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Jeremiah 43-46
New International Reader's Version
Jeremiah 43-46
New International Reader's Version
43 Jeremiah finished telling the people everything the Lord their God had said. Jeremiah told them everything the Lord had sent him to tell them. 2 After that, Azariah, the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke to Jeremiah. And all the proud men joined them. They said, “You are lying! The Lord our God hasn’t sent you to speak to us. He hasn’t told you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt and make your homes there.’ 3 But Baruch, the son of Neriah, is turning you against us. He wants us to be handed over to the Babylonians. Then they can kill us. Or they can take us away to Babylon.”
4 So Johanan, the son of Kareah, disobeyed the Lord’s command. So did all the other army officers and all the people. They didn’t stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the other army officers led away all the people who were left in Judah. Those people had returned to Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 Johanan and the other officers also led away many people Nebuzaradan had left at Mizpah. They included men, women and children. They also included the king’s daughters. Nebuzaradan had left them with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. They also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them. Nebuzaradan was commander of the royal guard. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. 7 So the Jewish leaders disobeyed the Lord. They took everyone to Egypt. They went all the way to Tahpanhes.
8 In Tahpanhes a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. The Lord said, 9 “Make sure the Jews are watching you. Then get some large stones. Go to the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes. Bury the stones in the clay under the brick walkway there. 10 Then tell the Jews, ‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And I will set his throne over these stones that are buried here. He will set up his royal tent over them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt. He will bring death to those I have appointed to die. He will take away as prisoners those I have appointed to be taken away. And he will kill with swords those I have appointed to be killed. 12 He will set the temples of the gods of Egypt on fire. He will burn down their temples. He will take away the statues of their gods. Nebuchadnezzar will be like a shepherd who picks his coat clean of lice. Nebuchadnezzar will pick Egypt clean and then depart. 13 At Heliopolis in Egypt he will smash the sacred pillars to pieces. And he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.” ’ ”
Worshiping Other Gods Brings Horrible Trouble
44 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was about all the Jews living in Lower Egypt. They were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis. It was also about all the Jews living in Upper Egypt. 2 The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He said, “You saw all the trouble I brought on Jerusalem. I also brought it on all the towns in Judah. Today they lie there deserted and destroyed. 3 That’s because of the evil things their people did. They made me very angry. They burned incense to other gods. And they worshiped them. They and you and your people of long ago never knew those gods. 4 Again and again I sent my servants the prophets. They said, ‘Don’t worship other gods! The Lord hates it!’ 5 But the people didn’t listen. They didn’t pay any attention. They didn’t turn from their sinful ways. They didn’t stop burning incense to other gods. 6 So my burning anger was poured out. It blazed out against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. It made them the dry and empty places they are today.”
7 The Lord God who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Why do you want to bring all this trouble on yourselves? You are removing from Judah its men and women, its children and babies. Not one of you will be left. 8 Why do you want to make me angry with the gods your hands have made? Why do you burn incense to the gods of Egypt, where you now live? You will destroy yourselves. All the nations on earth will use your name as a curse. They will say you are shameful. 9 Have you forgotten the evil things done by your people of long ago? The kings and queens of Judah did those same things. So did you and your wives. They were done in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. 10 To this day the people of Judah have not made themselves humble in my sight. They have not shown any respect for me. They have not obeyed my law. They have not followed the rules I gave you and your people of long ago.”
11 The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I have decided to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy the whole land of Judah. 12 I will destroy the people of Judah who are left. They had decided to go to Egypt and make their homes there. But all of them will die in Egypt. They will die of war or hunger. All of them will die, from the least important of them to the most important. They will die of war or hunger. People will use their name as a curse. They will be shocked at them. They will say bad things about them. And they will say they are shameful. 13 I will use war, hunger and plague to punish the Jews who live in Egypt. I punished Jerusalem in the same way. 14 None of the people of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape. Not one of them will live to return to Judah. They long to return and live there. But only a few will escape from Egypt and go back.”
15 All the Jews who were living in Lower and Upper Egypt gathered to give Jeremiah their answer. A large crowd had come together. It included men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods. Their wives were there with them. All of them said to Jeremiah, 16 “We won’t listen to the message you have spoken to us in the Lord’s name! 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would. We’ll burn incense to the female god called the Queen of Heaven. We’ll pour out drink offerings to her. We’ll do just as we and our people of long ago have done. Our kings and our officials also did it. All of us did it in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food. We were well off. We didn’t suffer any harm. 18 But then we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven. We stopped pouring out drink offerings to her. And ever since that time we haven’t had anything. Instead, we’ve been dying of war and hunger.”
19 The women added, “We burned incense to the Queen of Heaven. We poured out drink offerings to her. And our husbands knew we were making cakes that looked like her. They knew we were pouring out drink offerings to her.”
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people who were answering him. He spoke to men and women alike. He said, 21 “Didn’t the Lord know you were burning incense in the towns of Judah? Didn’t he care that you were also doing it in the streets of Jerusalem? You and your people of long ago were doing it. Your kings and officials were doing it too. So were the rest of the people in the land. 22 The Lord couldn’t put up any longer with the evil things you were doing. He hated the things you did. So your land became a curse. It became a dry and empty desert. No one lived there. And that’s the way it still is today. 23 You have burned incense to other gods. You have sinned against the Lord. You haven’t obeyed him or his law. You haven’t followed his rules. You haven’t lived up to the terms of the covenant he made with you. That’s why all this trouble has come on you. You have seen it with your own eyes.”
24 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people. That included the women. He said, “All you people of Judah in Egypt, listen to the Lord’s message. 25 The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘You and your wives have done what you promised you would do. You said, “We will certainly keep the promises we made to the Queen of Heaven. We’ll burn incense to her. We’ll pour out drink offerings to her.” ’
“Go ahead then. Do what you said you would! Keep your promises! 26 But listen to the Lord’s message. Listen, all you Jews living in Egypt. ‘I make a promise by my own great name,’ says the Lord. ‘Here is what I promise. “No one from Judah who lives anywhere in Egypt will ever again pray in my name. None of them will ever make this promise. They will never say, ‘You can be sure that the Lord and King is alive.’ ” 27 I am watching over them to do them harm and not good. The Jews in Egypt will die of war and hunger until all of them are destroyed. 28 Some will not be killed. They will return to Judah from Egypt. But they will be very few. Then all the people of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know the truth. They will know whether what I say or what they say will come true.
29 “ ‘I will give you a sign that I will punish you in this place,’ announces the Lord. ‘Then you can be sure that my warnings of harm against you will come true.’ 30 The Lord says, ‘I am going to hand over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt. I will hand him over to his enemies who want to kill him. In the same way, I handed over King Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He was the enemy who wanted to kill Zedekiah.’ ”
The Lord Speaks to Baruch
45 Jeremiah talked to Baruch, the son of Neriah. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, was king of Judah. It was when Baruch had written down on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet told him to write. Jeremiah had said, 2 “The Lord is the God of Israel. Baruch, he says to you, 3 ‘You have said, “How terrible it is for me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I’m worn out from all my groaning. I can’t find any rest.” ’ 4 But here is what the Lord has told me to say to you, Baruch. ‘The Lord says, “I will destroy what I have built up. I will pull up by the roots what I have planted. I will do this throughout the earth. 5 So should you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. I will bring trouble on everyone,” announces the Lord. “But no matter where you go, I will let you escape with your life.” ’ ”
A Message About Egypt
46 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet. It was about the nations.
2 Here is what the Lord says about Egypt.
Here is his message against the army of Pharaoh Necho. He was king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, won the battle over Necho’s army. That happened at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message says,
3 “Egyptians, prepare your shields!
Prepare large and small shields alike!
March out for battle!
4 Get the horses and chariots ready to ride!
Take up your battle positions!
Put on your helmets!
Shine up your spears!
Put on your armor!
5 What do I see?
The Egyptians are terrified.
They are pulling back.
Their soldiers are losing.
They run away as fast as they can.
They do not look back.
There is terror on every side,” announces the Lord.
6 “Those who run fast can’t get away.
Those who are strong can’t escape.
In the north by the Euphrates River
they trip and fall.
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile River?
Who rises like rivers of rushing waters?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile River.
It rises like rivers of rushing waters.
Egypt says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth.
I’ll destroy cities and their people.’
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive fast, you chariot drivers!
March on, you soldiers!
March on, you men of Cush and Put who carry shields.
March on, you men of Lydia who shoot arrows.
10 But that day belongs to me.
I am the Lord who rules over all.
It is a day for me to pay back my enemies.
My sword will eat until it is satisfied.
It will drink until it is not thirsty for blood anymore.
I am the Lord. I am the Lord who rules over all.
I will offer a sacrifice.
I will offer it in the land of the north
by the Euphrates River.
11 “People of Egypt,
go up to Gilead and get some healing lotion.
You may try many medicines, but you will not be healed.
There isn’t any healing for you.
12 The nations will hear about your shame.
Your cries of pain will fill the earth.
One soldier will trip over another.
Both of them will fall down together.”
13 Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was coming to attack Egypt. Here is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about it. He said,
14 “Egyptians, here is what I want you to announce in your land.
Announce it in the city of Migdol.
Also announce it in Memphis and Tahpanhes.
Say, ‘Take up your battle positions! Get ready!
The sword eats up those around you.’
15 Why are your soldiers lying on the ground?
They can’t stand, because I bring them down.
16 They will trip again and again.
They will fall over one another.
They will say, ‘Get up. Let’s go back home.
Let’s return to our own people and our own lands.
Let’s get away from the swords
that will bring us great harm.’
17 The Egyptian soldiers will cry out,
‘Pharaoh, our king, is only a loud noise.
He has missed his chance to win the battle.’
18 “I am the King.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
Someone will come who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains.
He is like Mount Carmel by the Mediterranean Sea.
And that is just as sure as I am alive,”
announces the King.
19 “So pack your belongings, you who live in Egypt.
You will be taken away from your land.
Memphis will be completely destroyed.
Its buildings will be broken down.
No one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
But Nebuchadnezzar is coming against her from the north.
He will bite her like a fly.
21 Hired soldiers are in Egypt’s army.
They are like fat calves.
All of them will turn and run away.
They will not hold their positions.
The day of trouble is coming on them.
The time for them to be punished is near.
22 The Egyptians will hiss like a snake that is trying to get away.
A powerful army will advance against them.
Their enemies will come against them with axes.
They will be like those who cut down trees.
23 Egypt is like a thick forest.
But they will chop it down,” announces the Lord.
“There are more of their enemies than there are locusts.
In fact, they can’t even be counted.
24 The nation of Egypt will be put to shame.
It will be handed over to the people of the north.”
25 The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh. I will punish Egypt and its gods and kings. And I will punish those who depend on Pharaoh. 26 I will hand them over to those who want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his officers. But later, many people will live in Egypt again as in times past,” announces the Lord.
27 “People of Jacob, do not be afraid.
You are my servant.
Israel, do not be terrified.
I will bring you safely out of a place far away.
I will bring your children back
from the land where they were taken.
Your people will have peace and security again.
And no one will make them afraid.
28 People of Jacob, do not be afraid.
You are my servant.
I am with you,”
announces the Lord.
“I will completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you.
But I will not completely destroy you.
I will correct you. But I will be fair.
I will not let you go without any punishment.”
Jeremiah 43-46
New International Version
Jeremiah 43-46
New International Version
43 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them(A)— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah(B) and Johanan(C) son of Kareah and all the arrogant(D) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!(E) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’(F) 3 But Baruch(G) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”(H)
4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people(I) disobeyed the Lord’s command(J) to stay in the land of Judah.(K) 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.(L) 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,(M) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch(N) son of Neriah along with them. 7 So they entered Egypt(O) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.(P)
8 In Tahpanhes(Q) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 9 “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones(R) with you and bury them in clay in the brick(S) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace(T) in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant(U) Nebuchadnezzar(V) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne(W) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy(X) above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt,(Y) bringing death(Z) to those destined(AA) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,(AB) and the sword to those destined for the sword.(AC) 12 He will set fire(AD) to the temples(AE) of the gods(AF) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.(AG) As a shepherd picks(AH) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[b](AI) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars(AJ) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”
Disaster Because of Idolatry
44 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt(AK)—in Migdol,(AL) Tahpanhes(AM) and Memphis(AN)—and in Upper Egypt:(AO) 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster(AP) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.(AQ) Today they lie deserted and in ruins(AR) 3 because of the evil(AS) they have done. They aroused my anger(AT) by burning incense(AU) to and worshiping other gods(AV) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors(AW) ever knew. 4 Again and again(AX) I sent my servants the prophets,(AY) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable(AZ) thing that I hate!’ 5 But they did not listen or pay attention;(BA) they did not turn from their wickedness(BB) or stop burning incense(BC) to other gods.(BD) 6 Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;(BE) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins(BF) they are today.
7 “Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster(BG) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,(BH) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?(BI) 8 Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,(BJ) burning incense(BK) to other gods in Egypt,(BL) where you have come to live?(BM) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse[c] and an object of reproach(BN) among all the nations on earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors(BO) and by the kings(BP) and queens(BQ) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives(BR) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?(BS) 10 To this day they have not humbled(BT) themselves or shown reverence,(BU) nor have they followed my law(BV) and the decrees(BW) I set before you and your ancestors.(BX)
11 “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,(BY) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster(BZ) on you and to destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away the remnant(CA) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,(CB) they will die by sword or famine.(CC) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.(CD) 13 I will punish(CE) those who live in Egypt with the sword,(CF) famine and plague,(CG) as I punished Jerusalem. 14 None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”(CH)
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives(CI) were burning incense(CJ) to other gods, along with all the women(CK) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,(CL) said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen(CM) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!(CN) 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would:(CO) We will burn incense(CP) to the Queen of Heaven(CQ) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials(CR) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.(CS) At that time we had plenty of food(CT) and were well off and suffered no harm.(CU) 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings(CV) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.(CW)”
19 The women added, “When we burned incense(CX) to the Queen of Heaven(CY) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands(CZ) know that we were making cakes(DA) impressed with her image(DB) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21 “Did not the Lord remember(DC) and call to mind the incense(DD) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem(DE) by you and your ancestors,(DF) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?(DG) 22 When the Lord could no longer endure(DH) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse(DI) and a desolate waste(DJ) without inhabitants, as it is today.(DK) 23 Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed(DL) his law or his decrees(DM) or his stipulations, this disaster(DN) has come upon you, as you now see.”(DO)
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,(DP) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.(DQ) 25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives(DR) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’(DS)
“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!(DT) 26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:(DU) ‘I swear(DV) by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign(DW) Lord lives.”(DX) 27 For I am watching(DY) over them for harm,(DZ) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish(EA) by sword and famine(EB) until they are all destroyed.(EC) 28 Those who escape the sword(ED) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.(EE) Then the whole remnant(EF) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand(EG)—mine or theirs.(EH)
29 “‘This will be the sign(EI) to you that I will punish(EJ) you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’(EK) 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh(EL) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah(EM) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”(EN)
A Message to Baruch
45 When Baruch(EO) son of Neriah(EP) wrote on a scroll(EQ) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(ER) 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: 3 You said, ‘Woe(ES) to me! The Lord has added sorrow(ET) to my pain;(EU) I am worn out with groaning(EV) and find no rest.’(EW) 4 But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot(EX) what I have planted,(EY) throughout the earth.(EZ) 5 Should you then seek great(FA) things for yourself? Do not seek them.(FB) For I will bring disaster(FC) on all people,(FD) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape(FE) with your life.’”(FF)
A Message About Egypt
46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:(FG)
2 Concerning Egypt:(FH)
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho(FI) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish(FJ) on the Euphrates(FK) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(FL) son of Josiah king of Judah:
3 “Prepare your shields,(FM) both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish(FN) your spears,
put on your armor!(FO)
5 What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee(FP) in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror(FQ) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee(FR)
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(FS)
they stumble and fall.(FT)
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?(FU)
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,(FV)
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’(FW)
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!(FX)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[d](FY) and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia(FZ) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(GA) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
a day of vengeance(GB), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(GC) till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(GD)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(GE)
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(GF)
11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(GG)
Virgin(GH) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
there is no healing(GI) for you.
12 The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall(GJ) down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(GK) to attack Egypt:(GL)
14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis(GM) and Tahpanhes:(GN)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours(GO) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.(GP)
16 They will stumble(GQ) repeatedly;
they will fall(GR) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
to our own people(GS) and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.’(GT)
17 There they will exclaim,
‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;(GU)
he has missed his opportunity.(GV)’
18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,(GW)
whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor(GX) among the mountains,
like Carmel(GY) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile,(GZ)
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis(HA) will be laid waste(HB)
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north.(HC)
21 The mercenaries(HD) in her ranks
are like fattened calves.(HE)
They too will turn and flee(HF) together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day(HG) of disaster is coming upon them,
the time(HH) for them to be punished.
22 Egypt 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.(HI)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
“dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(HJ)
they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
given into the hands of the people of the north.(HK)”
25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,(HL) on Pharaoh,(HM) on Egypt and her gods(HN) and her kings, and on those who rely(HO) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands(HP) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king(HQ) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited(HR) as in times past,” declares the Lord.
27 “Do not be afraid,(HS) Jacob(HT) my servant;(HU)
do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.(HV)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,”(HW) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(HX) 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.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 43:3 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 43:13 Or in Heliopolis
- Jeremiah 44:8 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed; also in verse 12; similarly in verse 22.
- Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.