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13 This is the [a]message which Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the (A)coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to (B)strike down the land of Egypt:

14 “Declare in Egypt and cause it to be heard in (C)Migdol;
Cause it to be heard also in Memphis and (D)Tahpanhes;
Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready,
For the (E)sword has devoured those around you.’
15 Why are your (F)mighty ones thrown down?
They do not stand because Yahweh has (G)thrust them down.
16 They have repeatedly (H)stumbled;
Indeed, they have fallen one against another.
Then they said, ‘Rise up! And (I)let us return
To our own people and land of our birth
Away from the [b](J)sword of the oppressor.’
17 [c]They called out there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but (K)a rumbling;
He has let the appointed time pass by!’
18 As I live,” declares the (L)King
Whose name is Yahweh of hosts,
“Surely one shall come who looms up like (M)Tabor among the mountains,
Or like (N)Carmel by the sea.
19 Make your baggage ready for (O)exile,
O inhabitant of the (P)daughter of Egypt,
For (Q)Memphis will become a desolation;
It will even be turned into ruin and without inhabitants.
20 Egypt is a pretty (R)heifer,
But a [d]horsefly is coming (S)from the north—it is coming!
21 Also her (T)mercenaries in her midst
Are like [e]fattened (U)calves,
For even they have turned back and have fled away together;
They did not stand their ground.
For the day of their disaster has come upon them,
The time of their (V)punishment.
22 Its sound moves along like a serpent;
For they move on [f]like a military force
And come to her as woodcutters with axes.
23 They have cut down her (W)forest,” declares Yahweh;
“Surely it will no longer be searched out,
Even though [g]they are now more numerous than (X)locusts
And are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame,
Given over to the hand of the (Y)people of the north.”

25 Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of (Z)Thebes, and (AA)Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her (AB)gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who (AC)trust in him. 26 I shall give them into the hand of those who are (AD)seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his servants. (AE)Afterwards, however, it will be dwelt in like in the days of old,” declares Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:13 Lit word
  2. Jeremiah 46:16 Lit oppressing sword
  3. Jeremiah 46:17 Some ancient versions Call the name of Pharaoh a rumbling
  4. Jeremiah 46:20 Or possibly mosquito
  5. Jeremiah 46:21 Lit of the stall
  6. Jeremiah 46:22 Or in force
  7. Jeremiah 46:23 Trees of the forest, the Egyptians

Nebuchadnezzar Will Attack Egypt

13 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt.

14 Declare this in Egypt. Proclaim it in Migdol.
Proclaim it in Memphis[a] and Tahpanhes.
Say, “Take your positions and get ready.
The sword is going to devour those around you.”
15 Why are your mighty ones laid low?[b]
They cannot stand, for the Lord has pushed them down.
16 He made many stumble.
They fall against each other.
They say, “Get up! Let’s go back to our people
and to the land of our birth,
away from the sword of our oppressor.”
17 There they will cry out,
“Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise.
He has missed his opportunity.”
18 As surely as I live, declares the King,
whose name is the Lord of Armies,
someone is coming who is like Tabor among the mountains,
and like Carmel by the sea.[c]
19 Get your bags ready to go into exile,
    you daughter who dwells in Egypt,
for Memphis will become a desolation
and lie in ruins without an inhabitant.

20 Egypt is a lovely heifer,
but a horsefly has come against her out of the north.
21 The mercenaries in her ranks are like fattened calves.
They will turn and flee together.
They will not stand,
for the day of disaster has come upon them,
the time for their punishment.

22 Egypt will hiss like a snake,
because the enemy will advance as an army.
It will come against her with axes,
like men who cut down trees.
23 They will cut down her forest, declares the Lord,
though it is impenetrable,
even though they are more numerous than locusts,
even though they are too many to count.

24 The daughter of Egypt will be put to shame,
handed over to the people from the north.

25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Watch, I will punish Amon god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, with Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers.

But afterward Egypt will be inhabited as in former days, declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:14 Hebrew Noph. English commonly uses the Greek forms of the names of Egyptian cities. Also in verse 19.
  2. Jeremiah 46:15 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek reads why has Apis fled? Apis was an Egyptian sacred bull.
  3. Jeremiah 46:18 Tabor and Carmel are two notable mountains in Israel.