God’s Sign to the People in Egypt

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes: “Pick up some large stones and set them in the mortar of the brick pavement that is at the opening of Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes. Do this in the sight of the Judean men 10 and tell them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will pitch his pavilion over them. 11 He will come and strike down the land of Egypt(A)—those destined for death, to death; those destined for captivity, to captivity; and those destined for the sword,(B) to the sword. 12 I[a] will kindle a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods,(C) and he will burn them and take them prisoner. He will clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks lice off[b] his garment,(D) and he will leave there unscathed. 13 He will smash the sacred pillars of the sun temple[c][d] in the land of Egypt and burn down the temples of the Egyptian gods.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 43:12 LXX, Syr, Vg read He
  2. Jeremiah 43:12 Or will wrap himself in the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in
  3. Jeremiah 43:13 Or Beth-shemesh
  4. Jeremiah 43:13 = of Heliopolis

Nebuchadnezzar’s Invasion of Egypt Predicted

Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: “Take large stones in your hands, and, in the sight of the men of Judah, bury them in the mortar of the brickwork at the entrance of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’m going to send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I’ll take him and set his throne over these stones that I’ve buried, and he will spread his canopy over them. 11 He will come and attack the land of Egypt—those meant for death will be put to death, those meant for captivity will be taken captive, and those meant for the sword will be put to the sword. 12 He[a] will set fire to the temples[b] of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their idols[c] and take them captive. He will wrap himself with the land of Egypt like a shepherd wraps himself with a garment, and then he will leave from there in peace. 13 He will shatter the pillars of Heliopolis[d] in the land of Egypt and will burn the temples of the gods of Egypt with fire.”’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 43:12 So LXX; Heb. reads I
  2. Jeremiah 43:12 Lit. houses; and so throughout the section
  3. Jeremiah 43:12 Lit. them
  4. Jeremiah 43:13 Lit. beth-shemesh; i.e. house of the sun