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 river Euphrates at 4Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the 5fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:3“6Set up the 7buckler and shield, And advance to the battle!4Harness the horses, And 8mount the steeds, Take your stand with helmets on! 9Polish the spears, Put on the 10coats of armor!5Why have I seen it? They are terrified, They are 11retreating, And their 12warriors 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 warrior 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?8Egypt rises like the Nile, And like the rivers whose waters surge; And He has said, “I will 18rise and cover that land; I will 19destroy the city and its inhabitants.”9Go up, you horses, and 2021drive wildly, you chariots, So that the warriors may 22march forward: 23Cush and 2425Put, who handle the shield, And the 2627Lydians, who handle and bend the bow.10For 28that day belongs to the Lord 29God of armies, A day of 30vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the 31sword will devour and be satisfied, And 32drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a 33slaughter for the Lord 34God of armies, In the land of the north at the river Euphrates.11Go 35up to Gilead and obtain balm, 36Virgin daughter of Egypt! You have used many 37remedies in vain; There is 38no healing for you.12The nations have heard of your 39shame, And the earth is full of your 40cry of distress; For one 41warrior has stumbled over 42another, And both of them have fallen down together.

13This is the 43message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the 44coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to 45strike the land of Egypt:14“Declare in Egypt and proclaim in 46Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and 47Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the 48sword has devoured those around you.’15Why have your 49powerful ones been cut down? They do not stand because the Lord has 50thrust them away.16They have repeatedly 51stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen, one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up, and 52let’s go back To our own people and our native land, Away from the 5354sword of the oppressor!’1755They shouted there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is nothing but 56a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’18As I live,” declares the 57King, Whose name is the Lord of armies, “One certainly shall come who is like 58Tabor among the mountains, Or like 59Carmel by the sea.19Make your baggage ready for 60exile, 61Daughter living in Egypt, For 62Memphis will become a desolation; It will be destroyed and 63deprived of inhabitants.20Egypt is a pretty 64heifer, But a 65horsefly is coming 66from the north--it is coming!21Also her 67mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened 68calves, For they too have turned away and have fled together; They did not stand their ground. For the day of their disaster 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; “Certainly it will no longer be found, Even though 72they are more numerous than 73locusts And are without number.24The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Turned over to the 74power of the 75people of the north.”

25The Lord of armies, 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, indeed, Pharaoh and those who 79trust in him. 26I shall hand them over to those who are 80seeking their lives, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his 81officers. 82Afterward, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

27“But as for you, Jacob My servant, 83do not fear, Nor be dismayed, Israel! For, see, I am going to 84save you from far away, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be 85undisturbed And secure, with no one making him afraid.28Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For 86I am with you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will 87not make a complete destruction of you; But I will 88correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”