Old/New Testament
Messages About the Nations
46 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations:
2 This message is about Egypt: This message is about the army of King Neco, king of Egypt. His army was defeated at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. This is the Lord’s message to Egypt:
3 “Prepare your shields, large and small.
March out for battle!
4 Harness the horses.
Soldiers, get on your horses!
Go to your places for battle.
Put on your helmets!
Polish your spears.
Put on your armor!
5 What do I see?
That army is terrified.
The soldiers are running away.
Their warriors are defeated.
They run away quickly.
They don’t look back.
There is terror on every side!” says the Lord.
6 “The fast runners cannot run away.
The strong soldiers cannot escape.
They will stumble and fall
in the north, by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this, rising up like the Nile River?
Who comes like that strong, fast river?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile River.
It is Egypt that comes like that strong, fast river.
Egypt says, ‘I will rise up and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them!’
9 Horsemen, charge into battle!
Chariot drivers, drive hard!
March on, brave soldiers—
soldiers from Cush and Put who carry shields.
March on, soldiers from Lydia who use bows.
10 “But that day belongs to the Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies.
At that time he will give those people the punishment they deserve.
The sword will kill until it is finished.
The sword will kill until it satisfies its thirst for blood.
This is because the Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies, will offer a sacrifice.
That sacrifice is Egypt’s army in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.
11 “Go to Gilead and get some balm.
Go up, people of Egypt!
You will make up many medicines,
but you will not be healed.
12 The nations will hear of your shame.
Your cries will fill all the earth.
One warrior will run into another.
And both of them will fall down together!”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon as he came to attack Egypt:
14 “Announce this message in Egypt, and prophesy it in Migdol.
Preach this message also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:
‘Get ready for war.
The battle is all around you.’
15 Egypt, why will your warriors be killed?
They cannot stand because the Lord will push them down.
16 Those soldiers will stumble again and again.
They will fall over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up. Let’s go back
to our own people and our homeland.
We must get away from our enemy’s sword!’
17 In their homelands those soldiers will say,
‘The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
His time of glory is over!’”
18 The King’s name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
He says, “As surely as I live,
a powerful leader will come.
He will be strong as great Mount Tabor is higher than other mountains.
He will be mighty as Mount Carmel is higher than the sea.
19 People of Egypt, pack your things
to be taken away as captives.
This is because Memphis will be destroyed.
The cities will be ruins, and no one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But a horsefly is coming
from the north to attack her.
21 The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army
are like fat calves.
They will all turn and run away together.
They will not stand strong against the attack.
Their time of destruction is coming.
They will soon be punished.
22 Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
The enemy comes closer and closer.
They will come against Egypt with axes.
They are like men who cut down trees.
23 They will chop down Egypt’s army
as if it were a great forest,” says the Lord.
“There are more enemy soldiers than locusts.
There are too many soldiers to count.
24 The people of Egypt will be ashamed.
They will be handed over to the enemy from the north.”
25 The Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says: “Very soon I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. And I will punish Egypt, her king and her gods. And I will punish the people who depend on the king. 26 I will let all those people be defeated by their enemies. And those enemies want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But in the future, Egypt will live in peace as it once did,” 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 you from those faraway places.
I will save your children 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.
I am with you,” says the Lord.
“I scattered you to many different nations.
And I will completely destroy all those nations.
But I will not completely destroy you.
I will punish you fairly.
But I cannot let you escape your punishment.”
A Message About the Philistines
47 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is about the Philistine people. It came before the king of Egypt attacked the city of Gaza.
2 This is what the Lord says:
“See, the enemy is gathering in the north like rising waters.
They will become like an overflowing stream.
They will cover the whole country like a flood.
They will cover the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
will cry for help.
The people will cry painfully.
3 They will hear the sound of the running horses.
They will hear the noisy chariots.
They will hear the rumbling chariot wheels.
Fathers will not help their children to safety.
Those fathers will be too weak to help.
4 The time has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
It’s time to destroy all who are left alive
who could help Tyre and Sidon.
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines.
He will destroy those left alive from the island of Crete.
5 The people from Gaza will be sad and shave their heads.
The people from Ashkelon will be made silent.
Those left alive from the valley,
how long will you cut yourselves?[a]
6 “You cry, ‘Sword of the Lord,
how long will you keep fighting?
Return to your holder.
Stop! Be still.’
7 But how can the sword of the Lord rest?
The Lord gave it a command.
The Lord has ordered it
to attack the city of Ashkelon and the seacoast.”
6 So let us go on to grown-up teaching. Let us not go back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. We should not start over again with teaching about turning from acts that lead to death and about believing in God. 2 We should not return to the teaching of baptisms,[a] of laying on of hands,[b] of the raising of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And we will go on to grown-up teaching if God allows.
4 Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God’s light. They enjoyed heaven’s gift, and they shared in the Holy Spirit. 5 They found out how good God’s word is, and they received the powers of his new world. 6 And then they fell away from Christ! It is not possible to keep on bringing them back to a changed life again. For they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.
7 Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God’s blessings. 8 Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God. It will be destroyed by fire.
9 Dear friends, we are saying this to you. But we really expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation. 10 God is fair. He will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them. 11 We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives. Then you will surely get what you hope for. 12 We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who have faith and patience. They will receive what God has promised.
13 God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he used himself when he swore to Abraham. 14 He said, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[c] 15 Abraham waited patiently for this to happen. And he received what God promised.
16 People always use the name of someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is true. And this ends all arguing about what they say. 17 God wanted to prove that his promise was true. He wanted to prove this to those who would get what he promised. He wanted them to understand clearly that his purposes never change. So God proved his promise by also making 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 encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven. 20 Jesus has gone in there ahead of us and for us. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.[d]
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.