Jeremiah 46

1 So much of the word of Yahweh as came unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

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

2 Of Egypt, Concerning the force of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates, in Carchemish, —which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, smote, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: —

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:

3 Prepare ye buckler and shield, And draw near to battle:

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

4 Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, Stand forth in helmets, —Polish the lances, put on the coats of mail.

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

5 Why have I seen it? They, panic-struck, are drawing back, Yea, their heroes, are crushed, Yea they have, fled, and not turned, —Terror round about! Declareth Yahweh.

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.

6 Let not the swift, flee, Nor let the hero, escape, —Northward, beside the river Euphrates, have they stumbled, and fallen.

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.

7 Who is it that is like the Nile when it riseth, Like rivers when his waters are tossed?

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

8 Egypt was like the Nile when it riseth, And like rivers, when the waters are tossed: So he said—I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city, and the dwellers therein.

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!’

9 Mount the horses, And drive the chariots madly on, So let the heroes, go forth, —Ethiopians and Libyans that grasp the buckler, And Lydians that grasp—that tread—the bow, But, that day, belongeth to My Lord Yahweh of hosts—

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.

10 A day of avenging, to avenge him of his adversaries, When the sword shall devour and be filled, and be sated with their blood, —For, a sacrifice, hath My Lord, Yahweh of hosts, In the land of the North Towards the river Euphrates.

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.

11 Go up to Gilead and fetch balsam, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain, hast thou multiplied remedies, Healing, there is none for thee.

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!

12 The nations have heard of thy disgrace, And, thine outcry, hath filled the earth, —For hero against hero, have they stumbled, Together, have fallen, the twain!

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.”

13 The word which Yahweh spake unto Jeremiah the prophet, —as to the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt: —

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:

14 Tell ye it in Egypt, And let it be heard in Migdol, Yea let it be heard in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, —Say ye—Stand thou forth, and prepare thyself, For a sword hath devoured round about thee.

“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.

15 Wherefore have thy valiant ones been laid prostrate? He hath made no stand, because, Yahweh, hath driven him back:

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

16 Hath made many a one to be stumbling, Yea fallen is every one against his neighbour, So they have said—Arise and let us return to our own people, And unto the land of our birth, From the face of the sword of the oppressor.

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.

17 Proclaim ye a name, —Pharaoh, king of Egypt—a Sound! He hath overstepped the time appointed!

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

18 As I live, saith the King, Yahweh of hosts, is his name: Though Like Tabor among mountains, Like Carmel, Into the sea shall he go!

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.

19 Baggage for captivity, prepare thee, O inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; For, Noph, shall become a desolation, And be burned without inhabitant.

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

20 A calf of great beauty, is Egypt: The gad-fly, out of the North, cometh—cometh.

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

21 Even her hirelings in her midst are like fatted calves, For, even they, have turned—have fled at once! have made no stand! For, their day of doom, hath come upon them, The time of their visitation.

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.

22 Her noise, like a serpent, departeth, —For, with a force, they advance, And with axes, have they come against her, like them who fell trees:

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.

23 They have cut down her forest Declareth Yahweh, Surely he cannot be searched out, —For they have outnumbered locusts, and cannot be counted.

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.

24 Put to shame is the daughter of Egypt, —She hath been delivered into the hand of the people of the North.

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

25 Saith Yahweh of host God of Israel, —Behold me! bringing punishment—against Amon of No, and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, and upon her gods and upon her kings, —Even upon Pharaoh, and upon all that trust in him;

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.

26 And I will deliver them—Into the hand of them who are seeking their life, Even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon And into the hand of his servants, —And after that, shall it be inhabited as in the days of old Declareth Yahweh.

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.

27 Thou, therefore, do not fear, O my Servant Jacob Nor be dismayed O Israel, For behold me! Saving thee from afar, And thy seed from the land of their captivity, —So shall Jacob return and be quiet and shall rest, With none to occasion alarm.

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.

28 Thou, do not fear, O my Servant Jacob, Urgeth Yahweh, For, with thee, am I: Though I make an end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, Yet of thee, will I not make an end, But will correct thee in measure, And not hold thee, guiltless,

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.”