| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations: | 1The LORD spoke to Jeremiah about the nations. |
| 2About Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, Egypt's king, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Judah's King Jehoiakim son of Josiah: | 2He spoke about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Now this was the army that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. |
| 3Deploy small shields and large; draw near for battle! | 3"Fall into ranks with your shields ready! Prepare to march into battle! |
| 4Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish the lances; put on armor! | 4Harness the horses to the chariots! Mount your horses! Put on your helmets and take your positions! Sharpen you spears! Put on your armor! |
| 5Why have I seen this? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are crushed, they flee headlong, they never look back, terror is on every side! This is the LORD's declaration. | 5What do I see?" says the LORD. "The soldiers are terrified. They are retreating. They have been defeated. They are overcome with terror; they desert quickly without looking back. |
| 6The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall. | 6But even the swiftest cannot get away. Even the strongest cannot escape. There in the north by the Euphrates River they stumble and fall in defeat. |
| 7Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters churn? | 7"Who is this that rises like the Nile, like its streams turbulent at flood stage? |
| 8Egypt rises like the Nile, and its waters churn like rivers. He boasts, "I will go up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities with their residents." | 8Egypt rises like the Nile, like its streams turbulent at flood stage. Egypt says, 'I will arise and cover the earth. I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.' |
| 9Rise up, you cavalry! Race furiously, you chariots! Let the warriors go out-- Cush and Put, who are able to handle shields, and the Ludim, who are able to handle and string the bow. | 9Go ahead and charge into battle, you horsemen! Drive furiously, you charioteers! Let the soldiers march out into battle, those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields, and those from Lydia who are armed with the bow. |
| 10That day belongs to the Lord, the GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance to avenge Himself against His adversaries. The sword will devour and be satisfied; it will drink its fill of their blood, because it will be a sacrifice to the Lord, the GOD of Hosts, in the northern land by the Euphrates River. | 10But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all. It is the day when he will pay back his enemies. His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied! It will drink their blood until it is full! For the Lord GOD who rules over all will offer them up as a sacrifice in the land of the north by the Euphrates River. |
| 11Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt! You have multiplied remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. | 11Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, you dear poor people of Egypt. But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; there will be no healing for you. |
| 12The nations have heard of your dishonor, and your outcry fills the earth, because warrior stumbles against warrior and together both of them have fallen. | 12The nations will hear of your devastating defeat. your cries of distress will echo throughout the earth. In the panic of their flight one soldier will trip over another and both of them will fall down defeated." |
| 13This is the word the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt: | 13The LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt. |
| 14Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol! Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes! Say: Take positions! Prepare yourself, for the sword devours all around you. | 14"Make an announcement throughout Egypt. Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. 'Take your positions and prepare to do battle. For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.' |
| 15Why have your strong ones been swept away? Each has not stood, for the LORD has thrust him down. | 15Why will your soldiers be defeated? They will not stand because I, the LORD, will thrust them down. |
| 16He continues to stumble. Indeed, each falls over the other. They say, "Get up! Let's return to our people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword that oppresses." | 16I will make many stumble. They will fall over one another in their hurry to flee. They will say, 'Get up! Let's go back to our own people. Let's go back to our homelands because the enemy is coming to destroy us.' |
| 17There they will cry out, "Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he let the opportune moment pass." | 17There at home they will say, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise! He has let the most opportune moment pass by.' |
| 18As I live-- this is the King's declaration; Yahweh of Hosts is His name. He will come like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea. | 18I the King, whose name is the LORD who rules over all, swear this: I swear as surely as I live that a conqueror is coming. He will be as imposing as Mount Tabor is among the mountains, as Mount Carmel is against the backdrop of the sea. |
| 19Get your bags ready for exile, inhabitant of Daughter Egypt! For Memphis will become a desolation, uninhabited ruins. | 19Pack your bags for exile, you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt. For Memphis will be laid waste. It will lie in ruins and be uninhabited. |
| 20Egypt is a beautiful young cow, but a horsefly from the north is coming against her. | 20Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies. |
| 21Even her mercenaries among her are like stall-fed calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee; they will not take their stand, for the day of their calamity is coming on them, the time of their punishment. | 21Even her mercenaries will prove to be like pampered, well-fed calves. For they too will turn and run away. They will not stand their ground when the time for them to be destroyed comes, the time for them to be punished. |
| 22Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, for the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees. | 22Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, as the enemy comes marching up in force. They will come against her with axes as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees. |
| 23They will cut down her forest-- this is the LORD's declaration-- though it is dense, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted. | 23The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest. But I, the LORD, affirm that the enemy will cut them down. For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts. They will be too numerous to count. |
| 24Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to a northern people. | 24Poor dear Egypt will be put to shame. She will be handed over to the people from the north." |
| 25The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings--Pharaoh and those trusting in him. | 25The LORD God of Israel who rules over all says, "I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him. |
| 26I will hand them over to those who want to take their lives--to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But after this, it will be inhabited again as in ancient times." This is the LORD's declaration. | 26I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the LORD, affirm it!" |
| 27But you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, Israel, for without fail I will save you from far away and your descendants, from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him. | 27"You descendants of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid; do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from the faraway lands where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. |
| 28And you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid-- this is the LORD's declaration-- for I will be with you. I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have banished you, but I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you with justice, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. | 28I, the LORD, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, my servant, for I am with you. Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished." |
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