Study Desk

A Message About Egypt

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

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:

"Prepare your shields,^(g) both large and small, and march out for battle!

Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish^(h) your spears, put on your armor!⁽ⁱ⁾

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 .

"The swift cannot flee^(l) nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates^(m) they stumble and fall.⁽ⁿ⁾

"Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters?^(o)

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)

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.

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)

"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.

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."

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

"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.'

Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^(aj)

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)

There they will exclaim, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;^(ao) he has missed his opportunity.^(ap)'

"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.

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.

"Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly is coming against her from the north.^(aw)

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.

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)

They will chop down her forest," declares the Lord , "dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts,^(bd) they cannot be counted.

Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, given into the hands of the people of the north.^(be)"

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.

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 .

"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.

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."

A Message About the Philistines

This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines^(a) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:^(b)

This is what the Lord says: "See how the waters are rising in the north;^(c) they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail^(d)

at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots^(e) and the rumble of their wheels. Parents will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp.^(f)

For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre^(g) and Sidon.^(h) The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,⁽ⁱ⁾ the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.^[a](j)

Gaza will shave^(k) her head in mourning; Ashkelon^(l) will be silenced. You remnant on the plain, how long will you cut^(m) yourselves?

"‘Alas, sword⁽ⁿ⁾ of the Lord , how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.'^(o)

But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?"^(p)

Concerning Moab:^(b) This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Woe to Nebo,^(c) for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim^(d) will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold^[a] will be disgraced and shattered.

Moab will be praised^(e) no more; in Heshbon^[b](f) people will plot her downfall: ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.'^(g) You, the people of Madmen,^[c] will also be silenced; the sword will pursue you.

Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,^(h) cries of great havoc and destruction.

Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out.^[d]

They go up the hill to Luhith,⁽ⁱ⁾ weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim^(j) anguished cries over the destruction are heard.

Flee!^(k) Run for your lives; become like a bush^[e] in the desert.^(l)

Since you trust in your deeds and riches,^(m) you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh⁽ⁿ⁾ will go into exile,^(o) together with his priests and officials.^(p)

The destroyer^(q) will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau^(r) destroyed, because the Lord has spoken.

Put salt^(s) on Moab, for she will be laid waste^[f];^(t) her towns will become desolate, with no one to live in them.

"A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord 's work! A curse on anyone who keeps their sword^(u) from bloodshed!^(v)

"Moab has been at rest^(w) from youth, like wine left on its dregs,^(x) not poured from one jar to another— she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged.

But days are coming," declares the Lord , "when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars.

Then Moab will be ashamed^(y) of Chemosh,^(z) as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.^(aa)

"How can you say, ‘We are warriors,^(ab) men valiant in battle'?

Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men^(ac) will go down in the slaughter,^(ad)" declares the King,^(ae) whose name is the Lord Almighty.^(af)

"The fall of Moab is at hand;^(ag) her calamity will come quickly.

Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame;^(ah) say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,^(ai) how broken the glorious staff!'

"Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground,^(aj) you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,^(ak) for the one who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities.^(al)

Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer.^(am) Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, ‘What has happened?'

Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail^(an) and cry out! Announce by the Arnon^(ao) that Moab is destroyed.

Judgment has come to the plateau^(ap)— to Holon,^(aq) Jahzah^(ar) and Mephaath,^(as)

to Dibon,^(at) Nebo^(au) and Beth Diblathaim,

to Kiriathaim,^(av) Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,^(aw)

to Kerioth^(ax) and Bozrah^(ay)— to all the towns^(az) of Moab, far and near.

Moab's horn^[g](ba) is cut off; her arm^(bb) is broken," declares the Lord .

"Make her drunk,^(bc) for she has defied^(bd) the Lord . Let Moab wallow in her vomit;^(be) let her be an object of ridicule.^(bf)

Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?^(bg) Was she caught among thieves,^(bh) that you shake your head^(bi) in scorn^(bj) whenever you speak of her?

Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove^(bk) that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave.^(bl)

"We have heard of Moab's pride^(bm)— how great is her arrogance!— of her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness^(bn) of her heart.

I know her insolence but it is futile," declares the Lord , "and her boasts^(bo) accomplish nothing.

Therefore I wail^(bp) over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.^(bq)

I weep for you, as Jazer^(br) weeps, you vines of Sibmah.^(bs) Your branches spread as far as the sea^[h]; they reached as far as^[i] Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes.

Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine^(bt) from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy.^(bu) Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy.

"The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon^(bv) to Elealeh^(bw) and Jahaz,^(bx) from Zoar^(by) as far as Horonaim^(bz) and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.^(ca)

In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places^(cb) and burn incense^(cc) to their gods," declares the Lord .

"So my heart laments^(cd) for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.^(ce) The wealth they acquired^(cf) is gone.

Every head is shaved^(cg) and every beard^(ch) cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth.^(ci)

On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares^(cj) there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar^(ck) that no one wants," declares the Lord .

"How shattered^(cl) she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule,^(cm) an object of horror to all those around her."

This is what the Lord says: "Look! An eagle is swooping^(cn) down, spreading its wings^(co) over Moab.

Kerioth^[j](cp) will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors^(cq) will be like the heart of a woman in labor.^(cr)

Moab will be destroyed^(cs) as a nation^(ct) because she defied^(cu) the Lord .

Terror^(cv) and pit and snare^(cw) await you, you people of Moab," declares the Lord .

"Whoever flees^(cx) from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year^(cy) of her punishment," declares the Lord .

"In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon;^(cz) it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls^(da) of the noisy boasters.

Woe to you, Moab!^(db) The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity.

"Yet I will restore^(dc) the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the Lord . Here ends the judgment on Moab.