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46 ¶ The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles.

To Egypt: against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

Why have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down and are fled in haste, and do not look back: for fear was round about, said the LORD.

Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they stumbled and fell toward the north by the river Euphrates.

Who is this that comes up as a flood, whose waters move as rivers?

Egypt rises up like a flood, and his waters move like rivers; and he said, I will go up and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.

Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

10 But this day shall be unto the Lord GOD of the hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; for it shall be a slaughter unto the Lord GOD of the hosts in the north country by the river Euphrates.

11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for there is no cure for thee.

12 ¶ The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry has filled the land; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, and they are both fallen together.

13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

15 Why is thy fortress swept away? It could not stand because the LORD pushed it over.

16 He multiplied the fallen; yea, one fell upon another; and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people and to the land of our nativity, away from the overcoming sword.

17 They cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he allowed the appointed time to pass by.

18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of the hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall be a pasture and shall be made desolate without an inhabitant.

20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction comes; it comes out of the north.

21 Also her soldiers are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also turned back, and all fled away without stopping: because the day of their calamity was come upon them and the time of their visitation.

22 Her voice shall go forth like a serpent; for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes as hewers of wood.

23 They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, for they cannot be counted because they are more than the locusts; they are innumerable.

24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25 The LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I will visit the multitude of Alexandria, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all those that trust in him.

26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their soul and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his slaves; and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

27 But fear not thou, O my slave Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and be in rest and be prospered, and no one shall make him afraid.

28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my slave, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the Gentiles where I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will chastise thee with judgment; and I will not completely cut thee off.

A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:(A)

Concerning Egypt:(B)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho(C) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish(D) on the Euphrates(E) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(F) son of Josiah king of Judah:

“Prepare your shields,(G) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish(H) your spears,
    put on your armor!(I)
What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee(J) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror(K) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
“The swift cannot flee(L)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(M)
    they stumble and fall.(N)

“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?(O)
Egypt rises like the Nile,(P)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’(Q)
Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!(R)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a](S) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia(T) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(U) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance(V), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(W) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(X)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(Y)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(Z)

11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(AA)
    Virgin(AB) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing(AC) for you.
12 The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall(AD) down together.”

13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(AE) to attack Egypt:(AF)

14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
    proclaim it also in Memphis(AG) and Tahpanhes:(AH)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
    for the sword devours(AI) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.(AJ)
16 They will stumble(AK) repeatedly;
    they will fall(AL) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
    to our own people(AM) and our native lands,
    away from the sword of the oppressor.’(AN)
17 There they will exclaim,
    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;(AO)
    he has missed his opportunity.(AP)

18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,(AQ)
    whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor(AR) among the mountains,
    like Carmel(AS) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile,(AT)
    you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis(AU) will be laid waste(AV)
    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.(AW)
21 The mercenaries(AX) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.(AY)
They too will turn and flee(AZ) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day(BA) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time(BB) for them to be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
    as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
    like men who cut down trees.(BC)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(BD)
    they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.(BE)

25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,(BF) on Pharaoh,(BG) on Egypt and her gods(BH) and her kings, and on those who rely(BI) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands(BJ) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king(BK) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited(BL) as in times past,” declares the Lord.

27 “Do not be afraid,(BM) Jacob(BN) my servant;(BO)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.(BP)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,”(BQ) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(BR) all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region