The Darby Translation DBY
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
1
The LORD spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations.
2 Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah.
2
This is the message about Egypt, about the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated his army at Carchemish along the Euphrates River during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah.
3 Make ready buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!
3
"Get your large and small shields ready; advance into battle.
4 Harness the horses, and mount ye horsemen, and stand forth with helmets; polish the spears, put on the coats of mail!
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Harness your horses. Mount up, you horsemen. Take your positions, and put on your helmets. Polish your spears. Put on your armor.
5 Why do I see them dismayed, turned away back? And their mighty ones are beaten down, and take to flight, and look not back? Terror [is] on every side, saith Jehovah.
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"What do I see in them? They are terrified. They are retreating. Their warriors are defeated. They flee without looking back. Terror is all around them," declares the LORD.
6 Let not the swift flee away, neither let the mighty man escape! -- Toward the north, hard by the river Euphrates, they have stumbled and fallen.
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"The infantry can't flee. The warriors can't escape. They stumble and fall in the north by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this [that] riseth up as the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?
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Who is this, rising like the Nile River, like streams that flow swiftly?
8 It is Egypt that riseth up as the Nile, and [his] waters toss themselves like the rivers; and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
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Egypt is like the rising Nile River, like a river quickly overflowing its banks. Egypt says, 'I will rise; I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and the people in them.'
9 Go up, ye horses, and drive furiously, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Phut that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle the bow [and] bend it.
9
Go into battle, you horsemen. Drive wildly, you chariot drivers. March into battle, you warriors, you warriors from Sudan and Put who carry shields, you warriors from Lydia who use bows and arrows.
10 For this is the day of the Lord Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may be avenged of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be sated and made drunk with their blood; for the Lord Jehovah of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country, by the river Euphrates.
10
That day belongs to the Almighty LORD of Armies. It is a day of vengeance when he will take revenge on his enemies. His sword will devour until it has had enough, and it will drink their blood until it's full. The Almighty LORD of Armies will offer them as sacrifices in the north by the Euphrates River.
11 Go up to Gilead, and fetch balm, O virgin-daughter of Egypt! In vain shalt thou multiply remedies: there is no healing for thee.
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Go to Gilead, and get medicine, dear people of Egypt. You have used many medicines without results; you can't be cured.
12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the earth; for the mighty man stumbleth against the mighty, they are both fallen together.
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The nations have heard of your shame; your cry fills the earth. One warrior will stumble over another, and both will fall together."
13 The word that Jehovah spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:
13
The LORD spoke this message to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who will defeat Egypt.
14 Declare in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph, and in Tahpanhes; say, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword devoureth round about thee.
14
"Tell this in Egypt; announce this in Migdol. Make it known in Memphis and in Tahpanhes. Say, 'Take your positions, and get ready. Swords will kill those around you.'
15 Why are thy valiants swept away? They stood not, for Jehovah did thrust them down.
15
Why should your soldiers be cut down? They can't stand because the LORD will push them down.
16 He made many to stumble, yea, one fell upon another; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.
16
They have repeatedly stumbled, and now they have fallen. They say to each other, 'Get up! Let's go back to our people, to the land where we were born, and escape our enemy's sword.'
17 There did they cry, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the time appointed go by.
17
There they will cry, 'Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a big windbag. He has missed his chance.'
18 [As] I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely as Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
18
"As I live," declares the king, whose name is the LORD of Armies, "someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come. Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
19 Thou, inhabitress, daughter of Egypt, furnish for thyself a captive's baggage, for Noph shall be a desolation and shall be ruined, so that none shall dwell therein.
19
Pack your bags, inhabitants of Egypt, because you will be taken away as captives. Memphis will become a dreary wasteland, a pile of rubble where no one lives.
20 Egypt is a very fair heifer; the gad-fly cometh, it cometh from the north.
20
"Egypt is like a beautiful cow, but a horsefly from the north will attack it.
21 Also her hired men in the midst of her are like fatted bullocks; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand; for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.
21
Egypt's hired soldiers are like fattened calves. They will turn and run away together. They won't stand their ground. The day of destruction is coming. At that time they will be punished.
22 Her voice shall go like a serpent's; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
22
Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away. Its enemies will come with full force. They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.
23 They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it be impenetrable; for they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.
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They will cut down the forest," declares the LORD, "since Egypt can't be found. They are more numerous than locusts; they can't be counted.
24 The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
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The people of Egypt will be put to shame. They will be handed over to the people from the north."
25 Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saith, Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, and her gods, and her kings; yea, Pharaoh and them that confide in him.
25
The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, "I'm going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings, and whoever trusts Pharaoh.
26 And I will give them into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants; but afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith Jehovah.
26
I'll hand them over to those who want to kill them, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers. Afterward, they will live in peace as they did long ago," declares the LORD.
27 But thou, my servant Jacob, fear not, neither be dismayed, Israel: for behold, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make [him] afraid.
27
"Don't be afraid, my servant Jacob. Don't be terrified, Israel. I'm going to rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land, from the land where you are captives. Then Jacob's descendants will again have undisturbed peace, and no one will make them afraid.
28 Fear thou not, my servant Jacob, saith Jehovah: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee with judgment, and I will not hold thee altogether guiltless.
28
Don't be afraid, my servant Jacob," declares the LORD. "I am with you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I won't let you go entirely unpunished."
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