THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 46 ©

The title of the following prophecies, v. 1. A prophecy of the defeat of the king of Egypt, Pharaoh-necho, 2. And further of the total destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadrezzar, with an additional promise, 13. God’s people are comforted in their afflictions, 27.

1

THE word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

2

1Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, 2which was by the river 3Euphrates 4in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon 5smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

3

Order ye the buckler and shield, and 6draw near to battle.

4

7Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbisha the spears, and put on the brigandines.b

5

Wherefore 8have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and 9are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.

6

Let not the 10swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the 11river Euphrates.

7

Who is this that cometh up as a 12flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

8

13Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will 14cover the earth; I will destroy the 15city and the inhabitants thereof.

9

Come up, ye horses; and 16rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the 17Ethiopians and the Libyans, that 18handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and 19bend the bow.c

10

For this is the day of the Lord GOD of 20hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a 21sacrifice in the 22north country by the river Euphrates.

11

Go up into 23Gilead,d and 24take 25balm, O 26virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be 27cured.

12

The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled 28against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

13

29The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and 30smite the land of Egypt.

14

Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in 31Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, 32Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall 33devour round about thee.

15

Why 34are thy valiant men swept away? they 35stood not, because the LORD did 36drive them.

16

He 37made many to fall, yea, 38one fell upon another: and they 39said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our 40nativity, 41from the 42oppressing sword.

17

They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a 43noise; he hath passed the time 44appointed.

18

As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely 45as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19

O thou 46daughter dwelling in Egypt, 47furnish thyself to go into captivity: for 48Noph shall be waste and 49desolate without an inhabitant.

20

Egypt is like a very fair 50heifer, but 51destruction 52cometh; it cometh out of the north.

21

Also her 53hired men are in the midst of her like 54fatted bullocks; for they also 55are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their 56calamity was come upon them, and the time of their 57visitation.

22

The voice 58thereof shall go like a serpent; for 59they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

23

They shall cut down her 60forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be 61searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are 62innumerable.

24

The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the 63north.

25

The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the 64multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their 65kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

26

And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their 66lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward 67it shall be 68inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

27

¶But fear not thou,e O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy 69seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him 70afraid.

28

Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a 71full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correctf thee in 72measure; yet will I 73not leave thee wholly unpunished.