Jeremiah 46

1The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

1The Lord gave this message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the foreign nations.

2Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

2This is about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, the king of Egypt. His army was at Carchemish by the Euphrates River, where King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated them during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah.

3Prepare ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

3Get your small and large shields ready, and move forward into the battle!

4Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.

4Harness the horses and climb on, you riders! Get in position with your helmets on; sharpen your spears and put on your armor.

5Wherefore have I seen it? they are dismayed and are turned backward; and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: terror is on every side, saith Jehovah.

5But what do I see? They are terrified and retreating. Their strongest warriors are beaten down. They flee quickly without looking back; terror is all around them, says the Lord.

6Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

6The fastest runners cannot get away, and the strongest warriors cannot escape. In the north, by the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.

7Who is this that riseth up like the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?

7Who is this rising up like the Nile River, like a river with churning waters?

8Egypt riseth up like the Nile, and his waters toss themselves like the rivers: and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and the inhabitants thereof.

8It is Egypt rising like the Nile, like rivers with churning waters. Egypt says, 'I will rise up and cover the earth; I will destroy cities and the people living in them.'

9Go up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the shield; and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.

9Charge, you horses! Drive wildly, you chariots! Let the warriors march out—the men from Cush and Put who carry shields, and the men from Lydia who handle the bow.

10For that day is a day of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

10But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. It is a day of vengeance to take revenge on his enemies. The sword will eat until it is full and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will offer a sacrifice in the north country by the Euphrates River.

11Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee.

11Go up to Gilead and get some medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! You use many medicines in vain, for there is no healing for you.

12The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them together.

12The nations have heard about your shame, and your cries fill the earth. One warrior has stumbled over another; they have both fallen down together.

13The word that Jehovah spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

13This is the message the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon coming to attack the land of Egypt.

14Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand forth, and prepare thee; for the sword hath devoured round about thee.

14Announce it in Egypt, and shout it in Migdol! Proclaim it in Memphis and Tahpanhes: 'Take your positions and get ready, for the sword is devouring everyone around you.'

15Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because Jehovah did drive them.

15Why are your strong warriors swept away? They could not stand because the Lord pushed them down.

16He made many to stumble, yea, they fell one upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

16He made many stumble; they fell over each other. They said, 'Get up! Let’s go back to our own people and our homeland to escape the enemy’s sword.'

17They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the appointed time pass by.

17In their own land they shout, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity!'

18As I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

18As surely as I live, says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, one is coming who is as imposing as Mount Tabor among the mountains or Mount Carmel by the sea.

19O thou daughter that dwellest in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall become a desolation, and shall be burnt up, without inhabitant.

19Pack your bags for exile, you who live in Egypt! For Memphis will be destroyed and left in ruins, with nobody living in it.

20Egypt is a very fair heifer; but destruction out of the north is come, it is come.

20Egypt is a beautiful young cow, but a biting fly is coming against her from the north.

21Also her hired men in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they did not stand: for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

21Even the hired soldiers in her army are like fattened calves. They also have turned and run away together; they did not stand their ground. The day of disaster has come upon them, the time for their punishment.

22The sound thereof shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

22Egypt hisses like a fleeing snake as the enemy marches in force. They come against her with axes, like workmen coming to cut down trees.

23They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

23They will chop down her forest, says the Lord, even though it is thick and vast. For the invaders are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.

24The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

24The daughter of Egypt will be put to shame; she will be handed over to the people from the north.

25Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saith: Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods, and her kings; even Pharaoh, and them that trust in him:

25The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings. I will punish Pharaoh and everyone who trusts in him.'

26and I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants; and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith Jehovah.

26I will hand them over to those who want to kill them—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be lived in again as it was in the past, says the Lord.

27But fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

27But do not be afraid, my servant Jacob; do not be discouraged, O Israel. I will surely save you from distant places and your children from the lands where they are captives. Jacob will return and have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.

28Fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, saith Jehovah; for I am with thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished.

28Do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, says the Lord, for I am with you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you fairly, but I will not let you go unpunished.