Jeremiah 46:13–26

¹³This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt: ^z

¹⁴Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol! ^a

Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes!

Say: Take positions! Prepare yourself,

for the sword devours all around you. ^b

¹⁵Why have your strong ones been swept away?

Each has not stood,

for the Lord has thrust him down.

¹⁶He continues to stumble. ^c

Indeed, each falls over the other.

They say, “Get up! Let’s return to our people

and to the land of our birth,

away from the sword that oppresses.” ^d

¹⁷There they will cry out,

“Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise;

he let the opportune moment pass.”

¹⁸As I live—

this is the King’s declaration;

Yahweh of Hosts is His name. ^e

He will come like Tabor among the mountains

and like Carmel by the sea.

¹⁹Get your bags ready for exile,

inhabitant of Daughter Egypt! ^f

For Memphis will become a desolation,

uninhabited ruins.

²⁰Egypt is a beautiful young cow, ^g

but a horsefly from the north is coming against her. ^hi

²¹Even 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. ^j

²²Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, ^k

for the enemy will come with an army;

with axes they will come against her

like those who cut trees. ^l

²³They 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. ^m

²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,

handed over to a northern people. ⁿ

²⁵The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes, ^oalong with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those trusting in him. ²⁶I will hand them over to those who want to take their lives ^p—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But after this, ^qit will be inhabited again as in ancient times.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.