Egypt's Defeat at Carchemish
1 The Lord spoke to me about the nations, 2 beginning with Egypt. This is what he said about the army of King Neco of Egypt, which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia defeated at Carchemish near the Euphrates River in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah:
3 “The Egyptian officers shout,
‘Get your shields ready
and march into battle!
4 Harness your horses and mount them!
Fall in line and put on your helmets!
Sharpen your spears!
Put on your armor!’
5 “But what do I see?” asks the Lord.
“They are turning back in terror.
Their soldiers are beaten back;
overcome with fear, they run as fast as they can
and do not look back.
6 Those who run fast cannot get away;
the soldiers cannot escape.
In the north, by the Euphrates,
they stumble and fall.
7 Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like a river flooding its banks?
8 It is Egypt, rising like the Nile,
like a river flooding its banks.
Egypt said, ‘I will rise and cover the world;
I will destroy cities and the people who live there.
9 Command the horses to go
and the chariots to roll!
Send out the soldiers:
men from Ethiopia and Libya, carrying shields,
and skilled archers from Lydia.’”
10 This is the day of the Sovereign Lord Almighty:
today he will take revenge;
today he will punish his enemies.
His sword will eat them until it is full,
and drink their blood until it is satisfied.
Today the Almighty sacrifices his victims
in the north, by the Euphrates.
11 People of Egypt, go to Gilead
and look for medicine!
All your medicine has proved useless;
nothing can heal you.
12 Nations have heard of your shame;
everyone has heard you cry.
One soldier trips over another,
and both of them fall to the ground.
The Coming of Nebuchadnezzar
13 When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia came to attack Egypt, the Lord spoke to me. He said,
14 “Proclaim it in the towns of Egypt,
in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes:
‘Get ready to defend yourselves;
all you have will be destroyed in war!
15 Why has your mighty god Apis fallen?
The Lord has struck him down!’
16 Your soldiers have stumbled and fallen;
each one says to the other,
‘Hurry! Let's go home to our people
and escape the enemy's sword!’
17 “Give the king of Egypt a new name—
‘Noisy Braggart Who Missed His Chance.’
18 I, the Lord Almighty, am king.
I am the living God.
As Mount Tabor towers above the mountains
and Mount Carmel stands high above the sea,
so will be the strength of the one who attacks you.
19 Get ready to be taken prisoner,
you people of Egypt!
Memphis will be made a desert,
a ruin where no one lives.
20 Egypt is like a splendid cow,
attacked by a stinging fly from the north.
21 Even her hired soldiers
are helpless as calves.
They did not stand and fight;
all of them turned and ran.
The day of their doom had arrived,
the time of their destruction.
22 Egypt runs away, hissing like a snake,
as the enemy's army approaches.
They attack her with axes,
like people cutting down trees
23 and destroying a thick forest.
Their soldiers are too many to count;
they outnumber the locusts.
24 The people of Egypt are put to shame;
they are conquered by the people of the north.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says, “I am going to punish Amon, the god of Thebes, together with Egypt and its gods and kings. I am going to take the king of Egypt and all who put their trust in him, 26 and hand them over to those who want to kill them, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army. But later on, people will live in Egypt again, as they did in times past. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Will Save His People
27 “My people, do not be afraid,
people of Israel, do not be terrified.
I will rescue you from that faraway land,
from the land where you are prisoners.
You will come back home and live in peace;
you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid.
28 I will come to you and save you.
I will destroy all the nations
where I have scattered you,
but I will not destroy you.
I will not let you go unpunished;
but when I punish you, I will be fair.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Ovaengipte mave havererwa mOkarkemis
1 Muhona wa hungirira oviwaṋa ku ami, 2 ama utire potjiwaṋa tja Engipte. Eye wa tja nai indu tja hungirira otjimbumba tjovita tja Neko, ombara ya Engipte, tji tja havererwa mOkarkemis popezu nonḓonḓu Eufrat, i Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, mombura oitjaine youhona wa Jojakim, ombara ya Juda:
3 “Ovahongore va Engipte mave ravaere ave tja:
‘Tooreye otuvao tweṋu,
nu mu karwe ovita!
4 Kutireye oukambe weṋu, mu kavire, oweṋe vakavire!
Kurameye motuteto; tweye ko omakori weṋu wovita!
Upikeye omanga weṋu!
Zareye ozombanda zeṋu zovita!’ ”
5 Muhona ma pura nai:
“Ami hapo me munu tjike?
Owo mave yaruka ombunda amave tira.
Ozombanḓe zawo za rambwa movita naze yarurwa ombunda;
ozo maze tupuka nomasa otja pu maze sora,
aze nomburuma, nu aze hi nokutaviza kombunda.
6 Ovanatjikara kave nokukaseka;
ozombanḓe kaze nokutaura.
Komukuma wokokunene kweyuva ponḓonḓu Eufrat
owo mave putara nave u.
7 Owaṋi ngwi ngu ma sekama otja onḓonḓu Nil,
otja onḓonḓu ndji mai tanana ovikere vyayo?
8 Oro ehi ra Engipte, ndi mari surakana otja onḓonḓu Nil,
otja onḓonḓu ndji mai tanana ovikere vyayo.
Engipte mari tja nai: ‘Ami me surakana ne vandeke ouye;
me nyono ovihuro novandu, mba tura mu vyo.
9 Rakiza oukambe kutja u kumuke,
nomatemba wovita kutja ye kayende.
Ovarwe wovita ngave kumuke,
okutja ovarumendu mba zire
kOsudan na Libie mbe tjinda otuvao,
na wina ovayumbe vouta ozonongo, mba zire kOlidie.’ ”
10 Indi oro eyuva ra Muhona
Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe:
Ndino eye ma sutisa ovanavita;
ndino eye ma vere ovanavita na ye.
Engaruvyo re mari ve sasaura nga tji re kuta,
nu mari nu ombinḓu yawo nga tji ra kowa.
Ndino ingwi Muhona Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe
ma tjiti omukandi wombunguhiro
komukuma wokokunene kweyuva,
ponḓonḓu Eufrat.
11 Tjiwaṋa tja Engipte, twende kOgilead,
nu u kapahe omiti vyokupanga!
Omiti vyoye vyokupanga avihe oviporoporo!
Kape notjiṋa tji matji ku verukisa.
12 Oviwaṋa vya zuva ohoṋi yoye;
omundu auhe we ku zuva amo riri.
Ovarwe wovita va putara ave wire mumwe,
naveyevari ave wire pehi.
Omeero wa Nebukadnesar
13 Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, tje ya okurwisa Engipte, Muhona wa hungira ku ami, na tja:
14 “Zuvariseye nai mehi ra Engipte,
movihuro ooMigdol na Memfis na Takpanhes:
‘Rirongera okuriyeura omuini;
avihe mbi u na vyo mavi yandekwa movita.
15 Okutjavi omukuru woye omunamasa Apis tja vandwa pehi?
Muhona ongwe mu vanda pehi.
16 Ovarwe voye wovita va putara nave u;
owo mave verihungirire oveni ave tja:
Ngatu sekame, tu yaruke kotjiwaṋa tjetu, kehi retu,
tu kataure engaruvyo romunavita!’
17 “Rukeye ombara ya Engipte ena epe ndi:
‘Murokohe wa tjinene ngu nyona oruveze rwe’.
18 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona
Omunamasaaehe, owami Ombara.
Owami Ndjambi omunamuinyo.
Ondundu Tabor punga ai hiva ozondundu,
nondundu Karmel punga ai hiva okuvare tjinene,
opunga amape sana omasa waingwi ngu me ku rwisa.
19 Rirongereye okutwarewa otja ovahuurwa,
vature va Engipte!
Memfis matji rire okuti onguza nu matji rire
otjitambatundu mu mu ha tura omundu.
20 Engipte ri ri otja ongombe onḓenḓu eremba
ndji mai rumatwa i onḓe ondumate ndja
zire komukuma wokeyuva kokunene.
21 Nandarire ovarwe vawo ovayazema kave nombatero,
owo ve ri otja ozondana nḓa ṋunisiwa.
Kave kuramene nokurwa;
avehe va tanauka nave tupuka.
Eyuva rosengiro yawo reya,
indi eyuva romberero yawo.
22 Engipte mari tupuka okuyenda amari hekana
tjimuna onyoka ndji mai suvire,
otjimbumba tjovanavita tji matjiya.
Otjo matji rwisa ro nomakuva
tjimuna ovarumendu mbu mave ke omiti
23 nu mbu mave nyono otjihwa otjipote.
Ovarumendu vawo owo ovengi tjinene
nga tji ve hi nokusora okuvarwa;
ovarwe vawo wovita va kapita ehapu rozombahu.
24 Ovaengipte mave ṱisiwa ohoṋi;
owo mave haverwa i ovandu vokeyuva kokunene.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona,
owami ngu mba hungire.”
25 Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, ma tja nai: “Ami me vere Amon, omukuru wotjisenginina wa Tebes, pamwe nehi ra Engipte noomukuru varo nozombara zaro. Ami me kambura ombara ya Engipte na imba avehe mbe riyameka ku yo, 26 nu meve yandja momake wa imba mbu mave vanga okuvezepa, okutja oNebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, notjimbumba tje tjovita. Nungwari kombunda yanao ovandu mave tura mOengipte rukwao tjimuna indu tji va turire rukuru. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Muhona ma yama otjiwaṋa tje
27 “Tjiwaṋa tjandje, o tira;
tjiwaṋa tja Israel, o mumapara.
Ami me ku yama mehi rokokure ndo,
mehi ove mu u ri omuhuurwa.
Mo kotoka konganda, no yekutura mohange;
mo kara nokuhinooma,
nu kape na ngu me ku urumisa.
28 O tira, tjiwaṋa tjandje!
Ami meya kove ne ku vatere.
Me yandeke oviwaṋa avihe mu mbe ku rimba;
nungwari ove himee ku yandeke.
Ami hi nokukuesa nokuhinakukuvera;
nungwari tji me ku vere, me ku vere osemba.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
