Jeremiah 46:2-28

2To 1Egypt, concerning the army of 2Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at 3Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the 4fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:3“5Set up the 6buckler and shield, And advance to the battle!4Harness the horses, And 7mount the steeds, Take your stand with helmets on! 8Polish the spears, Put on the 9coats of armor!5Why have I seen it? They are terrified, They are 10retreating, And their 11warriors are defeated And have taken refuge in flight, Without facing back. 1213Terror is on every side!” Declares the Lord.6Let not the 14swift man flee, Nor the warrior escape. In the north beside the river Euphrates They have 15stumbled and fallen.7Who is this that 16rises 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 17rise and cover that land; I will 18destroy the city and its inhabitants.”9Go up, you horses, and 1920drive wildly, you chariots, So that the warriors may 21march forward: 22Cush and 2324Put, who handle the shield, And the 2526Lydians, who handle and bend the bow.10For 27that day belongs to the Lord 28God of armies, A day of 29vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the 30sword will devour and be satisfied, And 31drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a 32slaughter for the Lord 33God of armies, In the land of the north at the river Euphrates.11Go 34up to Gilead and obtain balm, 35Virgin daughter of Egypt! You have used many 36remedies in vain; 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 44strike 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 48powerful ones been cut down? They do not stand because the Lord has 49thrust them away.16They have repeatedly 50stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen, one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up, and 51let’s go back To our own people and our native land, Away from the 5253sword of the oppressor!’1754They shouted there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is nothing but 55a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’18As I live,” declares the 56King, Whose name is the Lord of armies, “One certainly shall come who is like 57Tabor among the mountains, Or like 58Carmel by the sea.19Make your baggage ready for 59exile, 60Daughter living in Egypt, For 61Memphis will become a desolation; It will be destroyed and 62deprived 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 fattened 67calves, 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 68punishment.22Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on 69like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.23They have cut down her 70forest,” declares the Lord; “Certainly it will no longer be found, Even though 71they are more numerous than 72locusts And are without number.24The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Turned over to the 73power of the 74people of the north.”

25The Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of 75Thebes, and 76Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her 77gods and her kings, indeed, Pharaoh and those who 78trust in him. 26I shall hand them over to those who are 79seeking their lives, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his 80officers. 81Afterward, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

27“But as for you, Jacob My servant, 82do not fear, Nor be dismayed, Israel! For, see, I am going to 83save you from far away, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be 84undisturbed And secure, with no one making him afraid.28Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For 85I am with you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will 86not make a complete destruction of you; But I will 87correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”