Jeremiah 46-47

New International Version

A Message About Egypt

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

²Concerning 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:

³“Prepare your shields,^(G) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
⁴Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish^(H) your spears,
    put on your armor!^(I)
⁵What 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.
⁶“The swift cannot flee^(L)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates^(M)
    they stumble and fall.^(N)

⁷“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?^(O)
⁸Egypt 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)
⁹Charge, 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.
¹⁰But 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.
¹²The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall^(AD) down together.”

¹³This 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.’
¹⁵Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^(AJ)
¹⁶They 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)
¹⁷There 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.
¹⁹Pack 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)
²¹The 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.
²²Egypt 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)
²³They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,^(BD)
    they cannot be counted.
²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.^(BE)”

²⁵The 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. ²⁶I 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.
²⁸Do 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.”

A Message About the Philistines

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

²This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;^(BU)
    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^(BV)
³at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
    at the noise of enemy chariots^(BW)
    and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
    their hands will hang limp.^(BX)
⁴For the day has come
    to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
    who could help Tyre^(BY) and Sidon.^(BZ)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,^(CA)
    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.^[b]^(CB)
⁵Gaza will shave^(CC) her head in mourning;
    Ashkelon^(CD) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
    how long will you cut^(CE) yourselves?

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