Jeremiah 45-46

New International Version

A Message to Baruch

45 When Baruch^(A) son of Neriah^(B) wrote on a scroll^(C) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: ³You said, ‘Woe^(E) to me! The Lord has added sorrow^(F) to my pain;^(G) I am worn out with groaning^(H) and find no rest.’^(I) ⁴But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot^(J) what I have planted,^(K) throughout the earth.^(L) ⁵Should you then seek great^(M) things for yourself? Do not seek them.^(N) For I will bring disaster^(O) on all people,^(P) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape^(Q) with your life.’”^(R)

A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:^(S)

²Concerning Egypt:^(T)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho^(U) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish^(V) on the Euphrates^(W) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(X) son of Josiah king of Judah:

³“Prepare your shields,^(Y) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
⁴Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish^(Z) your spears,
    put on your armor!^(AA)
⁵What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee^(AB) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror^(AC) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
⁶“The swift cannot flee^(AD)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates^(AE)
    they stumble and fall.^(AF)

⁷“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?^(AG)
⁸Egypt rises like the Nile,^(AH)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’^(AI)
⁹Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!^(AJ)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush^[a]^(AK) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia^(AL) who draw the bow.
¹⁰But that day^(AM) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance^(AN), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour^(AO) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.^(AP)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice^(AQ)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.^(AR)

¹¹“Go up to Gilead and get balm,^(AS)
    Virgin^(AT) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing^(AU) for you.
¹²The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall^(AV) down together.”

¹³This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(AW) to attack Egypt:^(AX)

¹⁴“Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
    proclaim it also in Memphis^(AY) and Tahpanhes:^(AZ)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
    for the sword devours^(BA) those around you.’
¹⁵Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^(BB)
¹⁶They will stumble^(BC) repeatedly;
    they will fall^(BD) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
    to our own people^(BE) and our native lands,
    away from the sword of the oppressor.’^(BF)
¹⁷There they will exclaim,
    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;^(BG)
    he has missed his opportunity.^(BH)’

¹⁸“As surely as I live,” declares the King,^(BI)
    whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor^(BJ) among the mountains,
    like Carmel^(BK) by the sea.
¹⁹Pack your belongings for exile,^(BL)
    you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis^(BM) will be laid waste^(BN)
    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

²⁰“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.^(BO)
²¹The mercenaries^(BP) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.^(BQ)
They too will turn and flee^(BR) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day^(BS) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time^(BT) for them to be punished.
²²Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
    as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
    like men who cut down trees.^(BU)
²³They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,^(BV)
    they cannot be counted.
²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.^(BW)”

²⁵The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,^(BX) on Pharaoh,^(BY) on Egypt and her gods^(BZ) and her kings, and on those who rely^(CA) on Pharaoh. ²⁶I will give them into the hands^(CB) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king^(CC) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited^(CD) as in times past,” declares the Lord.

²⁷“Do not be afraid,^(CE) Jacob^(CF) my servant;^(CG)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.^(CH)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
²⁸Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,”^(CI) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy^(CJ) all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”