The Lord Speaks to Jeremiah about the Nations
1 The Lord often told me what to say about the different nations of the world.
What the Lord Says about Egypt
2 In the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia defeated King Neco of Egypt in a battle at the city of Carchemish near the Euphrates River. And here is what the Lord told me to say about the Egyptian army:
3 It's time to go into battle!
So grab your shields,
4 saddle your horses,
and polish your spears.
Put on your helmets and armor,
then take your positions.
5 I can see the battle now—
you are defeated
and running away,
never once looking back.
Terror is all around.
6 You are strong and run fast,
but you can't escape.
You fall in battle
near the Euphrates River.
7 What nation is this,
that rises like the Nile River
overflowing its banks?
8 It is Egypt, rising with a roar
like a raging river
and saying,
“I'll flood the earth,
destroying cities, and killing
everyone in them.”
9 Go ahead, Egypt.
Tell your chariots and cavalry
to attack and fight hard.
Order your troops to march out,
with Ethiopians and Libyans
carrying shields,
and the Lydians armed with bows
and arrows.
10 But the Lord All-Powerful
will win this battle
and take revenge
on his enemies.
His sword will eat them
and drink their blood
until it is full.
They will be killed in the north
near the Euphrates River,
as a sacrifice to the Lord.
11 Egypt, no medicine can heal you,
not even the soothing lotion
from Gilead.
12 All nations have heard you weep;
you are disgraced,
and they know it.
Your troops fall to the ground,
stumbling over each other.
A Warning for Egypt
13-14 When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia was on his way to attack Egypt, the Lord sent me with a warning for every Egyptian town, but especially for Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. He said to tell them:
Prepare to defend yourselves!
Everywhere in your nation,
people are dying in war.
15 I have struck down
your mighty god Apis
and chased him away.
16 Your soldiers stumble
over each other
and say, “Get up!
The enemy will kill us,
unless we can escape
to our own land.”
17 Give the king of Egypt
this new name,
“Talks-Big-Does-Nothing.”
18 Egypt, I am the true king,
the Lord All-Powerful,
and as surely as I live,
those enemies who attack
will tower over you
like Mount Tabor among the hills
or Mount Carmel by the sea.
19 You will be led away captive,
so pack a few things
to bring with you.
Your capital, Memphis,
will lie empty and in ruins.
20 An enemy from the north
will attack you, beautiful Egypt,
like a fly biting a cow.
21 The foreign soldiers you hired
will turn and run.
But they are doomed,
like well-fed calves
being led to the butcher.
* 22 The enemy army will go forward
like a swarm of locusts.
Your troops will feel helpless,
like a snake in a forest
23 when men with axes
start chopping down trees.
It can only hiss
and try to escape.
24 Your people will be disgraced
and captured by the enemy
from the north.
25 I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. Soon I will punish the god Amon of Thebes and the other Egyptian gods, the Egyptian kings, the people of Egypt, and everyone who trusts in the Egyptian power. 26 I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar and his army. But I also promise that Egypt will someday have people living here again, just as it had before. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Bring Israel Home
The Lord said:
27 Israel, don't be afraid.
Someday I will bring you home
from foreign lands.
You and your descendants
will live in peace and safety,
with nothing to fear.
28 So don't be afraid,
even though now
you deserve to be punished
and have been scattered
among other nations.
But when I destroy them,
I will protect you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Ndayidzo ngekwe Egipiti
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jeremiya nlebesambeli ngekwe zwitjaba. 2 Ngekwe Egipiti, lakalingisana ne babhayani ba Faro Neko, mambo we Egipiti, bakakundiwa ku Karikhemishi pa Gwizi gwe Yufuratesi ndi Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni mu gole le bunna le mbuso wa Jehoyakimu nkololo wa Josiya mambo we Juda liti,
3 “Lulwamisani zwivikisi zwikulu ne zwitukunu,
mutshambe makazwilulwamisila ngwa!
4 Sungani mbizi dzenyu,
mudzitathe imwi bataswi be mbizi!
Imani zubuyanana makaambala hwutshe dze ngwa,
kuswani mathumo enyu,
ambalani zwivikisi zwenyu zwe ifuba!
5 Ndobonelani ikoku?
Batemeka mafupa,
babgwilila shule.
Babhayani babo bakundiwa,
batizha tjinyolotjo,
basingatjebuke shule,
lutjo gumu mbizho dzose!
Koleba Yahwe.6 Unalubilo angatubule kutizha,
mbhayani aangatubule kusiya,
ku bunandzwa ku Gwizi gwe Yufuratesi,
bakuthiwa bakawa.
7 “Ndiani iwoyu unosuma se Naili,
se gwizi gwakatuta matanda kene?
8 Egipiti inosuma se Naili,
se gwizi gwakatuta matanda.
Inoti, ‘Ndowomilika, ndowofukidza shango,
ndowokolomola mizi mikulu ne bagali bayo.
9 Endilani mbeli imwi mbizi,
labukani makasima imwi koloyi dze ngwa!
Tshambilani mbeli imwi babhayani,
balume be Khushi ne Puti bakabhata zwivikisi,
balume be Ludi nyambi dze matati.’
10 “Zhuba ilelo i zhuba la She Yahwe Masimbawose,
zhuba le kubgwilizila,
be zwibgwilizilila ku zwita zwabo.
Thumo lowoja kudzina lagutshika,
likang'wa malopa kudzina laguta malopa abo.
Ngoti Yahwe Ndzimu Masimbawose bakabhata tjibhayilo,
ku shango ye bunandzwa pa Gwizi gwe Yufuratesi.
11 Tathila ku Giliyadi unotola nyonje,
iwe mwanadi we Egipiti!
Wakashingisila suli miti minjinji,
auna bhodzo.
12 Zwitjaba zwakahwa ngekwe shoni dzidzo,
shango izhele tjililo tjitjo,
ngoti mbhayani wakabhayana ne mbhayani,
ngono bakanowa bubili gwabo.”
Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni waswika
13 Dama la Yahwe labakaleba kuna Jeremiya nlebesambeli ngekwe kuzha kwa Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni kunginilila Egipiti ndelinoti,
14 “Leba mu Egipiti kakale uzibise ku Migidolo,
zibisa ku Memifisi ne Tahefanesi,
uti, ‘Imani muzwilulwamise,
ngoti thumo lawoja kumupoteleka.’
15 Ini bakasima babo baligwa kene?
Abatotubula kuma ngoti Yahwe babaliga.
16 Babaliga nge bunji, banowa,
banowilana pezhugwi.
Banodwana beti,
‘Milikani, ngatibgwilileni ku bathu bedu,
ku shango yatakazwaligwa,
titizhe thumo le ntshambilidzi.’
17 Ikoko banowomimila beti,
‘Faro mambo we Egipiti ba nsindo we ngwa koga
ngono baleya tjibaka tjakalingisana.’
18 “Nge malebeswa anditjatjila, koleba Mambo,
be zina labo linoyi Yahwe Masimbawose,
se Tabori pakati kwe matombo,
se Karimeli pa gungwa mmwe unowozha.
19 Lulwamisani zwitolombaje zwenyu kutapiwa,
imwi bagali be Egipiti!
Ngoti Memifisi inowothukudziwa,
akabe dongo lisina bagali.
20 “Egipiti i ng'ombe yakanaka kwazo,
ngoti thuzi ye ng'ombe kudwa ku bunandzwa yaswika ku ili.
21 Ne babhayani babe bakahiriwa bayapo pakati kwayo,
banonga phulu dzakakodziwa,
na ibobo bashanduka batizhabo,
abazotubula kuma,
ngoti zhuba le mbatsha labawila,
tjibaka tje kulobgwa shamu kwabo.
22 “Egipiti inothama nsindo unonga we nyoka itizha,
ngoti zwita zwizwe zotshamba zwakasima,
zozha kubhayana naye nge mashathu,
sa ibabo banotema miti,
23 banowotema miti yayo.
Koleba Yahwe,kene ikabe yakamandana kwakatini,
ngoti banjinji kupinda phashu,
abatobalika.
24 Nkololokadzi we Egipiti unowobhatisiwa shoni,
kalongwa mu maboko e bathu banodwa ku bunandzwa.”
25 Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, “Bonani, ndabe pejo ne loba shamu Amoni ndzimu we Thebesi na Faro ne Egipiti ne midzimu yayo na bomambo bayo, na Faro na bose banogalabgwe mu nli. 26 Ndowobalonga mu maboko aibabo banoshaka kubabulaya, mu maboko a Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni ne makulukota awe. Shule kwa ipapo Egipiti inowogagwa koga se mu misi ya ntolo,” kojalo Yahwe.
27 “Koga usitje, iwe Jakubo nlanda wangu,
kene ili kutemeka mafupa, iwe Iziraela,
ngoti nge lebeswa ndowokutjidza uli kulekule,
ne bana babo baku shango ye kutapiwa kwabo.
Jakubo unowobe ne mbakiso ne kubakililika kakale,
akuna unowon'thama kuti atje.
28 Usitje iwe Jakubo nlanda wangu,
koleba Yahwe,ngoti ndinawe.
Ndowozhisa bhelelo lizhele ku zwitjaba zose,
zwandakakutatila ku zwili,
koga nge kuko anditowozhisa bhelelo lizhele.
Ndowokutjemela koga nge kwakatambunuka,
anditowokuletja koga ndisakuloba shamu.”