord exacting vengeance on Pharaoh Necho for killing Josiah, carrying Jehoahaz off into captivity, and exacting heavy tribute on Judah in 609 b.c. (2 Kgs 23:29, 33-35).
  47. Jeremiah 46:10 tn Heb “The sword will eat and be sated; it will drink its fill from their blood.”sn This passage is, of course, highly figurative. The Lord does not have a literal “sword,” but he uses agents of destruction like the Assyrian armies (called his “rod” in Isa 10:5-6) and the Babylonian armies (called his war club in Jer 51:20) to wreak vengeance on his foes. Likewise, swords do not “eat” or “drink.” What is meant here is that God will use this battle against the Egyptians to kill off many Egyptians until his vengeance is fully satisfied.
  48. Jeremiah 46:11 tn Heb “balm.” See 8:22 and the notes on this phrase there.
  49. Jeremiah 46:11 sn Heb “Virgin Daughter of Egypt.” See the study note on Jer 14:17 for the significance of the use of this figure. Here it may compare Egypt’s geographical isolation to the safety and protection enjoyed by a virgin living at home under her father’s protection (so F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 379). By her involvement in the politics of Palestine Egypt had forfeited that safety and protection and was now suffering for it.
  50. Jeremiah 46:11 tn Heb “In vain you multiply [= make use of many] medicines.”
  51. Jeremiah 46:12 tn Heb “of your shame.” The “shame,” however, applies to the devastating defeat they will suffer.
  52. Jeremiah 46:12 tn Heb “The earth is full of your cries.”
  53. Jeremiah 46:12 tn The word “defeated” is added for clarity. The picture is not simply of having fallen down physically; it implies not getting up and therefore being defeated in battle. The verbs in this verse are in the perfect conjugation, translated past tense for the dynamic verbs and present tense for the stative verb (“fill”). This verse speaks from the same perspective as v. 2, which indicates that Egypt has been defeated.
  54. Jeremiah 46:13 tn Heb “The word that the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack the land of Egypt.”sn There is much debate in the commentaries regarding the dating and reference of this prophecy. It most likely refers to a time shortly after 604 b.c. when Nebuchadnezzar followed up his successful battle against Necho at Carchemish with a campaign into the Philistine plain that resulted in the conquest and sacking of Ashkelon. Nebuchadnezzar now stood poised on the border of Egypt to invade it. See J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah (NICOT), 691, and, for a fuller discussion including the other main options, see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 287-88.
  55. Jeremiah 46:14 tn Heb “Declare in Egypt and announce in Migdol and announce in Noph [= Memphis] and in Tahpanhes.” The sentence has been restructured to reflect the fact that the first command is a general one, followed by announcements in specific (representative?) cities.sn For the location of the cities of Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes see the note on Jer 44:1. These were all cities in Lower or northern Egypt that would have been the first affected by an invasion.
  56. Jeremiah 46:14 tn Heb “For the sword devours those who surround you.” The “sword” is again figurative of destructive forces. Here it refers to the forces of Nebuchadnezzar, which have already destroyed the Egyptian forces at Carchemish and have made victorious forays into the Philistine plain.
  57. Jeremiah 46:15 tn The word translated “soldiers” (אַבִּירִים, ʾabbirim) is not the Hebrew word used of soldiers elsewhere in these oracles (גִּבּוֹרִים, gibborim). It is an adjective used as a noun that can apply to animals, i.e., a bull (Ps 50:13) or a stallion (Judg 5:22). Moreover, the form is masculine plural, and the verbs are singular. Hence, many modern commentaries and English versions follow the redivision of the first line presupposed by the Greek version (“Apis has fled” [נָס חַף, nas khaf]) and see this as a reference to the bull god of Memphis. However, the noun is used of soldiers in Lam 1:15, and the plural could be the distributive plural, i.e., each and every one (cf. GKC 464 §145.l and compare usage in Gen 27:29).
  58. Jeremiah 46:15 tn The Hebrew word behind “defeated” only occurs here (in the Niphal) and in Prov 28:3 (in the Qal), where it refers to a rain that beats down grain. That idea would fit nicely with the idea of the soldiers being beaten down, or defeated. It is possible that the rarity of this verb (versus the common verb נוּס, nus, “flee”) and the ready identification of Apis with the bull calf (אַבִּיר, ʾabbir) have led to the reading of the Greek text (so C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 327). The verbs in this verse and the following are in the perfect tense but should be understood as prophetic perfects, since the text is dealing with what will happen when Nebuchadnezzar comes into Egypt. The text of vv. 18-24 shows a greater verb mixture, with some perfects and some imperfects, at times even within the same verse (e.g., v. 22).
  59. Jeremiah 46:15 tn Heb “the Lord will thrust them down.” However, the Lord is speaking (cf. clearly in v. 18), so the first person is adopted for the sake of consistency. This has been a consistent problem in the book of Jeremiah, where the prophet is so identified with the word of the Lord that he sometimes uses the first person and sometimes the third. It creates confusion for the average reader who is trying to follow the flow of the argument. So the pronoun has been shifted to the first person like this on numerous occasions. TEV and CEV have generally adopted the same policy, as have some other modern English versions at various points.
  60. Jeremiah 46:16 tn Heb “he multiplied the one stumbling.” For the first person reference see the preceding translator’s note.
  61. Jeremiah 46:16 tc The words “in their hurry to flee” are not in the text but appear to be necessary to clarify that the stumbling and falling here are not the same as in vv. 6, 12, where they occur in the context of defeat and destruction. The referent here appears to be the mercenary soldiers who, in their hurried flight to escape, stumble over one another and fall. This is fairly clear from the literal translation: “he multiplies the stumbling one. Also [= and] a man falls against a man, and they say [probably = saying; an epexegetical use of the vav (ו) consecutive (IBHS 551 §33.2.2a, and see Exod 2:10 as a parallel)] ‘Get up! Let’s go…’” A reference to the flight of the mercenaries is also seen in v. 21. Many of the modern commentaries and a few of the modern English versions follow the Greek text and take vv. 15a-16 very differently. The Greek reads, “Why has Apis fled from you? Your choice calf [i.e., Apis] has not remained. For the Lord has paralyzed him. And your multitudes have fainted and fallen; and each one said to his neighbor…” (reading רֻבְּךָ כָּשַׁל גַּם־נָפַל וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ instead of כּוֹשֵׁל הִרְבָּה גַּם־נָפַל אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ). One would expect אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ (ʾish ʾel reʿehu) to go with וַיֹּאמְרוּ (vayyoʾmeru) because it is idiomatic in this expression (cf., e.g., Gen 11:3; Judg 6:29). However, אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ (ʾish ʾel-reʿehu) is also found with singular verbs as here in Exod 22:9; 33:11; 1 Sam 10:11. There is no doubt that the Hebrew text is the more difficult and thus probably original. The reading of the Greek version is not supported by any other text or version and looks like an attempt to smooth out a somewhat awkward Hebrew original.
  62. Jeremiah 46:16 tn Heb “to our native lands from before the sword of the oppressor.” The compound preposition “from before” is regularly used in a causal sense (see BDB 818 s.v. פָּנֶה 6.a, b, c). The “sword” is again interpreted as a figure for the destructive power of an enemy army.
  63. Jeremiah 46:17 tn Heb “is a noise.” Based on the context, “just a big” is an addition in the translation to suggest the idea of sarcasm. The reference is probably to Pharaoh's boast in v. 8.
  64. Jeremiah 46:17 tn Heb “he has let the appointed time pass him by.” It is unclear what is meant by the reference to “appointed time” other than the fact that Pharaoh has missed his opportunity to do what he claimed to be able to do. The Greek text is again different here. It reads, “Call the name of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt Saon esbeie moed,” reading קִרְאוּ שֵׁם (qirʾu shem) for קָרְאוּ שָׁם (qareʾu sham) and transliterating the last line.
  65. Jeremiah 46:18 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
  66. Jeremiah 46:18 tn Heb “As I live, oracle of the King, whose….” The indirect quote has been chosen to create a smoother English sentence and avoid embedding a quote within a quote.
  67. Jeremiah 46:18 tn Heb “Like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea he will come.” The addition of “conqueror” and “imposing” are implicit from the context and from the metaphor. They have been supplied in the translation to give the reader some idea of the meaning of the verse.sn Most of the commentaries point out that neither Tabor nor Carmel are all that tall in terms of sheer height. Mount Tabor, on the east end of the Jezreel Valley, is only about 1800 feet (540 m) tall. Mount Carmel, on the Mediterranean Coast, is only about 1700 feet (510 m) at its highest. However, all the commentators point out that the idea of imposing height and majesty are due to the fact that they are rugged mountains that stand out dominantly over their surroundings. The point of the simile is that Nebuchadnezzar and his army will stand out in power and might over all the surrounding kings and their armies.
  68. Jeremiah 46:19 tn Heb “inhabitants of daughter Egypt.” Like the phrase “daughter Zion,” “daughter Egypt” is a poetic personification of the land, here perhaps to stress the idea of defenselessness.
  69. Jeremiah 46:19 tn For the verb here see HALOT 675 s.v. II נָצָה Nif and compare the usage in Jer 4:7; 9:11 and 2 Kgs 19:25. BDB derives the verb from יָצַת (so BDB 428 s.v. יָצַת Niph, meaning “kindle, burn”) but still gives it the meaning “desolate” here and in 2:15 and 9:11.
  70. Jeremiah 46:20 tn Heb “Egypt is a beautiful heifer. A gadfly from the north will come against her.” The metaphors have been turned into similes for the sake of clarity. The exact meaning of the word translated “stinging fly” is uncertain due to the fact that it occurs nowhere else in Hebrew literature. For a discussion of the meaning of the word, which probably refers to the “gadfly,” which bites and annoys livestock, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:331. He also suggests, probably correctly, that the word is a collective referring to swarms of such insects (cf. the singular אַרְבֶּה [ʾarbeh] in v. 23, which always refers to swarms of locusts). The translation presupposes the emendation of the second בָּא (baʾ) to בָּהּ (bah) with a number of Hebrew mss and a number of the versions (cf. BHS, fn b).
  71. Jeremiah 46:21 tn Heb “her hirelings in her midst.”
  72. Jeremiah 46:21 tn The word “pampered” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation to explain the probable meaning of the simile. The mercenaries were well cared for like stall-fed calves, but in the face of the danger they will prove no help because they will not stand their ground but will turn and run away. Some see the point of the simile to be that they too are fattened for slaughter. However, the next two lines do not fit that interpretation too well.
  73. Jeremiah 46:21 tn The temporal use of the particle כִּי (ki; BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 2.a) seems more appropriate to the context than the causal use.
  74. Jeremiah 46:22 tn Or “Egypt will rustle away like a snake”; Heb “her sound goes like the snake,” or “her sound [is] like the snake [when] it goes.” The meaning of the simile is debated. Some see a reference to the impotent hiss of a fleeing serpent (F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 382), others the sound of a serpent stealthily crawling away when it is disturbed (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 297-98). The translation follows the former interpretation because of the irony involved.sn Several commentators point out the irony of the snake slithering away (or hissing away) in retreat. The coiled serpent was a part of the royal insignia, signifying Egypt’s readiness to strike. Pharaoh had boasted of great things (v. 8) but was just a big noise (v. 17); now all he could do was hiss as he beat his retreat (v. 22).
  75. Jeremiah 46:23 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” Again the first person is adopted because the Lord is speaking, and the indirect quotation is used to avoid an embedded quotation with quotation marks on either side.
  76. Jeremiah 46:23 tn The precise meaning of this verse is uncertain. The Hebrew text reads, “They [those who enter in great force] will cut down her forest, oracle of the Lord, though it [the forest] cannot be searched out/through, for they [those who come in great force] are more numerous than locusts, and there is no number to them.” Some see the reference to the forest as metaphorical of Egypt’s population, which the Babylonian army decimates (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 298, and see BDB 420 s.v. I יַעַר 1.a, which refers to the forest as a figure of foes to be cut down and destroyed, and compare Isa 10:34). Others see the reference to literal trees and see the decimation of Egypt in general (C. von Orelli, Jeremiah, 329). And some find a continuation of the simile of the snake fleeing, the soldiers cutting down the trees because they cannot find it (J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 693). However, the simile of v. 22a has already been dropped in v. 22b-d; they come against her. Hence it is probably best to view this as a continuation of the simile in v. 22c-d and see the reference as the Babylonian army coming against her, i.e., Egypt (the nation or people of Egypt), like woodcutters cutting down trees.
  77. Jeremiah 46:24 tn Heb “Daughter Egypt.” See the translator’s note on v. 19.
  78. Jeremiah 46:25 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel.” For the significance of this title see the note at 2:19.
  79. Jeremiah 46:25 tn Heb “Amon of No.”sn The Egyptian city called No (נֹא, noʾ) in Hebrew was Thebes. It is located about 400 miles (666 km) south of modern-day Cairo. It was the capital of Upper or southern Egypt and the center for the worship of the god Amon, who became the state god of Egypt. Thebes is perhaps best known today for the magnificent temples at Karnak and Luxor on the east bank of the Nile.
  80. Jeremiah 46:25 tc Heb “Behold, I will punish Amon of No and Pharaoh and Egypt and its gods and its kings and Pharaoh and all who trust in him.” There appears to be a copyist slip involving a double writing of וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה (veʿal-parʿoh). The present translation has followed the suggestion of BHS and deleted the first one, since the second is necessary for the syntactical connection, “Pharaoh and all who trust in him.”
  81. Jeremiah 46:26 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  82. Jeremiah 46:27 sn Jer 46:27-28 are virtually the same as 30:10-11. The verses are more closely related to that context than to this. But the presence of a note of future hope for the Egyptians may have led to a note of encouragement also to the Judeans who were under threat of judgment at the same time (cf. the study notes on 46:2, 13 and 25:1-2 for the possible relative dating of these prophecies).
  83. Jeremiah 46:27 tn Heb “And/But you do not be afraid, my servant Jacob.” Here and elsewhere in the verse the terms Jacob and Israel are poetic for the people of Israel descended from the patriarch Jacob. The terms have been supplied throughout with plural referents for greater clarity.
  84. Jeremiah 46:27 tn Heb “For I will rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity.”
  85. Jeremiah 46:28 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” Again the first person is adopted because the Lord is speaking, and the indirect quotation is used to avoid an embedded quotation with quotation marks on either side.
  86. Jeremiah 46:28 tn The translation “entirely unpunished” is intended to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb.
  87. Jeremiah 47:1 tn Heb “that which was.”
  88. Jeremiah 47:1 sn The precise dating of this prophecy is uncertain. Several proposals have been suggested, the most likely of which is that the prophecy was delivered in 609 b.c. in conjunction with Pharaoh Necho’s advance into Palestine to aid the Assyrians. That was the same year Josiah was killed by Necho at the battle of Megiddo and four years before Necho was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, the foe from the north. The prophecy presupposes that Ashkelon is still in existence (v. 5); hence it must be before 604 b.c. For a fairly complete discussion of the options see G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC), 299-300.
  89. Jeremiah 47:2 tn Heb “Behold! Waters are rising from the north.” The metaphor of enemy armies compared to overflowing water occurs also in Isa 8:8-9 (Assyria) and 46:7-8 (Egypt). Here it refers to the foe from the north (Jer 1:14; 4:6; etc), which is specifically identified with Babylon in Jer 25. The metaphor has been turned into a simile in the translation to help the average reader identify that a figure is involved, and to hint at the referent.
  90. Jeremiah 47:3 tn Heb “From the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, from the rattling of his chariots at the rumbling of their wheels, fathers will not turn to their children from sinking of hands.” According to BDB 952 s.v. רִפָּיוֹן, the “sinking of the hands” is figurative of helplessness caused by terror. A very similar figure appears with a related expression in Isa 35:3-4. The sentence has been restructured to put the subject up front and to suggest the same causal connections through shorter sentences more in keeping with contemporary English style. The figures have been interpreted for the sake of clarity for the average reader.
  91. Jeremiah 47:4 tn Heb “For the Lord will.” The first person style has been adopted because the Lord is speaking (cf. v. 2).
  92. Jeremiah 47:4 sn All the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon and that remnant that came from the island of Crete appear to be two qualifying phrases that refer to the Philistines, the last pertaining to their origin and the first to their vital alliance with Tyre and Sidon. “Crete” is literally “Caphtor,” which is generally identified with the island of Crete. The Philistines had come from there (Amos 9:7) in the wave of migration from the Aegean Islands during the twelfth and eleventh centuries. They had settled on the Philistine plain after having been repulsed from trying to enter Egypt.
  93. Jeremiah 47:5 sn Shaving one’s head and gashing one’s body were customs to show mourning or sadness for the dead (cf. Deut 14:1; Mic 1:16; Ezek 27:31; Jer 16:6; 48:37).
  94. Jeremiah 47:5 tn Or “you who are left alive on the Philistine plain.” Or “you who remain of the Anakim.” The translation follows the suggestion of several of the modern commentaries that the word עֵמֶק (ʿemeq) means “strength” or “power” here (see J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 698; J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 310; and see also HALOT 803 s.v. II עֵמֶק). It is a rare homonym of the word that normally means “valley,” which seems to be an inappropriate designation of the Philistine plain. Many of the modern English versions and commentaries follow the Greek version, which reads here “remnant of the Anakim” (עֲנָקִים [ʿanaqim] instead of עִמְקָם [ʿimqam], a confusion of basically one letter). This emendation is followed by both BDB 771 s.v. עֵמֶק and KBL 716 s.v. עֵמֶק. The Anakim were generally associated with the southern region around Hebron, but an enclave of them was known to have settled in Gaza, Gath, and Ekron, three of the Philistine cities (cf. Josh 11:22). However, the facts that this judgment is directed against the Philistines, not the Anakim, and that this homonym apparently appears also in Jer 49:4 make the reading of “power” more likely here.
  95. Jeremiah 47:6 tn The words “How long will you cry out” are not in the text, but some such introduction seems necessary because the rest of the speech assumes a personal subject.
  96. Jeremiah 47:6 tn Heb “before you are quiet/at rest.”
  97. Jeremiah 47:6 sn The passage is highly figurative. The sword of the Lord, which is itself a figure of the destructive agency of the enemy armies, is here addressed as a person and is encouraged by rhetorical questions (questions designed to dissuade) and commands to “be quiet,” “be at rest,” and “be silent,” all of which aim to get the Lord to call off the destruction against the Philistines.
  98. Jeremiah 47:7 tn The reading here follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads, “how can you rest,” as a continuation of the second person in v. 6.
  99. Jeremiah 47:7 tn Heb “When the Lord has.” The first person is again adopted because the Lord has been speaking.
  100. Jeremiah 47:7 tn Heb “Against Ashkelon and the sea coast, there he has appointed it.” For the switch to the first person see the preceding translator’s note. “There” is poetical and redundant, and the idea of “attacking” is implicit in “against.”
Listen to Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalm 94, Proverbs 26:6-8
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Jeremiah 44:24-47:7
New International Version

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,(A) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.(B) 25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives(C) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’(D)

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!(E) 26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:(F) ‘I swear(G) by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign(H) Lord lives.”(I) 27 For I am watching(J) over them for harm,(K) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish(L) by sword and famine(M) until they are all destroyed.(N) 28 Those who escape the sword(O) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.(P) Then the whole remnant(Q) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand(R)—mine or theirs.(S)

29 “‘This will be the sign(T) to you that I will punish(U) you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’(V) 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh(W) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah(X) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”(Y)

A Message to Baruch

45 When Baruch(Z) son of Neriah(AA) wrote on a scroll(AB) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(AC) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, ‘Woe(AD) to me! The Lord has added sorrow(AE) to my pain;(AF) I am worn out with groaning(AG) and find no rest.’(AH) 4 But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot(AI) what I have planted,(AJ) throughout the earth.(AK) 5 Should you then seek great(AL) things for yourself? Do not seek them.(AM) For I will bring disaster(AN) on all people,(AO) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape(AP) with your life.’”(AQ)

A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:(AR)

2 Concerning Egypt:(AS)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho(AT) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish(AU) on the Euphrates(AV) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(AW) son of Josiah king of Judah:

3 “Prepare your shields,(AX) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish(AY) your spears,
    put on your armor!(AZ)
5 What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee(BA) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror(BB) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee(BC)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(BD)
    they stumble and fall.(BE)

7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?(BF)
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,(BG)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’(BH)
9 Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!(BI)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a](BJ) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia(BK) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(BL) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance(BM), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(BN) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(BO)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(BP)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(BQ)

11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(BR)
    Virgin(BS) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing(BT) for you.
12 The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall(BU) down together.”

13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(BV) to attack Egypt:(BW)

14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
    proclaim it also in Memphis(BX) and Tahpanhes:(BY)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
    for the sword devours(BZ) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.(CA)
16 They will stumble(CB) repeatedly;
    they will fall(CC) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
    to our own people(CD) and our native lands,
    away from the sword of the oppressor.’(CE)
17 There they will exclaim,
    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;(CF)
    he has missed his opportunity.(CG)’

18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,(CH)
    whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor(CI) among the mountains,
    like Carmel(CJ) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile,(CK)
    you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis(CL) will be laid waste(CM)
    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.(CN)
21 The mercenaries(CO) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.(CP)
They too will turn and flee(CQ) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day(CR) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time(CS) for them to be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
    as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
    like men who cut down trees.(CT)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(CU)
    they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.(CV)”

25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,(CW) on Pharaoh,(CX) on Egypt and her gods(CY) and her kings, and on those who rely(CZ) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands(DA) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king(DB) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited(DC) as in times past,” declares the Lord.

27 “Do not be afraid,(DD) Jacob(DE) my servant;(DF)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.(DG)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,”(DH) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(DI) all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

A Message About the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(DJ) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(DK)

2 This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;(DL)
    they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
    the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
    all who dwell in the land will wail(DM)
3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
    at the noise of enemy chariots(DN)
    and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
    their hands will hang limp.(DO)
4 For the day has come
    to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
    who could help Tyre(DP) and Sidon.(DQ)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(DR)
    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[b](DS)
5 Gaza will shave(DT) her head in mourning;
    Ashkelon(DU) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
    how long will you cut(DV) yourselves?

6 “‘Alas, sword(DW) of the Lord,
    how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
    cease and be still.’(DX)
7 But how can it rest
    when the Lord has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
    to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”(DY)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete
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2 Timothy 2:22-3:17
New English Translation

22 But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others[a] who call on the Lord from a pure heart.[b] 23 But reject foolish and ignorant[c] controversies, because you know they breed infighting.[d] 24 And the Lord’s slave[e] must not engage in heated disputes[f] but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient, 25 correcting[g] opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth[h] 26 and they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap where they are held captive[i] to do his will.[j]

Ministry in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that in the last days difficult[k] times will come. 2 For people[l] will be lovers of themselves,[m] lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 5 They will maintain the outward appearance[n] of religion but will have repudiated its power. So avoid people like these.[o] 6 For some of these insinuate themselves[p] into households and captivate weak women[q] who are overwhelmed with sins and led along by various passions. 7 Such women are always seeking instruction,[r] yet never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres[s] opposed Moses, so these people—who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith[t]—also oppose the truth. 9 But they will not go much further,[u] for their foolishness will be obvious to everyone, just like it was with Jannes and Jambres.[v]

Continue in What You Have Learned

10 You, however,[w] have followed my teaching, my[x] way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings[y] that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra.[z] I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all. 12 Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse,[aa] deceiving others and being deceived themselves.[ab] 14 You, however, must continue[ac] in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know[ad] who taught you[ae] 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture[af] is inspired by God[ag] and useful for teaching, for reproof,[ah] for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God[ai] may be capable[aj] and equipped for every good work.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 2:22 tn Grk “and peace, with those.”
  2. 2 Timothy 2:22 sn In company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart alludes to the value of the community of believers for the development of Christian virtues.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:23 tn Or “uninstructed,” “silly.”
  4. 2 Timothy 2:23 tn Or “fights,” although this could suggest weapons and blows, whereas in the present context this is not the primary focus. Although “quarrel” is frequently used here (NAB, NIV, NRSV) it may be understood to refer to a relatively minor disagreement.
  5. 2 Timothy 2:24 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
  6. 2 Timothy 2:24 tn Grk “must not fight” or “must not quarrel.” The Greek verb is related to the noun translated “infighting” in v. 23.
  7. 2 Timothy 2:25 sn Correcting is the word for “child-training” or “discipline.” It is often positive (training, educating) but here denotes the negative side (correcting, disciplining).
  8. 2 Timothy 2:25 tn Grk “repentance unto knowledge of the truth.”
  9. 2 Timothy 2:26 tn Grk “having been captured by him.”
  10. 2 Timothy 2:26 tn Grk “for that one’s will,” referring to the devil, but with a different pronoun than in the previous phrase “by him.” Some have construed “for his will” with the earlier verb and referred the pronoun to God: “come to their senses and escape the devil’s trap (though they have been captured by him) in order to do His will.” In Classical Greek the shift in pronouns would suggest this, but in Koine Greek this change is not significant. The more natural sense is a reference to the devil’s will.
  11. 2 Timothy 3:1 tn Or perhaps, “dangerous,” “fierce.”
  12. 2 Timothy 3:2 tn Grk “men,” but here ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) is generic, referring to both men and women.
  13. 2 Timothy 3:2 tn Or “self-centered.” The first two traits in 2 Tim 3:2 and the last two in 3:4 are Greek words beginning with the root “lovers of,” and so bracket the list at beginning and end.
  14. 2 Timothy 3:5 tn Or “form.”sn Outward appearance. Paul’s contrast with power in 3:5b shows that he regards this “form” to be outward, one of appearance rather than reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:19-20; 1 Thess 1:5).
  15. 2 Timothy 3:5 tn Grk “and avoid these,” with the word “people” implied.
  16. 2 Timothy 3:6 tn Grk “For from these are those who sneak.”
  17. 2 Timothy 3:6 tn Or “silly women.”
  18. 2 Timothy 3:7 tn Grk “always learning,” continuing the description of the women from v. 6. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  19. 2 Timothy 3:8 sn Jannes and Jambres were the traditional names of two of Pharaoh’s magicians who opposed Moses at the time of the Exodus.
  20. 2 Timothy 3:8 tn Grk “disapproved concerning the faith.”
  21. 2 Timothy 3:9 tn Grk “for they will not progress any more.”
  22. 2 Timothy 3:9 tn Grk “as theirs came to be,” referring to the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres. The referent of “theirs” (Jannes and Jambres) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  23. 2 Timothy 3:10 sn There is a strong emphasis on the pronoun you in contrast to the people described in vv. 2-9.
  24. 2 Timothy 3:10 tn The possessive “my” occurs only at the beginning of the list but is positioned in Greek to apply to each of the words in the series.
  25. 2 Timothy 3:11 tn Grk “persecutions, sufferings,” as a continuation of the series from v. 10.
  26. 2 Timothy 3:11 sn In Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. See Acts 13-14 for the account of these persecutions.
  27. 2 Timothy 3:13 tn Grk “will advance to the worse.”
  28. 2 Timothy 3:13 tn Grk “deceiving and being deceived.”
  29. 2 Timothy 3:14 tn Grk “but you, continue,” a command.
  30. 2 Timothy 3:14 tn Grk “knowing,” giving the reasons for continuing as v. 14 calls for.
  31. 2 Timothy 3:14 tn Grk “those from whom you learned.”
  32. 2 Timothy 3:16 tn Or “All scripture.”sn There is very little difference in sense between every scripture (emphasizing the individual portions) and “all scripture” (emphasizing the composite whole). The former option is preferred, because it fits the normal use of the word “all/every” in Greek (πᾶς, pas) as well as Paul’s normal sense for the word “scripture” in the singular without the article, as here. So every scripture means “every individual portion of scripture.”
  33. 2 Timothy 3:16 sn Inspired by God. Some have connected this adjective in a different way and translated it as “every inspired scripture is also useful.” But this violates the parallelism of the two adjectives in the sentence, and the arrangement of words makes clear that both should be taken as predicate adjectives: “every scripture is inspired…and useful.”
  34. 2 Timothy 3:16 tn Or “rebuke,” “censure.” The Greek word implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
  35. 2 Timothy 3:17 tn Grk “the man of God,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is most likely used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.
  36. 2 Timothy 3:17 tn This word is positioned for special emphasis; it carries the sense of “complete, competent, able to meet all demands.”
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2 Timothy 2:22-3:17
New International Version

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love(A) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord(B) out of a pure heart.(C) 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.(D) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.(E) 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,(F) 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,(G) who has taken them captive to do his will.

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.(H) 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,(I) boastful, proud,(J) abusive,(K) disobedient to their parents,(L) ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous,(M) rash, conceited,(N) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness(O) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.(P)

6 They are the kind who worm their way(Q) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.(R) 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,(S) so also these teachers oppose(T) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,(U) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,(V) their folly will be clear to everyone.

A Final Charge to Timothy

10 You, however, know all about my teaching,(W) my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,(X) Iconium(Y) and Lystra,(Z) the persecutions I endured.(AA) Yet the Lord rescued(AB) me from all of them.(AC) 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,(AD) 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,(AE) deceiving and being deceived.(AF) 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,(AG) 15 and how from infancy(AH) you have known the Holy Scriptures,(AI) which are able to make you wise(AJ) for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed(AK) and is useful for teaching,(AL) rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,(AM) 17 so that the servant of God[a](AN) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,
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Psalm 94
New English Translation

Psalm 94[a]

94 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor.[b]
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth.
Pay back the proud.
3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate?[c]
4 They spew out threats[d] and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast.[e]
5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you.[f]
6 They kill the widow and the resident foreigner,
and they murder the fatherless.[g]
7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”[h]
8 Take notice of this,[i] you ignorant people.[j]
You fools, when will you ever understand?
9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see?[k]
10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
11 The Lord knows that peoples’ thoughts
are morally bankrupt.[l]
12 How blessed is the one[m] whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
13 in order to protect him from times of trouble,[n]
until the wicked are destroyed.[o]
14 Certainly[p] the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him.[q]
15 For justice will prevail,[r]
and all the morally upright[s] will be vindicated.[t]
16 Who will rise up to defend me[u] against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?[v]
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.[w]
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me,[x]
your soothing touch makes me happy.[y]
20 Cruel rulers[z] are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws.[aa]
21 They conspire against[ab] the blameless,[ac]
and condemn to death the innocent.[ad]
22 But the Lord will protect me,[ae]
and my God will shelter me.[af]
23 He will pay them back for their sin.[ag]
He will destroy them because of[ah] their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:1 sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
  2. Psalm 94:1 tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).
  3. Psalm 94:3 tn Or “exult.”
  4. Psalm 94:4 tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”
  5. Psalm 94:4 tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (ʾamar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).
  6. Psalm 94:5 tn Or “your inheritance.”
  7. Psalm 94:6 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
  8. Psalm 94:7 tn Heb “does not understand.”
  9. Psalm 94:8 tn Heb “understand.” The verb used in v. 7 is repeated here for rhetorical effect. The people referred to here claim God is ignorant of their actions, but the psalmist corrects their faulty viewpoint.
  10. Psalm 94:8 tn Heb “[you] brutish among the people.”
  11. Psalm 94:9 tn Heb “The one who plants an ear, does he not hear? The one who forms an eye, does he not see?”
  12. Psalm 94:11 tn Heb “the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are emptiness.” The psalmist thinks specifically of the “thoughts” expressed in v. 7.
  13. Psalm 94:12 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
  14. Psalm 94:13 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
  15. Psalm 94:13 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
  16. Psalm 94:14 tn Or “for.”
  17. Psalm 94:14 tn Or “his inheritance.”
  18. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “for judgment will return to justice.”
  19. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “all the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 97:11).
  20. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “and after it [are] the pure of heart.”
  21. Psalm 94:16 tn Heb “for me.”
  22. Psalm 94:16 sn Who will stand up for me…? The questions anticipate the answer, “No one except God” (see v. 17).
  23. Psalm 94:17 tn Heb “If the Lord [were] not my help, quickly my life would have dwelt in silence.” The psalmist, perhaps speaking as the nation’s representative, recalls God’s past intervention. For other examples of conditional sentences with the term לוּלֵי (lule, “if not”) in the protasis and a perfect verbal form in the apodosis, see Pss 119:92 and 124:2-5.
  24. Psalm 94:19 tn Heb “when my worries are many within me.”
  25. Psalm 94:19 tn Heb “your comforts cause my soul to delight.”
  26. Psalm 94:20 tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.
  27. Psalm 94:20 tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.
  28. Psalm 94:21 tn Or “attack.”
  29. Psalm 94:21 tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”
  30. Psalm 94:21 tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”
  31. Psalm 94:22 tn Heb “and the Lord has become my elevated place.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
  32. Psalm 94:22 tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”
  33. Psalm 94:23 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
  34. Psalm 94:23 tn Or “in.”
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Psalm 94
New International Version

Psalm 94

1 The Lord is a God who avenges.(A)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.(B)
2 Rise up,(C) Judge(D) of the earth;
    pay back(E) to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?(F)

4 They pour out arrogant(G) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.(H)
5 They crush your people,(I) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.(J)
6 They slay the widow(K) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.(L)
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;(M)
    the God of Jacob(N) takes no notice.”

8 Take notice, you senseless ones(O) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?(P)
10 Does he who disciplines(Q) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches(R) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(S)
    he knows that they are futile.(T)

12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(U) Lord,
    the one you teach(V) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(W)
    till a pit(X) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(Y)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(Z)
    and all the upright in heart(AA) will follow it.

16 Who will rise up(AB) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(AC)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(AD)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(AE)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(AF)”
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(AG) was great within me,
    your consolation(AH) brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne(AI) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(AJ)
21 The wicked band together(AK) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent(AL) to death.(AM)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock(AN) in whom I take refuge.(AO)
23 He will repay(AP) them for their sins
    and destroy(AQ) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

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Proverbs 26:6-8
New English Translation

6 Like cutting off the feet or drinking violence,[a]
so is sending[b] a message by the hand of a fool.[c]
7 Like[d] legs dangle uselessly[e] from the lame,
so[f] a proverb[g] dangles[h] in the mouth of fools.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling,[i]
so is giving honor to a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:6 sn Sending a messenger on a mission is like having another pair of feet. But if the messenger is a fool, this proverb says, not only does the sender not have an extra pair of feet—he cuts off the pair he has. It would not be simply that the message did not get through; it would get through incorrectly and be a setback! The other simile uses “violence,” a term for violent social wrongs and injustice. The metaphorical idea of “drinking” violence means suffering violence—it is one’s portion. So sending a fool on a mission will have injurious consequences.
  2. Proverbs 26:6 tn The participle could be taken as the subject of the sentence: “the one who sends…cuts off…and drinks.”
  3. Proverbs 26:6 sn The consequence is given in the first line and the cause in the second. It would be better not to send a message at all than to use a fool as messenger.
  4. Proverbs 26:7 tn The line does not start with the comparative preposition כ(kaf) “like,” but the proverb clearly invites comparison between the two lines.
  5. Proverbs 26:7 tn Heb “thighs dangle from the lame.” The verb is דַּלְיוּ (dalyu), from דָּלָה (dalah) or דָּלַל (dalal) biforms which mean “to hang down” and possibly by extension “to let down/lower/be low” and “to draw [water]” i.e., lowering a bucket into a well and drawing it up. We might imagine paralyzed legs either as “dangling” or “pulled up” to a stable position where a person sits, both indicating the uselessness of the legs—they are there but cannot be used. Since the verb must function in both halves of the verse, “dangling” is the most likely picture. Luther gave the verse a fanciful but memorable rendering: “Like dancing to a cripple, so is a proverb in the mouth of the fool.”
  6. Proverbs 26:7 tn Because of the analogy within the verse, indicated in translation by supplying “like,” the conjunction vav has been translated “so.”
  7. Proverbs 26:7 sn As C. H. Toy puts it, the fool is a “proverb-monger” (Proverbs [ICC], 474); he handles an aphorism about as well as a lame man can walk. The fool does not understand, has not implemented, and cannot explain the proverb. It is useless to him even though he repeats it.
  8. Proverbs 26:7 tn The verb has been supplied from the first colon because of the convention of ellipsis and double duty (omitting a word in one line which is understood to apply from another line).
  9. Proverbs 26:8 tn The translation “like tying a stone in a sling” seems to make the most sense, even though the word for “sling” occurs only here. sn The point is that only someone who does not know how a sling works would do such a stupid thing (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 152). So to honor a fool would be absurd; it would be counterproductive, for he would still be a fool.
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Proverbs 26:6-8
New International Version

6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool(A)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.(B)
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.(C)

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