Old/New Testament
Messages to the Nations
46 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations [C chapters 46–51 are oracles against the foreign nations; see also Is. 13–23; Ezek. 25–32; Amos 1–2; Nah.; Obad.]:
2 This message is to Egypt. It is about the army of Neco king of Egypt [C ruled 610–595 bc], which ·was defeated at [L struck] the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C 605 bc]. This is the Lord’s message to Egypt:
3 “Prepare your shields, large and small,
and ·march out [advance] for battle!
4 Harness the horses
and ·get on them [L mount the steeds]!
·Go to your places for battle [Take your station]
and put on your helmets!
·Polish [Burnish] your spears.
Put on your ·armor [coats of mail]!
5 What do I see?
That army is terrified,
and the soldiers ·are running away [have turned back].
Their warriors are defeated.
They ·run away [flee] quickly
without looking back.
There is terror on every side [6:5; 20:3, 10; 49:29]!” says the Lord.
6 “The fast runners cannot ·run away [flee];
the strong soldiers cannot escape.
They stumble and fall
in the north, by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this, rising up like the Nile River,
like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge]?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile River,
like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge].
Egypt says, ‘I will rise up and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them!’
9 ·Horsemen [or Horses], ·charge into battle [advance]!
·Chariot drivers [or Chariots], drive hard!
·March on [L Go out], brave soldiers—
soldiers from the countries of Cush [C Ethiopia] and Put [C Libya] who carry shields,
soldiers from Lydia [C from eastern Asia Minor] who ·use [L grasp and draw] bows.
10 “But that day belongs to the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
At that time he will give ·those people [his foes] the punishment they deserve.
The sword will ·kill [L devour] until it is ·finished [satisfied; sated],
until it ·satisfies its thirst for [L gets satiated/drunk with] their blood.
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will offer a sacrifice
in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River [C Babylon].
11 “Go up to Gilead and get some balm [8:22],
·people [L virgin daughter] of Egypt!
You have prepared many medicines,
·but they will not work [in vain];
you will not be healed.
12 The nations have heard of your ·shame [humiliation],
and your cries fill all the earth.
One warrior has ·run into [L stumbled over] another;
both of them have fallen down together!”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon’s coming to ·attack [L strike] Egypt:
14 “·Announce this message [Declare] in Egypt, and ·preach it [L make it heard] in Migdol.
·Preach it [L Make it heard] also in the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes [44:1]:
‘·Get ready for war [Take your stations and be ready],
because the ·battle is [L sword devours] all around you.’
15 Egypt, why ·were your warriors killed [was it swept away; or has Apis fled; C the sacred bull of Egypt]?
They could not stand because the Lord pushed them down.
16 They stumbled again and again
and fell over each other.
They said, ‘Get up. Let’s go back
to our own people and our homeland.
·We must get away from our enemy’s sword [L …because of the destroyer’s/oppressor’s sword]!’
17 ·In their homelands those soldiers [L There they] called out,
‘The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
He missed his chance [C for glory]!’”
18 The King’s name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
He says, “As surely as I live,
one [C a powerful leader] will come.
He will be like Mount Tabor among the mountains,
like Mount Carmel by the sea [C distinctive and majestic mountains].
19 ·People [L Daughter] of Egypt, pack your things
to be taken away as ·captives [exiles],
because Memphis will be ·destroyed [a desolation].
It will be a ruin, and no one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful ·young cow [heifer],
but a ·horsefly [gadfly] is coming
from the north [C Babylon] to attack her [C though small, gadflies are annoying].
21 ·The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army [L Its mercenaries]
are like fat calves,
because even they all turn and ·run away [flee] together;
they do not stand [C strong against the attack].
Their ·time of destruction [L day of their devastation/calamity] is coming;
·they will soon be punished [L the time of their punishment].
22 Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
The ·enemy [L army] comes closer and closer.
They come against it [C Egypt] with axes
like men who cut down trees.
23 They will ·chop [cut] down her forest [C Egypt’s army]
·as if it were a great forest [or for they cannot be numbered; C could refer either to the Babylonians or the Egyptians],” says the Lord.
“There are more [C enemy soldiers] than locusts;
there are too many to count.
24 The people of Egypt will be ·ashamed [humiliated].
They will be handed over to the enemy from the north [C Babylon].”
25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “Very soon I will punish Amon, the god of the city of Thebes [C a sun god]. And I will punish Egypt, her ·kings [L Pharaohs], her gods, and the people who ·depend on [have confidence in] the king. 26 I will hand those people over to ·their enemies, who want to kill them [L those who seek their life]. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his ·officers [L servants]. But in the future, Egypt will live as it once did of old [C in peace],” says the Lord.
A Message to Israel
27 “People of Jacob, my servants, don’t be afraid;
don’t be frightened, Israel.
I will surely ·save [rescue] you from those faraway places
and your ·children [L seed] from the lands where they are captives.
The people of Jacob will have peace and safety again,
and no one will make them afraid.
28 People of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid,
because I am with you,” says the Lord.
“I will ·completely destroy the many different [L make an end of all the] nations
where I ·scattered [drove] you.
But I will not ·completely destroy [L make an end of] you.
I will ·punish [chastise; discipline] you ·fairly [with justice],
but I will not let you escape your punishment.”
A Message to the Philistines
47 Before the king of Egypt ·attacked [L struck] the city of Gaza, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the Philistine people [C to the west of Israel; Gen. 10:14; 21:32, 34].
2 This is what the Lord says:
“See, waters are rising from the north [C representing the overwhelming force of the Babylonians].
They will become like an overflowing ·stream [torrent]
and will cover the whole country ·like a flood [L and its fullness],
even the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
will cry for help;
the people will ·cry painfully [wail].
3 They will hear the sound of the ·running horses [L hoofs of the chargers]
and the noisy chariots
and the rumbling chariot wheels.
·Parents [Fathers] will not ·help their children to safety [turn back for their children],
because ·they will be too weak to help [L their hands will be weak].
4 The ·time [L day] has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
It is time to ·destroy [L cut off] all who ·are left alive [survive]
who could help the cities of Tyre and Sidon [C the two most important Phoenician cities; the Philistines, Egypt’s allies, could no longer help them].
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines,
·those left alive from the island of Crete [L the remnant of the coastline of Caphtor].
5 ·The people from the city of Gaza will be sad and shave their heads [L Baldness will come to Gaza].
The people from the city of Ashkelon will be made silent.
·Those left alive [Remnant] from the valley,
how long will you ·cut [gash] yourselves [C a mourning ritual]?
6 “·You cry [L Ah], ‘Sword of the Lord,
how long ·will you keep fighting [L before you rest]?
Return to your ·holder [sheath].
Stop and be still.’
7 But how can his sword rest
when the Lord has given it a command?
He has ·ordered [assigned] it
to attack Ashkelon and the seacoast.”
6 ·So [Therefore] let us ·go on to grown-up teaching [L move forward to maturity/completeness]. Let us ·not go back over [L leave behind] the ·beginning [rudimentary; elementary] ·lessons [teaching; L word] we learned about ·Christ [or the Messiah; 5:5]. We should not again ·start teaching [L lay a foundation] about ·turning away [repentance] from ·those acts that lead to death [or useless works; L dead works] and about faith in God. 2 We should not return to the teaching about baptisms [C either Christian baptism or Jewish ceremonial washings], about laying on of hands [C a ritual of blessing and/or conferring of authority], about the raising of the dead and eternal judgment [C these may be Jewish practices or foundational Christian teaching]. 3 And we will ·go on to grown-up teaching [L do this] if God allows.
4 For it is impossible to ·bring back again to a changed life [L renew again to repentance] those who were once ·in God’s light [enlightened], and ·enjoyed [experienced; L tasted] ·heaven’s gift [or the heavenly gift; C perhaps the gift of salvation], and ·shared in [partook of] the Holy Spirit. 5 They ·found out [L tasted] how good God’s word is, and ·they received [L tasted] the ·powers [miracles] of ·his new world [the coming age/world]. 6 If they have ·fallen away [committed apostasy], it is impossible to ·bring them back to a changed life again [L renew them again to repentance], because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are ·shaming him in front of others [making a public disgrace/exhibition of him].
7 ·Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain and [L Land that drinks in the abundance of rain] produces a ·good [useful] crop for those who ·work [farm] it. That land receives God’s blessings. 8 ·Other people are like land that [L But if it…] grows thorns and ·weeds [thistles] and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God and ·will be destroyed by fire [L its end/fate is burning].
9 ·Dear friends [Loved ones; T Beloved], we are saying this to you, but we ·really expect [are convinced/confident of] better things from you that ·will lead to [or accompany; come with] your salvation. 10 [For] God is ·fair [L not unjust]; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed ·for him [L in his name] by ·helping [serving] his ·people [holy people; T saints]. And he will remember that you are still ·helping [serving] them. 11 We ·want [desire for] each of you to ·go on with the same hard work [demonstrate the same zeal/diligence] ·all your lives [L until the end] ·so you will surely get what you hope for [or until your hope is fulfilled/attained]. 12 We do not want you to become ·lazy [sluggish; C in contrast to diligent; v. 11]. Be ·like [L imitators of] those who through faith and ·patience [endurance] will ·receive [inherit] what God has promised.
13 [L For] God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he ·used himself [vowed by his own name; L swore by himself] when he swore to Abraham, 14 saying, “I will ·surely [or greatly] bless you and ·give you many [greatly multiply your] descendants [Gen. 22:17].” 15 Abraham ·waited patiently for this to happen [persevered], and he received what God promised.
16 [L For] People always ·use the name of [L swear by] someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath ·proves [is confirmation] that what they say is true, and this ·ends all arguing [or settles the dispute; C an oath by a higher authority is taken as a legal guarantee]. 17 God wanted to ·make very clear [demonstrate convincingly] to ·those who would get what he promised [L the heirs of the promise] that his ·purposes [or plans] never change, so he ·made [L confirmed/guaranteed it with] an oath. 18 These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things greatly encourage us, who ·came [L have fled] to God for safety, to hold on to the hope ·we have been given [L set before us]. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for ·the soul [our lives], ·sure [stable; secure] and ·strong [reliable; unshifting]. It enters behind the curtain in the ·Most Holy Place in heaven [L inner place/sanctuary], 20 where Jesus has gone ·ahead of us [L as a forerunner] ·and for us [on our behalf]. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; 7:1–17].
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