46:1 The LORD spoke to Jeremiah about the nations.¹

46:2 He spoke about Egypt. He spoke about the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. [It was that army that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling² over Judah.]³ He said,

46:3 “Fall into ranks with your shields at the ready!⁴
Prepare to march into battle!
46:4 Harness the horses to the chariots!
Mount your horses!
Put on your helmets and take your positions!
Sharpen you spears!
Put on your armor!
46:5 Yet what do I see?”⁵
says the LORD.⁶
“Those soldiers⁷ are terrified
They are retreating.
They have been defeated
and, overcome with terror,⁸
have run away quickly
without looking back.
46:6 But even the swiftest cannot get away.
Even the strongest cannot escape.⁹
There in the north by the Euphrates River,
they stumble and fall in defeat.”¹⁰
46:7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like its streams¹¹ turbulent at flood stage?
46:8 Egypt 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 live in them.’
46:9 Go ahead and¹² charge into battle, you horsemen!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
Let the soldiers march out into battle,
those from Ethiopia and Lybia who carry shields,
and those from Lydia¹³ who are armed with the bow.¹⁴
46:10 But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all.¹⁵
It is the day when He will pay back His enemies.¹⁶
His sword will devour them until it has had enough.
It will drink their blood until it is full.¹⁷
For the Lord GOD who rules over all¹⁸ will offer them up as a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
46:11 Go up to Gilead and get healing lotions,¹⁹
you dear poor people of Egypt.²⁰
But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use;²¹
there will be no healing for you.
46:12 The nations will hear of your shameful defeat.²²
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.²³

46:13 The LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt.²⁴ He said,

46:14 “Make an announcement throughout Egypt.
Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes.²⁵
Proclaim, ‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle.
For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’²⁶
46:15 Why will your soldiers²⁷ be defeated?²⁸
They will not stand because I, the LORD, will thrust²⁹ them down.
46:16 I will make many stumble.³⁰
They will fall over one another in their hurry to get away.³¹
They will say, ‘Hurry up!
Let’s go back to our own people.
Let’s go back to our homelands
because the enemy is coming to destroy us.’³²
46:17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is just a big noise!³³
He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’³⁴
46:18 I, the King, whose name is the LORD who rules over all³⁵ swear this:
I swear as surely as I live that³⁶ 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.³⁷
46:19 Pack your bags for exile,
you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt.³⁸
For Memphis will be laid waste.
It will lie in ruins³⁹ and be uninhabited.
46:20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But armies from the north will attack her like swarms of stinging flies.⁴⁰
46:21 Even her hired soldiers⁴¹
will prove to be like pampered,⁴² well fed calves.
For they too will turn and run.
They will not stand their ground
when⁴³ the time for them to be destroyed comes,
the time for them to be punished.
46:22 Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake ⁴⁴
as the enemy comes marching in in force.
They will come against her with axes
as if they were men chopping down trees.
46:23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.
But I, the LORD, affirm⁴⁵ 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.⁴⁶
46:24 Poor dear Egypt⁴⁷ will be put to shame.
She will be handed over to the people from the north.”

46:25 The LORD God who rules over all⁴⁸ says, “I am going to punish Amon, the god of Thebes.⁴⁹ I am going to punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I am going to punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him.⁵⁰ 46:26 I am going to 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.”⁵¹

46:27⁵² And you, descendants of Jacob, my servants,⁵³ do not be afraid,
Don’t be terrified, people of Israel.
For I will rescue you and your descendants
from the far away lands where you are captives.⁵⁴
The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.
They will be secure and not have anyone to make them afraid.
46:28 I, the LORD, tell⁵⁵ 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 let you go entirely unpunished.”⁵⁶