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Prophecies against the Nations

46 This is[a] the message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

Prophecies against Egypt: Its Defeat at Carchemish

To Egypt: Concerning the army of King Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, which was encamped by the Euphrates River at Carchemish and which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of the reign of[b] Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah.

“Prepare buckler and shield,
    and advance into the battle!
Harness the horses!
    Riders, mount up!
Take your[c] positions with your[d] helmets!
    Polish lances,
    and put on armor!
Why am I seeing this?[e]
They’re terrified,
    they have turned back.
Their warriors are crushed,
    and they take flight.
They don’t look back.
    Terror is on every side,”
        declares the Lord.
“The swift cannot flee,
    nor can the strong escape.
In the north, beside the Euphrates River,
    they stumble and fall.
Who is this, rising like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge?
Egypt is rising like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge.
He says, ‘I’ll rise and cover the land.[f]
    I’ll destroy the city and its inhabitants.’
Horses, get up!
Chariots, drive furiously!
Let the warriors go forward,
    Ethiopia and Put, who carry shields,
        and the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.
10 That day belongs to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
    It is a day of vengeance to take vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour and be satisfied,
    and will drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    will hold a sacrifice in the land of the north,
        by the Euphrates river.
11 Go up to Gilead and get balm,[g]
    virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you multiply remedies,
    but there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your disgrace,
    and your cry of distress fills the earth.
Indeed, one warrior stumbles over another,
    and both of them fall down together.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Conquest of Egypt

13 This is the message that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to conquer[h] the land of Egypt.

14 “Announce in Egypt, proclaim in Migdol.
    Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes.
Say, ‘Take your positions and be ready,
    for the sword will devour all around you.’
15 Why are your warriors prostrate?
    They don’t stand[i] because the Lord has brought them down.
16 They repeatedly stumble and fall.
    They say to each other, ‘Get up!
Let’s go back to our people
    and to the land of our birth,
        away from the oppressor’s sword.’
17 There they’ll cry out,
‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is just a big noise.
    He has let the appointed time pass by.’[j]
18 As certainly as I’m alive and living,” declares the King,
    whose name is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies,
“Indeed, one will come like Tabor among the mountains
    and like Carmel by the sea.
19 Prepare your baggage for exile,
    daughter living in Egypt,
for Memphis will become a desolate place.
    It will become a ruin without inhabitant.
20 Egypt is a beautiful calf,[k]
    but a horsefly from the north is surely coming.
21 Even the mercenary troops in her ranks
    are like a fattened calf.
They too will turn around,
    and will flee together.
They won’t stand,
    for the day of their disaster is coming on them,
        the time of their punishment.
22 Her cry will be like that of a fleeing serpent
    when they come in strength.
        They’re coming to her with axes like woodcutters.
23 They’ll cut down her forest, though it’s impenetrable,”
    declares the Lord,
“for they’re more numerous than locusts,
    and there are too many of them to count.
24 The daughter of Egypt will be put to shame,
    she will be given into the hands of the people from the north.”

25 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says, “Look, I’m going to punish Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods and its kings, Pharaoh, and those who trust in him. 26 I’ll give them to those who are seeking their lives and to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers.[l] Then afterwards, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

Israel will be Delivered

27 “As for you, my servant Jacob, don’t be afraid,
    and Israel, don’t be dismayed.
For I’ll deliver you from a distant place,
    and your descendants from the land of their captivity.
Jacob will return.
    He will be undisturbed and secure,
        and no one will cause him to fear.
28 “As for you, my servant Jacob, don’t be afraid,
    and Israel, don’t be dismayed,”
        declares the Lord, “for I am with you.
Indeed, I’ll make an end of all the nations
    where I scattered you;
    but I won’t make an end of you!
I’ll discipline you justly,
    but I’ll certainly not leave you unpunished.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:1 The Heb. lacks This is
  2. Jeremiah 46:2 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  3. Jeremiah 46:4 The Heb. lacks your
  4. Jeremiah 46:4 The Heb. lacks your
  5. Jeremiah 46:5 The Heb. lacks this
  6. Jeremiah 46:8 Or earth
  7. Jeremiah 46:11 Balm was a spice with medicinal uses.
  8. Jeremiah 46:13 Lit. strike down
  9. Jeremiah 46:15 Or Why does Apis flee and your bull not stand?
  10. Jeremiah 46:17 I.e. he has missed the opportunity
  11. Jeremiah 46:20 Or heifer
  12. Jeremiah 46:26 Or servants

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