Jeremiah 46:18–24

“As I live, declares the King,

whose name is the Lord of hosts,

like Tabor among the mountains

and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.

Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,

O inhabitants of Egypt!

For Memphis shall become a waste,

a ruin, without inhabitant.

“A beautiful heifer is Egypt,

but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.

Even her hired soldiers in her midst

are like fattened calves;

yes, they have turned and fled together;

they did not stand,

for the day of their calamity has come upon them,

the time of their punishment.

“She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away;

for her enemies march in force

and come against her with axes

like those who fell trees.

They shall cut down her forest,

declares the Lord,

though it is impenetrable,

because they are more numerous than locusts;

they are without number.

The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;

she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”

“As surely as I live,” declares the King,

whose name is the Lord Almighty,

“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,

like Carmel by the sea.

Pack your belongings for exile,

you who live in Egypt,

for Memphis will be laid waste

and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,

but a gadfly is coming

against her from the north.

The mercenaries in her ranks

are like fattened calves.

They too will turn and flee together,

they will not stand their ground,

for the day of disaster is coming upon them,

the time for them to be punished.

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.

They will chop down her forest,”

declares the Lord,

“dense though it be.

They are more numerous than locusts,

they cannot be counted.

Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,

given into the hands of the people of the north.”

As I live—

this is the King’s declaration;

the Lord of Armies is his name —

the king of Babylon will come like Tabor among the mountains

and like Carmel by the sea.

Get your bags ready for exile,

inhabitant of Daughter Egypt!

For Memphis will become a desolation,

uninhabited ruins.

Egypt is a beautiful young cow,

but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.

Even her mercenaries among her

are like stall-fed calves.

They too will turn back;

together they will flee;

they will not take their stand,

for the day of their calamity is coming on them,

the time of their punishment.

Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake,

for the enemy will come with an army;

with axes they will come against her

like those who cut trees.

They will cut down her forest—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

though it is dense,

for they are more numerous than locusts;

they cannot be counted.

Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,

handed over to a northern people.

“As surely as I live,” says the King,

whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,

“one is coming against Egypt

who is as tall as Mount Tabor,

or as Mount Carmel by the sea!

Pack up! Get ready to leave for exile,

you citizens of Egypt!

The city of Memphis will be destroyed,

without a single inhabitant.

Egypt is as sleek as a beautiful heifer,

but a horsefly from the north is on its way!

Egypt’s mercenaries have become like fattened calves.

They, too, will turn and run,

for it is a day of great disaster for Egypt,

a time of great punishment.

Egypt flees, silent as a serpent gliding away.

The invading army marches in;

they come against her with axes like woodsmen.

They will cut down her people like trees,” says the Lord,

“for they are more numerous than locusts.

Egypt will be humiliated;

she will be handed over to people from the north.”

As I live,” declares the king,

Yahweh of hosts is his name,

“one will come like Tabor among the mountains

and like Carmel by the sea.

Pack your baggage for exile,

O inhabitants of the daughter of Egypt,

for Memphis will become as a horror,

and it will be destroyed, without inhabitant.

Egypt is a beautiful heifer,

but a gadfly from the north will come against her.

Even her mercenaries in her midst are like calves of fattening,

for they also have turned away,

they have fled together.

They stand not,

for the day of their calamity has come upon them,

the time of their punishment.

Her sound is like a snake that glides away,

for they march in force.

And with axes they come to her

like those who chop trees.

They will cut down her forest,” declares Yahweh,

“for it is impenetrable.

Yes, they are more numerous than locusts,

and they are without number.

The daughter of Egypt will be ashamed,

she will be given into the hand of the people of the north.”

As I live, saith the King,

Whose name is the Lord of hosts,

Surely as Tabor is among the mountains,

And as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt,

Furnish thyself to go into captivity:

For Noph shall be waste

And desolate without an inhabitant.

Egypt is like a very fair heifer,

But destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks;

For they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand,

Because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

The voice thereof shall go like a serpent;

For they shall march with an army,

And come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord,

Though it cannot be searched;

Because they are more than the grasshoppers,

And are innumerable.

The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded;

She shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.