Jeremiah 46:13-28

13This is the 1message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the 2coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to 3strike the land of Egypt:14“Declare in Egypt and proclaim in 4Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and 5Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the 6sword has devoured those around you.’15Why have your 7powerful ones been cut down? They do not stand because the Lord has 8thrust them away.16They have repeatedly 9stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen, one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up, and 10let’s go back To our own people and our native land, Away from the 1112sword of the oppressor!’1713They shouted there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is nothing but 14a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’18As I live,” declares the 15King, Whose name is the Lord of armies, “One certainly shall come who is like 16Tabor among the mountains, Or like 17Carmel by the sea.19Make your baggage ready for 18exile, 19Daughter living in Egypt, For 20Memphis will become a desolation; It will be destroyed and 21deprived of inhabitants.20Egypt is a pretty 22heifer, But a 23horsefly is coming 24from the north--it is coming!21Also her 25mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened 26calves, 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 27punishment.22Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on 28like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.23They have cut down her 29forest,” declares the Lord; “Certainly it will no longer be found, Even though 30they are more numerous than 31locusts And are without number.24The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Turned over to the 32power of the 33people of the north.”

25The Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of 34Thebes, and 35Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her 36gods and her kings, indeed, Pharaoh and those who 37trust in him. 26I shall hand them over to those who are 38seeking their lives, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his 39officers. 40Afterward, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

27“But as for you, Jacob My servant, 41do not fear, Nor be dismayed, Israel! For, see, I am going to 42save you from far away, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be 43undisturbed And secure, with no one making him afraid.28Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For 44I am with you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will 45not make a complete destruction of you; But I will 46correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”