Jeremiah 46

1 The wordes of the Lord, which came to Ieremiah the Prophet against the Gentiles,

The LORD’s word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 As against Egypt, against ye armie of Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt, which was by the riuer Perath in Carchemish, which Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel smote in the fourth yere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah.

Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

3 Make readie buckler and shielde, and goe forth to battell.

“Prepare the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!

4 Make readie the horses, and let the horsemen get vp, and stande vp with your sallets, fourbish the speares, and put on the brigandines.

Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets. Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail.

5 Wherefore haue I seene them afraid, and driuen backe? for their mighty men are smitten, and are fled away, and looke not backe: for feare was rounde about, sayeth the Lord.

Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and are turned backward. Their mighty ones are beaten down, have fled in haste, and do not look back. Terror is on every side,” says the LORD.

6 The swift shall not flee away, nor the strong man escape: they shall stumble, and fall towarde the North by the riuer Perath.

“Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.

7 Who is this, that commeth vp, as a flood, whose waters are mooued like the riuers?

“Who is this who rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge?

8 Egypt riseth vp like the flood, and his waters are mooued like the riuers, and he sayth, I wil goe vp, and will couer the earth: I wil destroy the citie with them that dwell therein.

Egypt rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He says, ‘I will rise up. I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.’

9 Come vp, ye horses, and rage ye charets, and let the valiant men come foorth, the blacke Mores, and the Lybians that beare the shield, and the Lydians that handle and bend the bowe.

Go up, you horses! Rage, you chariots! Let the mighty men go out: Cush and Put, who handle the shield; and the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow.

10 For this is the day of ye Lord God of hostes, and a day of vengeance, that he may auenge him of his enemies: for the sworde shall deuoure, and it shall be saciate, and made drunke with their blood: for the Lord God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the North countrey by the Riuer Perath.

For that day is of the Lord, GOD of Armies, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge himself of his adversaries. The sword will devour and be satiated, and will drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, GOD of Armies, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

11 Goe vp vnto Gilead, and take balme, O virgine, the daughter of Egypt: in vaine shalt thou vse many medicines: for thou shalt haue no health.

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You use many medicines in vain. There is no healing for you.

12 The nations haue heard of thy shame, and thy crie hath filled the lande: for the strong hath stumbled against the strong and they are fallen both together.

The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, they both fall together.”

13 The woorde that the Lord spake to Ieremiah the Prophet, howe Nebuchad-nezzar king of Babel shoulde come and smite the lande of Egypt.

The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:

14 Publish in Egypt and declare in Migdol, and proclaime in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, and say, Stand still, and prepare thee: for the sworde shall deuoure rounde about thee.

“Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, ‘Stand up, and prepare, for the sword has devoured around you.’

15 Why are thy valiant men put backe? they could not stand, because the Lord did driue them.

Why are your strong ones swept away? They did not stand, because the LORD pushed them.

16 Hee made many to fall, and one fell vpon another: and they saide, Arise, let vs goe againe to our owne people, and to the land of our natiuitie from the sworde of the violent.

He made many to stumble. Yes, they fell on one another. They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.’

17 They did cry there, Pharaoh King of Egypt, and of a great multitude hath passed the time appointed.

They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass by.’

18 As I liue, saith the King, whose Name is the Lord of hostes, surely as Tabor is in the mountaines, and as Carmel is in the sea: so shall it come.

“As I live,” says the King, whose name is the LORD of Armies, “surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so he will come.

19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, make thee geare to goe into captiuitie: for Noph shall be waste and desolate, without an inhabitant.

You daughter who dwells in Egypt, furnish yourself to go into captivity; for Memphis will become a desolation, and will be burned up, without inhabitant.

20 Egypt is like a faire calfe, but destruction commeth: out of the North it commeth.

“Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; but destruction out of the north has come. It has come.

21 Also her hired men are in the middes of her like fat calues: they are also turned backe and fled away together: they could not stand, because the day of their destruction was come vpon them, and the time of their visitation.

Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall, for they also are turned back. They have fled away together. They did not stand, for the day of their calamity has come on them, the time of their visitation.

22 The voyce thereof shall goe foorth like a serpent: for they shall march with an armie, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

Its sound will go like the serpent, for they will march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.

23 They shall cut downe her forest, saith the Lord: for they cannot be counted, because they are moe then ye grashoppers, and are innumerable.

They will cut down her forest,” says the LORD, “though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded: she shall be deliuered into the handes of the people of the North.

The daughter of Egypt will be disappointed; she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”

25 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Behold, I will visite the common people of No and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their Kings, euen Pharaoh, and al them that trust in him,

The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh, and those who trust in him.

26 And I will deliuer them into the handes of those, that seeke their liues, and into the hand of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and into the handes of his seruants, and afterwarde she shall dwell as in the olde time, saith the Lord.

I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. Afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old,” says the LORD.

27 But feare not thou, O my seruant Iaakob, and be not thou afraid, O Israel: for behold, I will deliuer thee from a farre countrey, and thy seede from the land of their captiuitie, and Iaakob shall returne and be in rest, and prosperitie, and none shall make him afraid.

“But do not you be afraid, Jacob my servant. Do not be dismayed, Israel; for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.

28 Feare thou not, O Iaakob my seruant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee, and I will vtterly destroy all the nations, whither I haue driuen thee: but I will not vtterly destroy thee, but correct thee by iudgement, and not vtterly cut thee off.

Do not be afraid, O Jacob my servant,” says the LORD, “for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”