| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations: | 1The following messages were given to Jeremiah the prophet from the LORD concerning foreign nations. Messages about Egypt |
| 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: | 2This message concerning Egypt was given in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, on the occasion of the battle of Carchemish when Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, and his army were defeated beside the Euphrates River by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. |
| 3Deploy small shields and large; draw near for battle! | 3“Prepare your shields, and advance into battle! |
| 4Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish the lances; put on armor! | 4Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare 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. | 5But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn,” says the LORD. |
| 6The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall. | 6“The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall. |
| 7Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters churn? | 7“Who is this, rising like the Nile at floodtime, overflowing all the land? |
| 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." | 8It is the Egyptian army, overflowing all the land, boasting that it will cover the earth like a flood, destroying cities and their people. |
| 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. | 9Charge, you horses and chariots; attack, you mighty warriors of Egypt! Come, all you allies from Ethiopia, Libya, and Lydia who are skilled with the shield and 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. | 10For this is the day of the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, a day of vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, yes, until it is drunk with your blood! The Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, will receive a sacrifice today in the north country beside 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. | 11“Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing. |
| 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 have heard of your shame. The earth is filled with your cries of despair. Your mightiest warriors will run into each other and fall down together.” |
| 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: | 13Then the LORD gave the prophet Jeremiah this message about King Nebuchadnezzar’s plans to attack 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“Shout it out in Egypt! Publish it in the cities of Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes! Mobilize for battle, for the sword will devour everyone around you. |
| 15Why have your strong ones been swept away? Each has not stood, for the LORD has thrust him down. | 15Why have your warriors fallen? They cannot stand, for the LORD has knocked 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." | 16They stumble and fall over each other and say among themselves, ‘Come, let’s go back to our people, to the land of our birth. Let’s get away from the sword of the enemy!’ |
| 17There they will cry out, "Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he let the opportune moment pass." | 17There they will say, ‘Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is a loudmouth who missed his opportunity!’ |
| 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. | 18“As surely as I live,” says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “one is coming against Egypt who is as tall as Mount Tabor, or as Mount Carmel by the sea! |
| 19Get your bags ready for exile, inhabitant of Daughter Egypt! For Memphis will become a desolation, uninhabited ruins. | 19Pack up! Get ready to leave for exile, you citizens of Egypt! The city of Memphis will be destroyed, without a single inhabitant. |
| 20Egypt is a beautiful young cow, but a horsefly from the north is coming against her. | 20Egypt is as sleek as a beautiful heifer, but a horsefly from the north is on its way! |
| 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. | 21Egypt’s mercenaries have become like fattened calves. They, too, will turn and run, for it is a day of great disaster for Egypt, a time of great punishment. |
| 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 flees, silent as a serpent gliding away. The invading army marches in; they come against her with axes like woodsmen. |
| 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. | 23They will cut down her people like trees,” says the LORD, “for they are more numerous than locusts. |
| 24Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to a northern people. | 24Egypt will be humiliated; she will be handed over to 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 of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes, and all the other gods of Egypt. I will punish its rulers and Pharaoh, too, 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 those who want them killed—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. But afterward the land will recover from the ravages of war. I, the LORD, have spoken! |
| 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“But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize 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. | 28Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you,” says the LORD. “I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.” |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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