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.
Egipiti tashi dhengelwa muKarkemish
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje ehunganeko tali popi iigwana. 2 Momumvo omutine gwelelo lyaJehoiakim yaJosia, omukwaniilwa gwaJuda, Nebukadnezzar, omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, okwa dhengele etangakwiita lyaNeko, omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti, muKarkemish pomulonga Eufrat. Kombinga yetangakwiita ndika Omuwa okwa ti:
3 “Omalenga gaEgipiti taga kugu:
‘Homateni omahuuyanza geni,
tondokeni onkugo!
4 Kutileni uukambe weni, mu u kayile!
Thikameni mwa tegama mwa zala omagala giiyela!
Upikeni omagonga!
Zaleni omahuuyanza!’ ”
5 “Ondi wete shike?” Omuwa ta pula.
“Otaa shuna mehaluko.
Aakwiita yawo otaa shunithwa ko;
oya kwatwa kuumbanda,
oya yi ontuku yo itaa tala konima.
6 Aanandapolela itaa hunuka mo;
aakwiita itaa vulu okufadhuka po.
Muumbangalantu waEufrat otaa tantala e taa punduka.
7 Olye ngo ta tumbu ko a fa Niili,
a fa omulongafundja gwa tsa koontuni?
8 OEgipiti a tumba a fa Niili,
a fa omulongafundja gwa tsa koontuni.
Egipiti a ti: ‘Otandi yeluka, ndi siikile uuyuni;
tandi hanagula po iilando naantu ya kala mo.
9 Uukambe, homoneni;
aanamatemba, mu ngangalale!
Undukeni, ne aakwiita mboka mwa za kuEtiopia naPut mu na omahuuyanza,
noondjumbeta mwa yambuka muLud.’ ”
10 Esiku ndika olyOmupangeliawike
Omuwa Omunankondoawike;
onena tuu ta polithile ondjahi ye maatondi ye,
onenanena te ya geele.
Egongamwele lye otali ka kuta
notali ka kumwa okunwa ombinzi yawo.
Omuwa ota tsele oontselelandjambo muumbangalantu puEufrat.
11 Aayegipiti, indeni kuGilead;
indii ko mu ka konge omuti!
Omiti dheni adhihe odha tutuka,
kadhi na omwago oku mu aludha.
12 Iigwana oya kundana ohoni yeni;
shaa ngoka okwa uvu tamu kugu.
Omukwiita ota londakana mukwawo,
naayehe yaali otaa gwile pevi ongali.
Nebukadnezzar te ya
13 Omuwa okwa tseyithile ndje, nkene Nebukadnezzar, omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, ta ka dhenga Egipiti. Okwa ti:
14 “Tseyitheni miilando yaEgipiti,
muMigdol, Memfis naTakpanhes.
Tyeni: ‘Langeleni komatati mu ipopile;
amuhe tamu ka hanagulwa po miita.
15 Oshikalungangombe shoye Apis oshike sha gwila po?
Inashi wapa okuthikama,
oshoka Omuwa e shi hata pevi.’
16 Aakwiita yoye oya tantala noya gwile pevi omulape.
Gumwe ota ti kumukwawo:
‘Thikama, tu ye koyaandjetu,
tu henuke egongamwele lyomutondi.’
17 “Omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti na lukululwe edhina epe —
‘Munalwango a mana po ethimbo lye.’
18 Ongame Omuwa Omunankondoawike,
Omukwaniilwa, ongame Kalunga Omunamwenyo,
ngoka te ku homona, a fa ondundu Tabor ya lundalala mokati koondundu,
a fa ondundu Karmel ya tumbalala kombanda yefuta.
19 Ilongekidhileni okukwatwa po, ne Aayegipiti!
Memfis otashi shituka ombuga,
omakulukuma gowala mwaa na aantu.
20 Egipiti olya fa onzinzi yoshawo oshinene,
ya kolokelwa komatopola gokuumbangalantu.
21 Aakwiita yalyo aahehelwa oya fa oompunya.
Otaa ka piluka ya ye ontuku,
itaa tegama ya kondje,
oshoka esiku lyehanagulo lyawo olye ya,
esiku lyegeelo lyawo lya thiki.
22 Egipiti olya yele po, otali homa lya fa epili,
aakwiita yomutondi sho taa hedha ko.
Otaye li homona nomakuya ya fa aantu taa keke po omuti
23 e taa mbugaleke omugulu omunene.
Aantu yawo ya nyengana okuyalulwa;
aakwiita yawo oyendji ye vule oombahu.
24 Aayegipiti otaa sithwa ohoni;
otaa sindika kaaumbangalantu.
Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
25 Omuwa, Omunankondoawike, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti: “Otandi geele Ammon, oshikalunga shomuThebes, pamwe naEgipiti, iikalunga yalyo naakwaniilwa yalyo. Otandi ka kutha po omukwaniilwa gwaEgipiti naayehe mboka ye mu inekela, 26 noku ya gandja kumboka ya hala oku ya dhipaga, komukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia Nebukadnezzar netangakwiita lye. Ihe konakuyiwa aantu onaa ka kala ishewe muEgipiti, ngaashi ya li ya kala mo nale. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Omuwa ta hupitha aantu ye
27 “Omuntu gwandje Jakob, ino tila,
Israel, ino haluka.
Otandi ke ku yugulula ko koshilongo shokokule,
kevi ndyoka wa falwa ko omupongekwa.
Oto ka galukila kegumbo e to kala nombili;
oto ka kala megameno,
nopwaa na ngoka te ku halutha.
28 Otandi ya kungoye, ndi ku hupithe.
Otandi ka hanagula po iigwana ayihe
nkoka nde ku halakanithile ko.
Itandi ke ku yona po,
ihe otandi ku putudha nuuyuuki.
Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
