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Jeremiah 46
Revised Standard Version
Jeremiah 46
Revised Standard Version
Judgment on Egypt
46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphra′tes at Car′chemish and which Nebuchadrez′zar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoi′akim the son of Josi′ah, king of Judah:
3 “Prepare buckler and shield,
and advance for battle!
4 Harness the horses;
mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
polish your spears,
put on your coats of mail!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
and have turned backward.
Their warriors are beaten down,
and have fled in haste;
they look not back—
terror on every side!
says the Lord.
6 The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
in the north by the river Euphra′tes
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.
He said, I will rise, I will cover the earth,
I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.
9 Advance, O horses,
and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go forth:
men of Ethiopia and Put who handle the shield,
men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
a day of vengeance,
to avenge himself on 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 north country by the river Euphra′tes.
11 Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
O virgin daughter of 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;
they have both fallen together.”
Babylonia Will Strike Egypt
13 The word which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadrez′zar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
proclaim in Memphis and Tah′panhes;
Say, ‘Stand ready and be prepared,
for the sword shall devour round about you.’
15 Why has Apis fled?[a]
Why did not your bull stand?
Because the Lord thrust him down.
16 Your multitude stumbled[b] and fell,
and they said one to another,
‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
because of the sword of the oppressor.’
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
18 “As I live, says the King,
whose name is the Lord of hosts,
like Tabor among the mountains,
and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
O inhabitants of Egypt!
For Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, without inhabitant.
20 “A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
but a gadfly from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst
are like fatted calves;
yea, they 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 serpent 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 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame,
she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, 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 deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadrez′zar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord.
God Will Save Israel
27 “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for lo, I will save you from afar,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
says the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will chasten you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:15 Gk: Heb Why was it swept away
- Jeremiah 46:16 Gk: Heb He made many stumble
Jeremiah 46
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jeremiah 46
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Prophecy against Egypt
46 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations.
2 This is the message about Egypt, about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated his army at Carchemish along the Euphrates River during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah.
3 “Get your large and small shields ready; advance into battle.
4 Harness your horses. Mount up, you horsemen.
Take your positions, and put on your helmets.
Polish your spears.
Put on your armor.
5 “What do I see in them?
They are terrified.
They are retreating.
Their warriors are defeated.
They flee without looking back.
Terror is all around them,” declares the Lord.
6 “The infantry can’t flee.
The warriors can’t escape.
They stumble and fall in the north by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this, rising like the Nile River,
like streams that flow swiftly?
8 Egypt is like the rising Nile River,
like a river quickly overflowing its banks.
Egypt says, ‘I will rise; I will cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them.’
9 Go into battle, you horsemen.
Drive wildly, you chariot drivers.
March into battle, you warriors,
you warriors from Sudan and Put who carry shields,
you warriors from Lydia who use bows and arrows.
10 That day belongs to the Almighty Lord of Armies.
It is a day of vengeance when he will take revenge on his enemies.
His sword will devour until it has had enough,
and it will drink their blood until it’s full.
The Almighty Lord of Armies will offer them as sacrifices
in the north by the Euphrates River.
11 Go to Gilead, and get medicine, dear people of Egypt.
You have used many medicines without results; you can’t be cured.
12 The nations have heard of your shame; your cry fills the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another,
and both will fall together.”
13 The Lord spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who will defeat Egypt.
14 “Tell this in Egypt; announce this in Migdol.
Make it known in Memphis and in Tahpanhes.
Say, ‘Take your positions, and get ready.
Swords will kill those around you.’
15 Why should your soldiers be cut down?
They can’t stand because the Lord will push them down.
16 They have repeatedly stumbled, and now they have fallen.
They say to each other,
‘Get up! Let’s go back to our people,
to the land where we were born,
and escape our enemy’s sword.’
17 There they will cry, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a big windbag.
He has missed his chance.’
18 “As I live,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies,
“someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come.
Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
19 Pack your bags, inhabitants of Egypt,
because you will be taken away as captives.
Memphis will become a dreary wasteland,
a pile of rubble where no one lives.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful cow,
but a horsefly from the north will attack it.
21 Egypt’s hired soldiers are like fattened calves.
They will turn and run away together.
They won’t stand their ground.
The day of destruction is coming.
At that time they will be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away.
Its enemies will come with full force.
They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.
23 They will cut down the forest,” declares the Lord,
“since Egypt can’t be found.
They are more numerous than locusts; they can’t be counted.
24 The people of Egypt will be put to shame.
They will be handed over to the people from the north.”
25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says,
“I’m going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes.
I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings,
and whoever trusts Pharaoh.
26 I’ll hand them over to those who want to kill them,
to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers.
Afterward, they will live in peace as they did long ago,”
declares the Lord.
27 “Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob.
Don’t be terrified, Israel.
I’m going to rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land,
from the land where you are captives.
Then Jacob’s descendants will again have undisturbed peace,
and no one will make them afraid.
28 Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,” declares the Lord.
“I am with you.
I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you,
but I will not completely destroy you.
I will correct you with justice.
I won’t let you go entirely unpunished.”
Jeremiah 46
New International Version
Jeremiah 46
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)
2 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:
3 “Prepare your shields,(G) both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish(H) your spears,
put on your armor!(I)
5 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.
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)
8 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)
9 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
- Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
Jeremiah 46
King James Version
Jeremiah 46
King James Version
46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
2 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.
3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
5 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.
6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
8 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.
9 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.
Jeremiah 46
Easy-to-Read Version
Jeremiah 46
Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord’s Messages About the Nations
46 These messages about different nations came to Jeremiah the prophet from the Lord.
Messages About Egypt
2 This message is about the nation of Egypt. It is about the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt. His army was defeated at the town of Carchemish. Carchemish is on the Euphrates River. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the army of Pharaoh Neco at Carchemish in the fourth year that Jehoiakim[a] son of Josiah was king of Judah. The Lord said,
3 “Get your large and small shields ready.
March out for battle.
4 Get the horses ready.
Soldiers, get on your horses.
Go to your places for battle.
Put your helmets on.
Sharpen your spears.
Put your armor on.
5 What do I see?
That army is afraid.
The soldiers are running away.
Their brave soldiers are defeated.
They run away in a hurry.
They don’t look back.
There is danger all around.”
This is what the Lord said.
6 “Fast men cannot run away.
Strong soldiers cannot escape.
They will all stumble and fall.
This will happen in the north, by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is coming like the Nile River?
Who is coming like that strong, fast river?
8 It is Egypt that comes like the rising Nile River.
It is Egypt that comes like that strong, fast river.
Egypt says, ‘I will come and cover the earth.
I will destroy the cities and the people in them.’
9 Horse soldiers, charge into battle.
Chariot drivers, drive fast.
March on, brave soldiers.
Soldiers from Cush and Put, carry your shields.
Soldiers from Lydia, use your bows.
10 “But on that day, the Lord God All-Powerful will win.
He will give his enemies the punishment they deserve.
His sword will kill until it is finished,
until it has satisfied its thirst for blood.
Yes, the Lord God All-Powerful will kill them as a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
11 “Egypt, go to Gilead and get some medicine.
You will make up many medicines, but they will not help.
You will not be healed.
12 The nations will hear you crying.
Your cries will be heard all over the earth.
One ‘brave soldier’ will run into another ‘brave soldier.’
And both ‘brave soldiers’ will fall down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack Egypt.
14 “Announce this message in Egypt.
Tell it in the city of Migdol.
Tell it in Memphis and Tahpanhes.
‘Get ready for war,
because people all around you are being killed with swords.’
15 Egypt, your strong soldiers will be killed.
They will not be able to stand
because the Lord will push them down.
16 They will stumble again and again.
They will fall over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up; let’s go back to our own people.
Let us go back to our homeland.
Our enemy is defeating us.
We must get away.’
17 In their homelands, those soldiers will say,
‘Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is only a lot of noise.
His time of glory is over.’”
18 This message is from the King.
The King is the Lord All-Powerful.
“I promise, as surely as I live, a powerful leader will come.
He will be like Mount Tabor or Mount Carmel among smaller mountains.
19 People of Egypt, pack your things.
Get ready for captivity,
because Memphis will be a ruined, empty land.
Those cities will be destroyed,
and no one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful cow.
But a horsefly[b] is coming from the north[c] to attack her.
21 The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army are like fat calves.
They will all turn and run away.
They will not stand strong against the attack.
Their time of destruction is coming.
They will soon be punished.
22 Egypt is like a snake hissing
and trying to escape.
The enemy comes closer and closer,
and the Egyptian army is trying to slither away.
The enemy will attack Egypt with axes,
like men cutting down trees.”
23 This is what the Lord says:
“They will chop down Egypt’s forest.
There are many trees in that forest,
but they will all be cut down.
There are more enemy soldiers than locusts.
There are so many soldiers that no one can count them.
24 Egypt will be ashamed.
The enemy from the north will defeat her.”
25 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says, “Very soon I will punish Amon,[d] the god of Thebes, and I will punish Pharaoh, Egypt, and her gods. I will punish the kings of Egypt, and I will punish the people who depend on Pharaoh. 26 I will let all of them be defeated by their enemies—their enemies want to kill them. I will give the people to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his servants.
“Long ago, Egypt lived in peace. And after all these times of trouble, Egypt will live in peace again.” This is what the Lord said.
A Message for Northern Israel
27 “Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid.
Do not be frightened, Israel.
I will save you from those faraway places.
I will save your children from the countries where they are captives.
Jacob will have peace and safety again,
and no one will make him afraid.”
28 This is what the Lord says.
“Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid.
I am with you.
I sent you away to many different places.
But I will not destroy you completely.
But I will destroy all those nations.
You must be punished for the bad things you did.
So I will not let you escape your punishment.
I will discipline you, but I will be fair.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:2 the fourth year … Jehoiakim This was about 605 B.C.
- Jeremiah 46:20 horsefly A large insect that often flies around cows and horses and bites them.
- Jeremiah 46:20 north The Babylonian army came from this direction to attack Judah. Armies from countries north and east of Israel often came this way to attack Judah and Israel.
- Jeremiah 46:25 Amon For many centuries Amon was the most important god of Egypt. At the time of this prophecy, he was not worshiped as much in northern Egypt. But he was still the most important god in southern Egypt, especially around the old Egyptian capital city of Thebes.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International