Judgment on the Philistines

47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet (A)concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down (B)Gaza.

“Thus says the Lord:
(C)Behold, waters are rising (D)out of the north,
    (E)and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow (F)the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
    and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    (G)at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers (H)look not back to their children,
    so feeble are their hands,
because of the day that is coming to destroy
    all (I)the Philistines,
to cut off from (J)Tyre and Sidon
    every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
    (K)the remnant of the coastland of (L)Caphtor.
(M)Baldness has come upon Gaza;
    (N)Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
    (O)how long will you gash yourselves?
(P)Ah, sword of the Lord!
    How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
    rest and be still!
How can it[a] be quiet
    (Q)when the Lord has given it a charge?
Against (R)Ashkelon and against the seashore
    (S)he has appointed it.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:7 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew you

A Prophecy Against Philistia

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck Gaza.

This is what the Lord says.
See, waters rise up out of the north,
and they will become an overflowing stream.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
the cities and those who live there.
The people will cry out,
and everyone who lives in the land will wail
    at the sound of the stamping hoofs of his steeds,
    at the rumbling of his chariots,
    at the roar of his wheels.
Fathers will not turn back for their sons,
because their hands will hang limp,
on account of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who survives.
For the Lord will destroy the Philistines,
the surviving remnant from the shores of Caphtor.[a]

Baldness is coming to Gaza.
Ashkelon will be destroyed.
You survivors left on the plain,
how long will you cut yourselves?

O sword of the Lord!
How long until you rest?
Return to your scabbard.
Rest and be still.

How can you rest since the Lord has commanded this?
Against Ashkelon and against the shore of the sea,
        he has assigned the sword.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:4 Perhaps Crete or another location in the Mediterranean