关于埃及的预言

46 耶和华把有关列国的事告诉了耶利米先知。 犹大王约西亚的儿子约雅敬执政第四年,埃及王法老尼哥的军队在幼发拉底河边的迦基米施被巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒击败。论到埃及,耶和华说:

“要预备大小盾牌,
冲向战场。
要套好战车,
骑上战马,
擦亮矛枪,
顶盔贯甲。
可是,我看见的是什么呢?
他们惊慌后退,
勇士败逃,不敢回头,
惊恐不安。
这是耶和华说的。
善跑者跑不掉,
强壮者逃不了,
他们扑倒在北面的幼发拉底河边。

“那如尼罗河涨溢,
如江水奔腾的是谁呢?
埃及如尼罗河涨溢,
如江水奔腾。
她说,‘我要涨溢,淹没大地,
毁灭城邑和其中的居民。’
战马奔驰吧!
战车疾驶吧!
勇士啊,就是那些手拿盾牌的古实人和弗人以及箭法娴熟的吕底亚人啊,出战吧!
10 因为这是主——万军之耶和华向敌人报仇的日子。
刀剑必吞噬他们,
痛饮他们的血,
因为要在北方的幼发拉底河边向主——万军之耶和华献祭。
11 埃及人啊,
去基列取乳香吧!
然而,再多的良药也无法医治你们。
12 你们的耻辱传遍列国,
你们的哀哭响彻大地,
你们的勇士彼此碰撞,
倒在一起。”

13 论到巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒要来攻打埃及的事,耶和华对耶利米先知说:

14 “你要在埃及宣布,在密夺、挪弗和答比匿宣告,
‘你们要准备战斗,
因为刀剑要吞噬你们周围的人。’
15 你们的勇士为何扑倒?
他们无法坚立,
因为耶和华击倒了他们,
16 使他们跌跌绊绊,纷纷倒下。
他们说,‘起来,我们回到同胞那里,回到故乡吧,
好躲避敌人的刀剑。’
17 他们在那里喊叫,
‘埃及王法老只会虚张声势,
他已错失良机。’”

18 名叫万军之耶和华的王说:
“我凭我的永恒起誓,
将有一位要来,
他的气势如群山中的他泊山,
又像海边的迦密山。
19 住在埃及的子民啊,
收拾行装准备流亡吧!
因为挪弗必被烧毁,
沦为废墟,杳无人迹。

20 “埃及像头肥美的母牛犊,
但从北方却来了牛虻。
21 埃及的佣兵好像肥牛犊,
都转身逃之夭夭,无力抵挡,
因为他们遭难、受罚的日子到了。

22 “敌军进攻的时候,
埃及必像蛇一样嘶嘶地溜走。
敌军必拿着斧头蜂拥而来,
像樵夫砍树一样攻击他们。
23 埃及的人口虽然稠密如林,
敌军必像无数的蝗虫一样扫平他们。
这是耶和华说的。
24 埃及人必蒙羞,
落在北方人的手中。”

25 以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说:“看啊,我要惩罚提比斯的神明亚扪和埃及的其他神明、法老、首领以及依靠法老的人。 26 我要把他们交在想杀他们的巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒及其官长手中。然而,日后埃及必再有人居住,如往日一样。这是耶和华说的。

27 “我的仆人雅各啊,不要害怕!
以色列人啊,不要惊慌!
因为我要从远方把你们救回来,
使你们从流亡之地归回。
你们必重返家园,安享太平,
无人搅扰。
28 我的仆人雅各啊,不要害怕,
因为我与你同在。
我曾使你流亡到列国,
我必彻底毁灭列国,
但不会彻底毁灭你,
也不会饶过你,
我必公正地惩治你。
这是耶和华说的。”

A Message About Egypt

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

Concerning Egypt:(B)

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

“Prepare your shields,(G) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish(H) your spears,
    put on your armor!(I)
What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee(J) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror(K) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
“The swift cannot flee(L)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(M)
    they stumble and fall.(N)

“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?(O)
Egypt rises like the Nile,(P)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’(Q)
Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!(R)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a](S) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia(T) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(U) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance(V), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(W) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(X)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(Y)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(Z)

11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(AA)
    Virgin(AB) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing(AC) 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(AD) down together.”

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

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

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

20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.(AW)
21 The mercenaries(AX) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.(AY)
They too will turn and flee(AZ) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day(BA) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time(BB) 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.(BC)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(BD)
    they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.(BE)

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

27 “Do not be afraid,(BM) Jacob(BN) my servant;(BO)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.(BP)
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,”(BQ) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(BR) 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region

46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

Against 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.

Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the Lord.

Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

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 For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice 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 thou shalt not be cured.

12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

13 The word that the Lord spake 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 Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.

16 He made many to fall, 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, from the oppressing sword.

17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of 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 Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

21 Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

22 The voice thereof shall go 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, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and 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 hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, 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 at ease, and none 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 nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.