Old Testament · Prophets

Jeremiah chapter 46

The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet about :About Egypt — about the army of , king of Egypt, which was stationed at on the Euphrates River, the one Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:“Line up the ! Advance for battle!Harness the horses! Mount the ! Take your positions with helmets on! Sharpen the spears! Put on the armor!”But what do I see? They are terrified, falling back. Their warriors are crushed, fleeing headlong without looking back. ! — this is .“The fast runner cannot flee, the warrior cannot escape. , beside the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.”“Who is this, , like rivers whose waters churn and surge?”Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers whose waters churn and surge. She says, ‘I will rise! ! I will destroy cities and everyone in them!’“Charge, warhorses! Drive hard, chariots! Let the warriors march out — men of and carrying shields, men of who draw the bow!”But that day belongs to the Lord Yahweh, — a day of , to take vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it’s had its fill, drinking its thirst of their blood. For the Lord Yahweh, Commander of Armies, has in the land of the north, beside the Euphrates River.“Go up to and get , . You multiply remedies for nothing — there is no healing for you.”The nations have heard of your . Your screaming fills the earth. Warrior trips over warrior — they both fall together.The message Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to :“Announce it in Egypt! Proclaim it in ! Proclaim it in and ! Say: ‘Take your positions! Get ready! The sword is already devouring all around you!’”Why has been swept away? He could not stand, because Yahweh drove him down.He made many stumble; they fell over each other and said, ‘Get up! Let’s go back to our own people, back to our homeland, away from !’There they cried out, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is — he !’“” — this is the declaration of the King, whose name is Yahweh, Commander of Armies — “one is coming who is like among the mountains, like rising above the sea.”, you who live in Egypt! Memphis will become a wasteland, burned and emptied of inhabitants.Egypt is a , but a is coming from the north — it is coming!Even her hired soldiers among her are like . They too have turned and run together. They did not stand their ground, because their day of disaster has come upon them, the time of their .She , because they advance against her with force. They come at her with axes like men chopping down trees.“They will chop down ” — this is Yahweh’s declaration — “though it is impenetrable, because they outnumber the . They are beyond counting.”Young woman Egypt will be . She will be handed over to the people from the north.Yahweh, Commander of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Watch — I am about to bring reckoning on , on Pharaoh, on Egypt, on , and on her kings — on Pharaoh and everyone who trusts in him.”“I will hand them over to those who want them dead — to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his officers. But after that, Egypt will be inhabited again as in the old days.” This is Yahweh’s declaration.“But you — don’t be afraid, . Don’t be shattered, Israel. Because watch — I am going to rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return and , , with no one to make him afraid.”“You — don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant” — this is Yahweh’s declaration — “because . I will every nation where I have scattered you, but you — I will not completely finish off. I will , but I will .”