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Jeremiah 46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Jeremiah 46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
VIII. Oracles Against the Nations[a]
Chapter 46
1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
Against Egypt. 2 Concerning Egypt. Against the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates[b] by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 Prepare buckler and shield!
move forward to battle!
4 Harness the horses,
charioteers, mount up!
Fall in, with helmets on;
polish your spears, put on your armor.
5 What do I see?
Are they panicking, falling apart?
Their warriors are hammered back,
They flee headlong
never making a stand.
Terror on every side—
oracle of the Lord!(A)
6 The swift cannot flee,
nor the warrior escape:
There up north, on the banks of the Euphrates
they stumble and fall.
7 Who is this? Like the Nile, it rears up;
like rivers, its waters surge.
8 Egypt rears up like the Nile,
like rivers, its waters surge.
“I will rear up,” it says, “and cover the earth,
destroying the city and its people.(B)
9 Forward, horses!
charge, chariots!
March forth, warriors,
Cush and Put, bearing shields,
Archers of Lud, stretching bows!”
10 Today belongs to the Lord God of hosts,
a day of vengeance, vengeance on his foes!
The sword devours and is sated, drunk with their blood:
for the Lord God of hosts holds a sacrifice
in the land of the north, on the River Euphrates.(C)
11 Go up to Gilead, procure balm,
Virgin daughter Egypt!
No use to multiply remedies;
for you there is no healing.(D)
12 The nations hear your cries,
your screaming fills the earth.
Warrior stumbles against warrior,
both collapse together.(E)
13 (F)The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet when Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, came to attack the land of Egypt:[c]
14 Proclaim in Egypt, announce in Migdol,
announce in Memphis and Tahpanhes!
Say: Fall in, get ready,
the sword has devoured your neighbors.(G)
15 Why has Apis[d] fled?
Your champion did not stand,
Because the Lord thrust him down;
16 he stumbled repeatedly then collapsed.
They said to each other,
“Get up! We must return to our own people,
To the land of our birth,
away from the destroying sword.”(H)
17 Give Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the name
“Braggart-missed-his-chance.”[e]
18 As I live, says the King
whose name is Lord of hosts,
Like Tabor above mountains,
like Carmel[f] above the sea, he comes.
19 Pack your bags for exile,
enthroned daughter Egypt;
Memphis shall become a wasteland,
an empty ruin.
20 Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
a horsefly from the north keeps coming.
21 Even the mercenaries in her ranks
are like fattened calves;
They too turn and flee together—
they do not stand their ground,
For their day of ruin comes upon them,
their time of punishment.
22 Her voice is like a snake!
Yes, they come in force;
They attack her with axes,
like those who fell trees.
23 They cut down her forest—oracle of the Lord—
impenetrable though it be;
More numerous than locusts,
they cannot be counted.
24 Shamed is daughter Egypt,
handed over to a people from the north.
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, has said: See! I will punish Amon[g] of Thebes and Egypt, gods, kings, Pharaoh, and those who trust in him.(I) 26 I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and to his officers. But later, Egypt shall be inhabited again, as in days of old—oracle of the Lord.(J)
27 But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear;
do not be dismayed, Israel!
Listen! I will deliver you from far-off lands;
your offspring, from the land of their exile.
Jacob shall again find rest,
secure, with none to frighten him.(K)
28 You, Jacob my servant, must not fear—oracle of the Lord—
for I am with you;
I will make an end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
But of you I will not make an end:
I will chastise you as you deserve,
I cannot let you go unpunished.(L)
Footnotes
- 46:1–51:64 A collection of oracles against foreign nations constitutes the final section of the Hebrew text of Jeremiah; in the Greek text they follow 25:13. The oracles here appear to be arranged in loose chronological order: 46:2 mentions the fourth year of Jehoiakim; the oracles in 50:1–51:64 are evidently from the end of Jeremiah’s life.
- 46:2 Carchemish on the Euphrates: the western terminus of the Mesopotamian trade route, where Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Neco in 605 B.C., thus gaining undisputed control of Syria and Palestine.
- 46:13 In 601 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar advanced into Egypt itself, but finally had to withdraw to Syria.
- 46:15 Apis: the chief god of Memphis; the black bull honored as an incarnation of the god Ptah and, later, of the god Osiris.
- 46:17 “Braggart-missed-his-chance”: the Hebrew phrase may contain a pun on the Pharaoh’s name or royal title.
- 46:18 Tabor…Carmel: mountains in Palestine that seem to tower over their surroundings as Nebuchadnezzar towers over the nations in his path as he makes his way toward Egypt.
- 46:25 Amon: the sun-god worshiped at Thebes in Upper Egypt.
Jeremiah 46
New King James Version
Jeremiah 46
New King James Version
Judgment on Egypt
46 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against (A)the nations. 2 Against (B)Egypt.
(C)Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (D)defeated in the (E)fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 “Order[a] the [b]buckler and shield,
And draw near to battle!
4 Harness the horses,
And mount up, you horsemen!
Stand forth with your helmets,
Polish the spears,
(F)Put on the armor!
5 Why have I seen them dismayed and turned back?
Their mighty ones are beaten down;
They have speedily fled,
And did not look back,
For (G)fear was all around,” says the Lord.
6 “Do not let the swift flee away,
Nor the mighty man escape;
They will (H)stumble and fall
Toward the north, by the River Euphrates.
7 “Who is this coming up (I)like a flood,
Whose waters move like the rivers?
8 Egypt rises up like a flood,
And its waters move like the rivers;
And he says, ‘I will go up and cover the earth,
I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.’
9 Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots!
And let the mighty men come forth:
[c]The Ethiopians and [d]the Libyans who handle the shield,
And the Lydians (J)who handle and bend the bow.
10 For this is (K)the day of the Lord God of hosts,
A day of vengeance,
That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries.
(L)The sword shall devour;
It shall be [e]satiated and made drunk with their blood;
For the Lord God of hosts (M)has a sacrifice
In the north country by the River Euphrates.
11 “Go(N) up to Gilead and take balm,
(O)O virgin, the daughter of Egypt;
In vain you will use many medicines;
(P)You shall not be cured.
12 The nations have heard of your (Q)shame,
And your cry has filled the land;
For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty;
They both have fallen together.”
Babylonia Will Strike Egypt
13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and (R)strike the land of Egypt.
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in (S)Migdol;
Proclaim in [f]Noph and in (T)Tahpanhes;
Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves,
For the sword devours all around you.’
15 Why are your valiant men swept away?
They did not stand
Because the Lord drove them away.
16 He made many fall;
Yes, (U)one fell upon another.
And they said, ‘Arise!
(V)Let us go back to our own people
And to the land of our nativity
From the oppressing sword.’
17 They cried there,
‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise.
He has passed by the appointed time!’
18 “As I live,” says the King,
(W)Whose name is the Lord of hosts,
“Surely as Tabor is among the mountains
And as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come.
19 O (X)you daughter dwelling in Egypt,
Prepare yourself (Y)to go into captivity!
For [g]Noph shall be waste and desolate, without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a very pretty (Z)heifer,
But destruction comes, it comes (AA)from the north.
21 Also her mercenaries are in her midst like [h]fat bulls,
For they also are turned back,
They have fled away together.
They did not stand,
For (AB)the day of their calamity had come upon them,
The time of their punishment.
22 (AC)Her noise shall go like a serpent,
For they shall march with an army
And come against her with axes,
Like those who chop wood.
23 “They shall (AD)cut down her forest,” says the Lord,
“Though it cannot be searched,
Because they are innumerable,
And more numerous than (AE)grasshoppers.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed;
She shall be delivered into the hand
Of (AF)the people of the north.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will bring punishment on [i]Amon of (AG)No,[j] and Pharaoh and Egypt, (AH)with their gods and their kings—Pharaoh and those who (AI)trust in him. 26 (AJ)And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of his servants. (AK)Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old,” says the Lord.
God Will Preserve Israel(AL)
27 “But(AM) do not fear, O My servant Jacob,
And do not be dismayed, O Israel!
For behold, I will (AN)save you from afar,
And your offspring from the land of their captivity;
Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease;
No one shall make him afraid.
28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord,
“For I am with you;
For I will make a complete end of all the nations
To which I have driven you,
But I will not make (AO)a complete end of you.
I will rightly (AP)correct you,
For I will not leave you wholly unpunished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:3 Set in order
- Jeremiah 46:3 A small shield
- Jeremiah 46:9 Heb. Cush
- Jeremiah 46:9 Heb. Put
- Jeremiah 46:10 Filled to the full
- Jeremiah 46:14 Ancient Memphis
- Jeremiah 46:19 Ancient Memphis
- Jeremiah 46:21 Lit. calves of the stall
- Jeremiah 46:25 A sun god
- Jeremiah 46:25 Ancient Thebes
Jeremiah 46
New International Version
Jeremiah 46
New International Version
A Message About Egypt
46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:(A)
2 Concerning Egypt:(B)
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho(C) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish(D) on the Euphrates(E) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(F) son of Josiah king of Judah:
3 “Prepare your shields,(G) both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish(H) your spears,
put on your armor!(I)
5 What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee(J) in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror(K) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee(L)
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(M)
they stumble and fall.(N)
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?(O)
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,(P)
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’(Q)
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!(R)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a](S) and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia(T) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(U) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
a day of vengeance(V), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(W) till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(X)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(Y)
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(Z)
11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(AA)
Virgin(AB) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
there is no healing(AC) 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(AD) down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(AE) to attack Egypt:(AF)
14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis(AG) and Tahpanhes:(AH)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours(AI) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.(AJ)
16 They will stumble(AK) repeatedly;
they will fall(AL) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
to our own people(AM) and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.’(AN)
17 There they will exclaim,
‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;(AO)
he has missed his opportunity.(AP)’
18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,(AQ)
whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor(AR) among the mountains,
like Carmel(AS) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile,(AT)
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis(AU) will be laid waste(AV)
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north.(AW)
21 The mercenaries(AX) in her ranks
are like fattened calves.(AY)
They too will turn and flee(AZ) together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day(BA) of disaster is coming upon them,
the time(BB) 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.(BC)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
“dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(BD)
they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
given into the hands of the people of the north.(BE)”
25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,(BF) on Pharaoh,(BG) on Egypt and her gods(BH) and her kings, and on those who rely(BI) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands(BJ) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king(BK) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited(BL) as in times past,” declares the Lord.
27 “Do not be afraid,(BM) Jacob(BN) my servant;(BO)
do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.(BP)
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,”(BQ) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(BR) 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 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
Jeremiah 46
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 46
English Standard Version
Judgment on Egypt
46 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet (A)concerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. (B)Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in (C)the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 (D)“Prepare buckler and shield,
and advance for battle!
4 (E)Harness the horses;
mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
(F)polish your spears,
put on your armor!
5 Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
and have turned backward.
Their (G)warriors are beaten down
and have fled in haste;
(H)they look not back—
(I)terror on every side!
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee away,
nor the warrior escape;
(J)in the north by the river Euphrates
(K)they have stumbled and fallen.
7 “Who is this, (L)rising like the Nile,
like rivers (M)whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers (N)whose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
9 (O)Advance, O horses,
and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
men of Cush and (P)Put who handle the shield,
(Q)men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 (R)That day is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
(S)a day of vengeance,
(T)to avenge himself on his foes.
(U)The sword shall devour and be sated
and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord God of hosts holds (V)a sacrifice
(W)in the north country (X)by the river Euphrates.
11 (Y)Go up to Gilead, and take (Z)balm,
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
(AA)there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and the earth is full of your cry;
(AB)for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
they have both fallen together.”
13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of (AC)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in (AD)Migdol;
proclaim in (AE)Memphis and (AF)Tahpanhes;
say, (AG)‘Stand ready and be prepared,
for (AH)the sword shall devour around you.’
15 Why are your mighty ones face down?
They do not stand[a]
because the Lord thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, (AI)and they fell,
and they said one to another,
‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
(AJ)because of the sword of the oppressor.’
17 Call the name of (AK)Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
18 (AL)“As I live, declares the King,
(AM)whose name is the Lord of hosts,
like (AN)Tabor among the mountains
and like (AO)Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 (AP)Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
O (AQ)inhabitants of Egypt!
For (AR)Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, (AS)without inhabitant.
20 “A beautiful (AT)heifer is Egypt,
but a biting fly (AU)from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst
are like (AV)fattened calves;
yes, they have turned and fled together;
they did not stand,
for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
(AW)the time of their punishment.
22 “She makes (AX)a sound like a serpent gliding away;
for her enemies march in force
and come against her with axes
(AY)like those who fell trees.
23 (AZ)They shall cut down her forest,
declares the Lord,
though it is impenetrable,
because (BA)they are more numerous than locusts;
they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
she shall be delivered into the hand of (BB)a people from the north.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon (BC)Amon of (BD)Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt (BE)and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 (BF)I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. (BG)Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited (BH)as in the days of old, declares the Lord.
27 (BI)“But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
28 (BJ)Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
(BK)I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 46:15 Hebrew He does not stand
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.