Jeremiah 46

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles,

This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 about Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Neco, the king of Egypt, which was beside the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, struck down, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah:

For Egypt: “This is about the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt that was at Carchemish by the Euphrates river. This was the army that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:

3 “‘Prepare the heavy and the light shield, and advance to war!

Get the small shields and the large shields ready, and go forward to fight.

4 Harness the horses, and let the horsemen climb upon them! Stand forth with helmets! Sharpen the lances! Clothe yourselves in armor!’

Put the harness on the horses; mount up on the horses and take your stand with your helmets on; polish the spears and put on your armor.

5 And what is next? I have seen them terrified, and turning their backs, their strong ones cut down. They have fled in disorder and have not looked back. Terror on every side, says the Lord.

What am I seeing here? They are filled with terror and are running away, for their soldiers are defeated. They are running for safety and are not looking back. Terror is all around—this is Yahweh's declaration—

6 Let not the swift take flight; let not the strong ones think to save themselves. They have been conquered and ruined, toward the north, near the river Euphrates.

the swift cannot run away, and the soldiers cannot escape. They stumble in the north and fall beside the Euphrates River.

7 Who is this, who ascends like a flood, and whose streams swell up, like those of the rivers?

Who is this who rises like the Nile, whose waters toss up and down like the rivers?

8 Egypt ascends in the form of a river, and its waves will be moved like those of a river. And he will say: ‘I will ascend and cover the earth! I will perish the city and its inhabitants!’

Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of water that rise and fall. Egypt says, 'I will go up and I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.

9 Mount the horses, and exult upon chariots, and let the strong ones advance: the Ethiopians, and the Libyans, who hold the heavy shield, and the Lydians, who grasp and shoot arrows.

Go up, horses. Be angry, you chariots. Let the soldiers go out, Cush and Put, men skillful with a shield, and Ludim, men skillful at bending their bows.'

10 For this is the day of the Lord, the God of hosts, a day of vengeance, so that he may vindicate himself of his enemies. The sword will devour, and be satiated, and be inebriated with their blood. For there is a victim of the Lord, the God of hosts, in the land of the north, beside the river Euphrates.

That day will be the day of vengeance for the Lord Yahweh of hosts, and he will avenge himself on his foes. The sword will devour and be satisfied. It will drink its fill of their blood. For there will be a sacrifice to the Yahweh Lord of hosts in the northern land by the Euphrates River.

11 Ascend to Gilead, and take its balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! It is in vain that you multiply medicines; there will be no health for you!

Go up to Gilead and obtain medicine, virgin daughter of Egypt. It is useless that you put much medicine on yourself. There is no cure for you.

12 The nations have heard of your disgrace, and your wailing has filled the earth. For the strong have stumbled against the strong, and both have fallen together.”

The nations have heard of your disgrace. The earth is filled with your laments, for soldier stumbles against soldier; both of them fall together.”

13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning how Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would arrive and strike the land of Egypt:

This is the word that Yahweh told Jeremiah the prophet when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and attacked the land of Egypt:

14 “Announce it to Egypt, and make it heard in Migdol, and let it resonate in Memphis and in Tahpanhes. Say this: Stand and prepare yourself! For the sword will devour everything around you.

“Announce in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. 'Take your station and prepare yourself, for the sword will devour those around you.'

15 Why have your strong ones decayed? They have not stood firm, because the Lord has overthrown them.

Why are your mighty ones face-down on the ground? They will not stand, because I, Yahweh, have pushed them to the ground.

16 He has multiplied those in ruin, and each man has fallen beside his neighbor. And they will say: ‘Rise up, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our nativity, away from the face of the sword of the dove.

He increases the numbers of those who stumble. Each soldier falls against the next one. They are saying, 'Get up. Let us go home. Let us go back to our own people, to our native land. Let us leave this sword that is beating us down.'

17 Call the name of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt: ‘Time has brought tumult.’

They proclaimed there, 'Pharaoh the king of Egypt is only a noise, one who has let his opportunity slip away.'

18 As I live, says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, just as Tabor is among the mountains, and just as Carmel is beside the sea, so will he come.

As I live—declares the King, whose name is Yahweh of hosts— someone will come like Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel by the sea.

19 Equip yourself for the transmigration, O daughter who inhabits Egypt. For Memphis will be in desolation, and it will be deserted and uninhabited.

Pack for yourselves baggage to carry into exile, you who live in Egypt. For Memphis will become a waste, it will lie in ruins and no one will live there.

20 Egypt is like a stately and finely-formed calf. The one who will goad her will come from the north.

Egypt is a very beautiful young cow, but a stinging insect is coming from the north. It is coming.

21 Her hired hands also, who move within her midst, like fatted calves have been turned back, and they have fled at the same time, and they are not able to stand firm. For the day of their passing away has overwhelmed them; it is the time of their visitation.

The hired soldiers in her midst are like a fattened bull, but they will also turn away and run away. They will not stand together, for the day of their disaster is coming against them, the time of their punishment.

22 Her voice will sound out like brass. For they will rush forward with an army, and with axes they will come against her, like those who chop wood.

Egypt hisses like a snake and crawls away, for her enemies are marching against her. They are going toward her like woodcutters with axes.

23 They have cut down her forest, says the Lord, which was not able to be counted. They have been multiplied more than locusts, and they are without number.

They will cut down the forests—this is Yahweh's declaration—although it is very dense. For the enemies will be more numerous than locusts, unable to be counted.

24 The daughter of Egypt has been confounded, and she has been delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

The daughter of Egypt will be made ashamed. She will be given into the hand of people from the north.”

25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I will visit against the tumult of Alexandria, and against Pharaoh, and against Egypt, and against her gods, and against her kings, and against Pharaoh, and against those who trust in him.

Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “See, I am about to punish Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt and her gods, her kings the Pharaohs, and those who trust in them.

26 And I will give them over to the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. And after this, it shall be inhabited, just as in the former days, says the Lord.

I am giving them into the hand of the ones seeking their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his servants. Then after this Egypt will be inhabited as in previous days—this is Yahweh's declaration.

27 And as for you, my servant Jacob, you should not be afraid, and you should not dread, O Israel. For behold, I will bring your salvation from afar, and your offspring from the land of your captivity. And Jacob will return and have rest, and he will prosper. And there will be no one who may terrify him.

But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear. Do not be dismayed, Israel, for see, I am about to bring you back from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Then Jacob will return, find peace, and be secure, and there will be no one to terrify him.

28 And as for you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid, says the Lord. For I am with you. For I will consume all the nations to which I have cast you out. Yet truly, I will not consume you. Instead, I will chastise you in judgment, but neither will I spare you, as if you were innocent.”

You, my servant Jacob, do not fear—this is Yahweh's declaration—for I am with you, so I will bring complete destruction against all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not destroy you completely. Yet I will discipline you justly and will certainly not leave you unpunished.”