Jeremiah 46

Defeat of Pharaoh Foretold

1That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet 1concerning the nations.

2To 2Egypt, concerning the army of 3Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at 4Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the 5fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:3“6Line up the shield and 7buckler, And draw near for the battle!4Harness the horses, And 8mount the steeds, And take your stand with helmets on! 9Polish the spears, Put on the 10scale-armor!5Why have I seen it? They are terrified, They are 11drawing back, And their 12mighty men are defeated And have taken refuge in flight, Without facing back; 1314Terror is on every side!” Declares the Lord.6Let not the 15swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have 16stumbled and fallen.7Who is this that 17rises like the Nile, Like the rivers whose waters surge about?8Egypt rises like the Nile, Even like the rivers whose waters surge about; And He has said, “I will 18rise and cover that land; I will surely 19destroy the city and its inhabitants.”9Go up, you horses, and 2021drive madly, you chariots, That the mighty men may 22march forward: Ethiopia and 2324Put, that handle the shield, And the 2526Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.10For 27that day belongs to the Lord 28God of hosts, A day of 29vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the 30sword will devour and be satiated And 31drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a 32slaughter for the Lord 33God of hosts, In the land of the north by the river Euphrates.11Go 34up to Gilead and obtain balm, 35O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied 36remedies; There is 37no healing for you.12The nations have heard of your 38shame, And the earth is full of your 39cry of distress; For one 40warrior has stumbled over 41another, And both of them have fallen down together.

13This is the 42message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the 43coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to 44smite the land of Egypt:14“Declare in Egypt and proclaim in 45Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and 46Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the 47sword has devoured those around you.’15Why have your 48mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the Lord has 49thrust them down.16They have repeatedly 50stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up! And 51let us go back To our own people and our native land Away from the 5253sword of the oppressor.’1754They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but 55a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’18As I live,” declares the 56King Whose name is the Lord of hosts, “Surely one shall come who looms up like 57Tabor among the mountains, Or like 58Carmel by the sea.19Make your baggage ready for 59exile, O 60daughter dwelling in Egypt, For 61Memphis will become a desolation; It will even be burned down and 62bereft of inhabitants.20Egypt is a pretty 63heifer, But a 64horsefly is coming 65from the north--it is coming!21Also her 66mercenaries in her midst Are like 67fattened 68calves, 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 69punishment.22Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on 70like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.23They have cut down her 71forest,” declares the Lord; “Surely it will no more be found, Even though 72they are now more numerous than 73locusts And are without number.24The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Given over to the 74power of the 75people of the north.”

25The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of 76Thebes, and 77Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her 78gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who 79trust in him. 26I shall give them over to the 80power of those who are 81seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his 82officers. 83Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

27“But as for you, O Jacob My servant, 84do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to 85save you from afar, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be 86undisturbed And secure, with no one making him tremble.28O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For 87I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will 88not make a full end of you; But I will 89correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”