Jeremiah 46
Revised Geneva Translation
46 The Words of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the Prophet against the Gentiles,
2 against Egypt, and against the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, (which was by the river Perath in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah),
3 “Make ready buckler and shield and go forth to battle!
4 “Make ready the horses, and let the horsemen get up. And stand up with helmets, furbish the spears, and put on the armor!
5 “Why have I seen them afraid and driven back? For their mighty men are stricken and have fled away and do not look back, fear all around,” says the LORD.
6 “The swift shall not flee away, nor the strong man escape. They shall stumble and fall toward the north, by the river Perath.
7 “Who is this who comes up as the Nile, whose waters are moved like the rivers?
8 “Egypt rises up like the Nile. And its waters are moved like the rivers. And it says, ‘I will go up, and will cover the Earth! I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it!’
9 “Come up, you horses. And rage, you chariots. And let the valiant men come forth: the Ethiopians, and the Libyans who bear the shield, and the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.
10 “For this is the day of the LORD God of Hosts, a day of vengeance, so that He may avenge Himself of His enemies. For the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood. For the LORD God of Hosts has a sacrifice in the north country, by the river Perath.
11 “Go up to Gilead and fetch balm. O Virgin, the daughter of Egypt, in vain you shall use many medicines. You shall not have health.
12 “The nations have heard of your shame, and your cry has filled the land. For the strong have stumbled against the strong. They have both fallen together.”
13 The Word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the Prophet of how Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, would come and strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Proclaim in Egypt, and declare in Migdol, and proclaim in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, and say, ‘Stand still and prepare yourselves! For the sword shall devour all around you!’
15 “Why are your valiant men beaten down? They could not stand because the LORD thrust them away.
16 “He made many fall. And one fell upon another, and they said, ‘Arise, let us turn back from the sword of the violent, to our own people and to the land of our birth.’
17 “They cried there, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise! He has passed the appointed time!’
18 “As I live,” says the King Whose Name is the LORD of Hosts, “surely as Tabor in the mountains, and as Carmel in the sea, it shall come.
19 “O you daughter dwelling in Egypt, make yourself gear to go into captivity! For Noph shall be waste and desolate, without an inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is like a fair calf, but destruction comes. Out of the North it comes.
21 “Also, her hired men, in the midst of her like fat calves, they are also turned back and have fled away together. They could not stand, because the day of their destruction had come upon them, the time of their reckoning.
22 “Its voice shall go forth like a serpent. For they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as woodcutters.
23 “They shall cut down her forest,” says the LORD, “for they cannot be counted, because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
24 “The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded. She shall be delivered into the hands of the people of the North.”
25 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will visit your common people of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their kings, even Pharaoh, and all those who trust in him.
26 “And I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, and into the hands of his servants. And afterward, she shall dwell as in the old time,” says the LORD.
27 “But do not fear, O my servant Jacob. And do not be afraid, O Israel. For behold, I will deliver you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return and be in rest and prosperity. And no one shall make him afraid.
28 “Do not fear, O Jacob, My servant,” says the LORD, “for I am with you. And I will utterly destroy all the nations to which I have driven you. Yet I will not utterly destroy you, but correct you by judgment, and not utterly cut you off.”
Jeremiah 46
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
Judgement on Egypt
46 The word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the nations.
2 Concerning Egypt, about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah:
3 Prepare buckler and shield,
and advance for battle!
4 Harness the horses;
mount the steeds!
Take your stations with your helmets,
whet your lances,
put on your coats of mail!
5 Why do I see them terrified?
They have fallen back;
their warriors are beaten down,
and have fled in haste.
They do not look back—
terror is all around!
says the Lord.
6 The swift cannot flee away,
nor can the warrior escape;
in the north by the river Euphrates
they have stumbled and fallen.
7 Who is this, rising like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers whose waters surge.
It said, Let me rise, let me cover the earth,
let me destroy cities and their inhabitants.
9 Advance, O horses,
and dash madly, O chariots!
Let the warriors go forth:
Ethiopia[a] and Put who carry the shield,
the Ludim, who draw[b] the bow.
10 That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
a day of retribution,
to gain vindication from his foes.
The sword shall devour and be sated,
and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of hosts holds a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
O virgin daughter Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and the earth is full of your cry;
for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
both have fallen together.
Babylonia Will Strike Egypt
13 The word that the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon to attack the land of Egypt:
14 Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
Say, ‘Take your stations and be ready,
for the sword shall devour those around you.’
15 Why has Apis fled?[c]
Why did your bull not stand?
—because the Lord thrust him down.
16 Your multitude stumbled[d] and fell,
and one said to another,[e]
‘Come, let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
because of the destroying sword.’
17 Give Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the name
‘Braggart who missed his chance.’
18 As I live, says the King,
whose name is the Lord of hosts,
one is coming
like Tabor among the mountains,
and like Carmel by the sea.
19 Pack your bags for exile,
sheltered daughter Egypt!
For Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, without inhabitant.
20 A beautiful heifer is Egypt—
a gadfly from the north lights upon her.
21 Even her mercenaries in her midst
are like fatted calves;
they too have turned and fled together,
they did not stand;
for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
the time of their punishment.
22 She makes a sound like a snake gliding away;
for her enemies march in force,
and come against her with axes,
like those who fell trees.
23 They shall cut down her forest,
says the Lord,
though it is impenetrable,
because they are more numerous
than locusts;
they are without number.
24 Daughter Egypt shall be put to shame;
she shall be handed over to a people from the north.
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: See, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will hand them over to those who seek their life, to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and his officers. Afterwards Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord.
God Will Save Israel
27 But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob,
and do not be dismayed, O Israel;
for I am going to save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and no one shall make him afraid.
28 As for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob,
says the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make an end of all the nations
among which I have banished you,
but I will not make an end of you!
I will chastise you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:9 Or Nubia; Heb Cush
- Jeremiah 46:9 Cn: Heb who grasp, who draw
- Jeremiah 46:15 Gk: Heb Why was it swept away
- Jeremiah 46:16 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 46:16 Gk: Heb and fell one to another and they said
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