Jeremiah 46:1-12
Amplified Bible
Defeat of Pharaoh Foretold
46 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the [Gentile] nations.
2 Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [a]defeated [decisively] in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:(A)
3
“Line up the [b]buckler (small shield) and [large] shield,
And advance for battle!
4
“Harness the horses,
And mount, you riders!
Take your stand with your helmets!
Polish the spears,
Put on the coats of mail!
5
“Why have I seen it?
They are terrified
And have turned back,
And their warriors are beaten down.
They take flight in haste
Without looking back;
Terror is on every side!”
Says the Lord.(B)
6
Do not let the swift man run,
Nor the mighty man escape;
In the north by the river Euphrates
They have stumbled and fallen.
7
Who is this that rises up like the Nile [River],
Like the rivers [in the delta of Egypt] whose waters surge about?
8
Egypt rises like the Nile,
Even like the rivers whose waters surge about.
And [c]He has said, “I will rise, I will cover that land;
I will certainly destroy the city and its inhabitants.”
9
Charge, you horses,
And drive like madmen, you chariots!
Let the warriors go forward:
Ethiopia and Put (Libya) who handle the shield,
And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.
10
For that day belongs to the Lord God of hosts,
A day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself on His adversaries.
And the sword will devour and be satiated
And drink its fill of their blood;
For the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice [like that of a great sin offering]
In the north country by the river Euphrates.
11
Go up to Gilead and obtain [healing] balm,
O Virgin Daughter of Egypt!
In vain you use many medicines;
For you there is no healing or remedy.
12
The nations have heard of your disgrace and shame,
And your cry [of distress] has filled the earth.
For warrior has stumbled against warrior,
And both of them have fallen together.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:2 This stunning defeat by the Babylonian army cost Egypt all of its lands west of the Euphrates.
- Jeremiah 46:3 In ancient warfare these shields usually were round, worn on the forearm and used mainly as weapons with which to strike an enemy. Large, oblong shields were used to protect the entire body.
- Jeremiah 46:8 This may be viewed as an ironic declaration by God: the Nile rises and floods Egypt providing irrigation, and God says He will do the same thing, but in a sense destroying Egypt (see v 10).
Jeremiah 46:1-12
New American Standard Bible
Defeat of Pharaoh Foretold
46 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet (A)concerning the nations.
2 To (B)Egypt, concerning the army of (C)Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at (D)Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the (E)fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 “(F)Set up the [a]buckler and shield,
And advance to the battle!
4 Harness the horses,
And [b]mount the steeds,
Take your stand with helmets on!
(G)Polish the spears,
Put on the (H)coats of armor!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are terrified,
They are (I)retreating,
And their (J)warriors are defeated
And have taken refuge in flight,
Without facing back.
[c](K)Terror is on every side!”
Declares the Lord.
6 Let not the (L)swift man flee,
Nor the warrior escape.
In the north beside the river Euphrates
They have (M)stumbled and fallen.
7 Who is this that (N)rises like the Nile,
Like the rivers whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
And like the rivers whose waters surge;
And He has said, “I will (O)rise and cover that land;
I will (P)destroy the city and its inhabitants.”
9 Go up, you horses, and [d](Q)drive wildly, you chariots,
So that the warriors may [e]march forward:
[f]Cush and [g](R)Put, who handle the shield,
And the [h](S)Lydians, who handle and bend the bow.
10 For (T)that day belongs to the Lord [i]God of armies,
A day of (U)vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes;
And the (V)sword will devour and be satisfied,
And [j]drink its fill of their blood;
For there will be a (W)slaughter for the Lord [k]God of armies,
In the land of the north at the river Euphrates.
11 Go (X)up to Gilead and obtain balm,
(Y)Virgin daughter of Egypt!
You have used many [l]remedies in vain;
There is (Z)no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your (AA)shame,
And the earth is full of your (AB)cry of distress;
For one (AC)warrior has stumbled over [m]another,
And both of them have fallen down together.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:3 I.e., small shield
- Jeremiah 46:4 Or go up, you horsemen
- Jeremiah 46:5 Heb Magor-missabib i.e., Terror is on every side
- Jeremiah 46:9 Lit act like madmen
- Jeremiah 46:9 Lit go forth
- Jeremiah 46:9 Or Ethiopia
- Jeremiah 46:9 I.e., Libya (or Somaliland)
- Jeremiah 46:9 Heb Ludim
- Jeremiah 46:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 46:10 Lit be saturated with
- Jeremiah 46:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 46:11 Lit healings
- Jeremiah 46:12 Lit warrior
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