That which came
as the word
of the LORD
to Jeremiah
the prophet
aconcerning
the nations
.
To aEgypt, concerning
the army
of bPharaoh
Neco
king
of Egypt
, which
was by the Euphrates
River
at cCarchemish
, which
Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
defeated
in the dfourth
year
of Jehoiakim
the son
of Josiah
, king
of Judah
:
" aLine up the shield
and 1buckler
, And draw
near
for the battle
!
"Harness the horses
, And 1mount
the steeds
, And take
your stand
with helmets
on! aPolish
the spears
, Put
on the bscale-armor
!
"Why have I seen
it? They are terrified
, They are adrawing
back
, And their bmighty
men
are defeated
And have taken
refuge
in flight
, Without
facing
back
; 1 cTerror
is on every
side
!" Declares
the LORD
.
Let not the aswift man
flee
, Nor
the mighty
man
escape
; In the north
beside
the river
Euphrates
They have bstumbled
and fallen
.
Who is this
that arises
like the Nile
, Like the rivers
whose waters
surge
about?
Egypt rises
like the Nile
, Even like the rivers
whose waters
surge
about; And He has said
, "I will arise
and cover
that land
; I will surely bdestroy
the city
and its inhabitants
."
Go up, you horses
, and 1 adrive
madly
, you chariots
, That the mighty
men
may 2march
forward
: Ethiopia
and 3 bPut
, that handle
the shield
, And the 4 cLydians
, that handle
and bend
the bow
.
For athat day belongs to the Lord
1GOD
of hosts
, A day
of bvengeance
, so as to avenge
Himself on His foes
; And the csword
will devour
and be satiated
And 2drink
its fill
of their blood
; For there will be a dslaughter
for the Lord
1GOD
of hosts
, In the land
of the north
by the river
Euphrates
.
Go aup to Gilead
and obtain
balm
, bO virgin
daughter
of Egypt
! In vain
have you multiplied
1remedies
; There
is cno
healing
for you.
The nations have heard
of your ashame
, And the earth
is full
of your bcry
of distress; For one cwarrior
has stumbled
over 1another
, And both
of them have fallen
down
together
.
This is the 1message which
the LORD
spoke
to Jeremiah
the prophet
about the acoming
of Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
to bsmite
the land
of Egypt
:
"Declare in Egypt
and proclaim
in aMigdol
, Proclaim
also in Memphis
and bTahpanhes
; Say
, `Take
your stand
and get
yourself ready
, For the csword
has devoured
those around
you.'
"Why have your amighty
ones
become
prostrate
? They do not stand
because
the LORD
has bthrust
them down
.
"They have repeatedly astumbled
; Indeed
, they have fallen
one
against
another
. Then they said
, `Get
up! And blet us go
back
To our own people
and our native
land
Away from the 1 csword
of the oppressor
.'
" 1They cried there
, `Pharaoh
king
of Egypt
is but aa big
noise
; He has let the appointed
time
pass
by!'
"As I live," declares
the aKing
Whose name
is the LORD
of hosts
, "Surely
one shall come
who looms up like bTabor
among the mountains
, Or like cCarmel
by the sea
.
"Make your baggage
ready
for aexile
, O bdaughter
dwelling
in Egypt
, For cMemphis
will become
a desolation
; It will even be burned
down
and 1bereft
of inhabitants
.
"Egypt is a pretty
aheifer
, But a 1horsefly
is coming
bfrom the north
--it is coming
!
"Also her amercenaries
in her midst
Are like 1fattened
bcalves
, For even
they too
have turned
back
and have fled
away together
; They did not stand
their ground. For the day
of their calamity
has come
upon them, The time
of their cpunishment
.
"Its sound moves
along like a serpent
; For they move
on 1like an army
And come
to her as woodcutters
with axes
.
"They have cut down
her aforest
," declares
the LORD
; "Surely
it will no
more be found
, Even though
1they are now more
numerous
than
blocusts
And are without
number
.
"The daughter of Egypt
has been
put
to shame
, Given
over to the 1power
of the apeople
of the north
."
The LORD of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, says
, "Behold
, I am going to punish
Amon
of aThebes
, and bPharaoh
, and Egypt
along with her cgods
and her kings
, even Pharaoh
and those who dtrust
in him.
"I shall give them over to the 1power
of those who are aseeking
their lives
, even into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
and into the hand
of his 2officers
. bAfterwards
, however, it will be inhabited
as in the days
of old
," declares
the LORD
.
"But as for you, O Jacob My servant
, ado not fear
, Nor
be dismayed
, O Israel
! For, see
, I am going to bsave
you from afar
, And your descendants
from the land
of their captivity
; And Jacob
will return
and be cundisturbed
And secure
, with no
one
making him tremble
.
"O Jacob My servant
, do not fear
," declares
the LORD
, "For aI am with you. For I will make
a full
end
of all
the nations
Where
I have driven
you, Yet I will bnot make
a full
end
of you; But I will ccorrect
you properly
And by no
means
leave
you unpunished
."