The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 This is the word of ADONAI that came to Yirmeyahu the prophet concerning the nations.
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The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations.
2 Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh N'kho, king of Egypt, stationed by the Euphrates River in Kark'mish, which N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel attacked in the fourth year of Y'hoyakim son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y'hudah:
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Of Egypt: about the army of Pharaoh-neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, overcame in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
3 "Prepare breastplate and shield! Advance to battle!
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Get out the breastplate and body-cover, and come together to the fight.
4 Harness the horses! Riders, mount! [Troops,] fall in! Helmets in place! Polish the spears! Coats of mail on!
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Make the horses ready, and get up, you horsemen, and take your places with your head-dresses; make the spears sharp and put on the breastplates.
5 "Why do I see them retreating in panic, their heroes routed, fleeing headlong, not looking back, terror all around?" asks ADONAI.
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What have I seen? they are overcome with fear and turned back; their men of war are broken and have gone in flight, not looking back: fear is on every side, says the Lord.
6 "The swift cannot flee, nor the heroes escape. In the north, by the Euphrates River, they have stumbled and fallen."
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Let not the quick-footed go in flight, or the man of war get away; on the north, by the river Euphrates, they are slipping and falling.
7 Who is this, rising up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge out in flood?
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Who is this coming up like the Nile, whose waters are lifting their heads like the rivers?
8 It is Egypt, rising up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge out in flood, saying, "I will surge out and cover the earth, destroying the city along with its people."
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Egypt is coming up like the Nile, and his waters are lifting their heads like the rivers, and he says, I will go up, covering the earth; I will send destruction on the town and its people.
9 Charge, horses! Full speed ahead, chariots! Let the warriors attack! - Kush and Put, bearing their shields, and the Ludim, strung bows in hand.
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Go up, you horses; go rushing on, you carriages of war; go out, you men of war: Cush and Put, gripping the body-cover, and the Ludim, with bent bows.
10 For on that day Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot will have a day of vengeance for avenging himself on his enemies. The sword will destroy, have its fill, be made drunk on their blood. Yes, Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot decrees slaughter in the land to the north by the Euphrates River.
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But that day is the day of the Lord, the Lord of armies, a day of punishment when he will take payment from his haters: and the sword will have all its desire, drinking their blood in full measure: for there is an offering to the Lord, the Lord of armies, in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11 Go up to Gil'ad for its healing resin, virgin daughter of Egypt. You try many medicines, all in vain; for you there is no cure.
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Go up to Gilead and take sweet oil, O virgin daughter of Egypt: there is no help in all your medical arts; nothing will make you well.
12 The nations have heard about your disgrace; your shrieks fill the earth as warrior trips over warrior, both falling down together.
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Your shame has come to the ears of the nations, and the earth is full of your cry: for the strong man is falling against the strong, they have come down together.
13 This word ADONAI spoke to Yirmeyahu the prophet concerning how N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel would come and attack the land of Egypt:
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The word which the Lord said to Jeremiah the prophet, of how Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, would come and make war on the land of Egypt.
14 "Proclaim in Egypt, announce in Migdol, announce in Nof and Tachpanches; say: 'Take your stand! Get ready! For all around you the sword is destroying.
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Give the news in Migdol, make it public in Noph: say, Take up your positions and make yourselves ready; for on every side of you the sword has made destruction.
15 Why has your strong one been overthrown? He failed to stand because ADONAI pushed him down.
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Why has Apis, your strong one, gone in flight? he was not able to keep his place, because the Lord was forcing him down with strength.
16 He caused many to trip; yes, they fell all over each other.'" Then they said, "Let's get up, let's return to our own people, back to the land where we were born, away from the sword that destroys."
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... are stopped in their going, they are falling; and they say one to another, Let us get up and go back to our people, to the land of our birth, away from the cruel sword.
17 They cried there, "Pharaoh king of Egypt makes noise, but he lets the right time [for action] slip by."
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Give a name to Pharaoh, king of Egypt: A noise who has let the time go by.
18 "As I live," says the king, whose name is ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "when he comes, he will be [as mighty] as Tavor among the mountains, as Karmel next to the sea.
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By my life, says the King, whose name is the Lord of armies, truly, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, so will he come.
19 "Daughter living in Egypt, prepare what you need for exile; for Nof will become a ruin, laid waste, without inhabitant.
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O daughter living in Egypt, make ready the vessels of a prisoner: for Noph will become a waste, it will be burned up and become unpeopled.
20 Egypt is a beautiful female calf; but a horsefly from the north has come to attack her.
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Egypt is a fair young cow; but a biting insect has come on her out of the north.
21 Her mercenaries too, that she had with her, were like well-fed calves in a stable; but they too have withdrawn in retreat, they all ran away without standing their ground. For their day of disaster has come over them, the time for them to be punished.
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And those who were her fighters for payment are like fat oxen; for they are turned back, they have gone in flight together, they do not keep their place: for the day of their fate has come on them, the time of their punishment.
22 Egypt hisses like a snake, as the enemy's army marches ahead, attacking her with their axes like lumbermen chopping trees.
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She makes a sound like the hiss of a snake when they come on with strength; they go against her with axes, like wood-cutters.
23 They cut down her forest," says ADONAI, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts, far too many to count.
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They will be cutting down her woods, for they may not be searched out; because they are like locusts, more than may be numbered.
24 The daughter of Egypt is put to shame, handed over to the people from the north."
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The daughter of Egypt will be put to shame; she will be given up into the hands of the people of the north.
25 ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will punish Amon from No, Pharaoh, and Egypt with her gods and kings - that is, Pharaoh and those who trust in him;
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The Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: See, I will send punishment on Amon of No and on Pharaoh and on those who put their faith in him;
26 I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel and to his servants. But afterwards, Egypt will be inhabited, as in the past," says ADONAI.
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And I will give them up into the hands of those who will take their lives, and into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hands of his servants: and later, it will be peopled as in the past, says the Lord.
27 "Yet don't be afraid, Ya'akov my servant; don't be distressed, Isra'el. For I will save you from faraway places, and your offspring from the lands where they are held captive. Ya'akov will return and be at peace, quiet, with no one to make him afraid.
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But have no fear, O Jacob, my servant, and do not be troubled, O Israel: for see, I will make you come back from far away, and your seed from the land where they are prisoners; and Jacob will come back, and will be quiet and in peace, and no one will give him cause for fear.
28 Don't be afraid, Ya'akov my servant," says ADONAI, "for I am with you. I will finish off all the nations where I have scattered you. However, you I will not finish off, I will discipline you as you deserve, but not completely destroy you."
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Have no fear, O Jacob, my servant, says the Lord; for I am with you: for I will put an end to all the nations where I have sent you, but I will not put an end to you completely: though with wise purpose I will put right your errors, and will not let you go quite without punishment.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.