Jeremiah 46:2–26

²Concerning Egypt:^p

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho^q king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish^r on the Euphrates^s River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^t son of Josiah king of Judah:

³“Prepare your shields,^u both large and small,

and march out for battle!

⁴Harness the horses,

mount the steeds!

Take your positions

with helmets on!

Polish^v your spears,

put on your armor!^w

⁵What do I see?

They are terrified,

they are retreating,

their warriors are defeated.

They flee^x in haste

without looking back,

and there is terror^y on every side,”

declares the Lord.

⁶“The swift cannot flee^z

nor the strong escape.

In the north by the River Euphrates^a

they stumble and fall.^b

⁷“Who is this that rises like the Nile,

like rivers of surging waters?^c

⁸Egypt rises like the Nile,^d

like rivers of surging waters.

She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;

I will destroy cities and their people.’^e

⁹Charge, you horses!

Drive furiously, you charioteers!^f

March on, you warriors—men of Cush^ag and Put who carry shields,

men of Lydia^h who draw the bow.

¹⁰But that dayⁱ belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—

a day of vengeance^j, for vengeance on his foes.

The sword will devour^k till it is satisfied,

till it has quenched its thirst with blood.^l

For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice^m

in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.ⁿ

¹¹“Go up to Gilead and get balm,^o

Virgin^p Daughter Egypt.

But you try many medicines in vain;

there is no healing^q for you.

¹²The nations will hear of your shame;

your cries will fill the earth.

One warrior will stumble over another;

both will fall^r down together.”

¹³This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^s to attack Egypt:^t

¹⁴“Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;

proclaim it also in Memphis^u and Tahpanhes:^v

‘Take your positions and get ready,

for the sword devours^w those around you.’

¹⁵Why will your warriors be laid low?

They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^x

¹⁶They will stumble^y repeatedly;

they will fall^z over each other.

They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back

to our own people^a and our native lands,

away from the sword of the oppressor.’^b

¹⁷There they will exclaim,

‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;^c

he has missed his opportunity.^d’

¹⁸“As surely as I live,” declares the King,^e

whose name is the Lord Almighty,

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

like Carmel^g by the sea.

¹⁹Pack your belongings for exile,^h

you who live in Egypt,

for Memphisⁱ will be laid waste^j

and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

²⁰“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,

but a gadfly is coming

against her from the north.^k

²¹The mercenaries^l in her ranks

are like fattened calves.^m

They too will turn and fleeⁿ together,

they will not stand their ground,

for the day^o of disaster is coming upon them,

the time^p for them to be punished.

²²Egypt 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.^q

²³They will chop down her forest,”

declares the Lord,

“dense though it be.

They are more numerous than locusts,^r

they cannot be counted.

²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,

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

²⁵The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,^t on Pharaoh,^u on Egypt and her gods^v and her kings, and on those who rely^w on Pharaoh. ²⁶I will give them into the hands^x of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king^y of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited^z as in times past,” declares the Lord.