Jeremiah

The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

1This is the message the LORD gave to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations.

2Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho 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.

2It was about Egypt, and about the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt. That army was at Carchemish by the Euphrates River. Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon beat it there. This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah.

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

3Get your shields ready, both the small ones and the large ones, and move up to fight!

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

4Harness the horses. Riders, get on them. Take your places with your helmets on. Polish the spears and put on your armor.

5Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.

5Why do I see this? They are terrified. They are pulling back. Their best fighters are beaten. They run away fast and never look back. Terror is all around them, says the LORD.

6Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

6The fast runner will not get away. The strong soldier will not escape. Up north, by the Euphrates River, they trip and fall.

NoteThe KJV says "Let not the swift flee away." In 1611 English this is a statement, not a command: the swift ones will not manage to escape.

7Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

7Who is this rising up like a flood, like a river whose water churns and swells?

8Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

8It is Egypt, rising like a flood, its waters churning like rivers. Egypt says, "I will rise up and cover the earth. I will destroy cities and everyone in them."

9Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

9Charge, you horses! Race wildly, you chariots! Let the strong soldiers march out: the Ethiopians and Libyans who carry shields, and the Lydians who pull back the bow.

10For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

10But that day belongs to the Lord GOD of Heaven's Armies. It is a day when he pays back his enemies. The sword will eat until it has had enough, until it is soaked with their blood. For the Lord GOD of Heaven's Armies has a sacrifice in the north, by the Euphrates River.

11Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

11Go up to Gilead and get balm, young daughter of Egypt. You will try many medicines, but none of them will work. You will not get well.

NoteBalm was a healing ointment made from tree sap. The region of Gilead was famous for it.

12The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

12The nations have heard how you were shamed. Your crying fills the land. One soldier trips over another, and both of them fall down together.

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

13This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon coming to strike the land of Egypt.

14Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

14Announce it in Egypt. Tell it in Migdol. Tell it in Noph and in Tahpanhes. Say, "Take your places and get ready, because the sword is eating up everything around you."

NoteNoph is the Egyptian city also known as Memphis. Migdol and Tahpanhes were towns in the north of Egypt.

15Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

15Why were your brave men knocked down? They could not stand, because the LORD pushed them down.

16He made many to fall, yea, one fell 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 of them fall, and they fell over one another. They said, "Get up! Let us go back to our own people, back to the land where we were born, away from this cruel sword."

17They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

17There they will call out, "Pharaoh king of Egypt is only noise. He let his chance go by."

18As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as 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, someone is coming. He will stand out the way Mount Tabor stands among the mountains, and the way Mount Carmel stands by the sea.

19O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

19Pack your bags to be carried away, you who live in Egypt. Noph will be left in ruins, burned and empty, with no one living there.

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

20Egypt is like a fine young cow, but a stinging destroyer is coming. It is coming from the north.

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

21Even her hired soldiers are like fattened calves inside her. They too turn and run away together. They do not hold their ground, because the day of their disaster has come, the time when they are punished.

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

22Egypt will hiss like a snake slipping away, for the enemy marches in with a strong army. They come at her with axes, like men chopping down trees.

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

23They will cut down her forest, says the LORD, thick as it is. There are more of them than locusts. No one can count them.

24The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; 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.

25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

25The LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to punish the crowds of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt with her gods and her kings. I will punish Pharaoh and everyone who trusts in him.

NoteNo is the Egyptian city also known as Thebes.

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 afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

26I will hand them over to those who want to kill them, to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But later on, people will live in Egypt again, as they did long ago, says the LORD.

27But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

27But you, Jacob my servant, do not be afraid. Israel, do not lose heart. I will save you from far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they are held. Jacob will come home and live in peace and safety, and no one will frighten him.

28Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: 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 correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

28Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, says the LORD, because I am with you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not destroy you. I will correct you, and only as much as is fair. Still, I will not let you go unpunished.