-
Jeremiah 46:13-26
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was coming to attack Egypt. Here is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about it. He said,“ Egyptians, here is what I want you to announce in your land. Announce it in the city of Migdol. Also announce it in Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say,‘ Take up your battle positions! Get ready! The sword eats up those around you.’Why are your soldiers lying on the ground? They can’t stand, because I bring them down.They will trip again and again. They will fall over one another. They will say,‘ Get up. Let’s go back home. Let’s return to our own people and our own lands. Let’s get away from the swords that will bring us great harm.’The Egyptian soldiers will cry out,‘ Pharaoh, our king, is only a loud noise. He has missed his chance to win the battle.’“ I am the King. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. Someone will come who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains. He is like Mount Carmel by the Mediterranean Sea. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the King.“ So pack your belongings, you who live in Egypt. You will be taken away from your land. Memphis will be completely destroyed. Its buildings will be broken down. No one will live there.“ Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But Nebuchadnezzar is coming against her from the north. He will bite her like a fly.Hired soldiers are in Egypt’s army. They are like fat calves. All of them will turn and run away. They will not hold their positions. The day of trouble is coming on them. The time for them to be punished is near.The Egyptians will hiss like a snake that is trying to get away. A powerful army will advance against them. Their enemies will come against them with axes. They will be like those who cut down trees.Egypt is like a thick forest. But they will chop it down,” announces the Lord.“ There are more of their enemies than there are locusts. In fact, they can’t even be counted.The nation of Egypt will be put to shame. It will be handed over to the people of the north.”The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh. I will punish Egypt and its gods and kings. And I will punish those who depend on Pharaoh.I will hand them over to those who want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his officers. But later, many people will live in Egypt again as in times past,” announces the Lord.
-
Nahum 3:8-10
Nineveh, are you better than Thebes on the Nile River? There was water all around that city. The river helped to keep it safe. The waters were like a wall around it.Cush and Egypt gave it all the strength it needed. Put and Libya also helped it.But Thebes was captured anyway. Its people were taken away as prisoners. Its babies were smashed to pieces at every street corner. The Assyrian soldiers cast lots for all its nobles. They put them in chains and made slaves out of them.
-
Jeremiah 46:2
Here is what the Lord says about Egypt. Here is his message against the army of Pharaoh Necho. He was king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, won the battle over Necho’s army. That happened at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message says,
-
Ezekiel 29:1-21
It was the tenth year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the 12th day of the tenth month, a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,“ Son of man, turn your attention to Pharaoh Hophra. He is king of Egypt. Prophesy against him and the whole land of Egypt.Tell him,‘ The Lord and King says,“‘ “Pharaoh Hophra, I am against you. King of Egypt, you are like a huge monster lying among your streams. You say,‘ The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.’But I will put hooks in your jaws. I will make the fish in your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you out from among your streams. All the fish will stick to your scales.I will leave you out in the desert. All the fish in your streams will be there with you. You will fall down in an open field. You will not be picked up. I will feed you to the wild animals and to the birds in the sky.Then everyone who lives in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.“‘ “You have been like a walking stick made out of a papyrus stem. The people of Israel tried to lean on you.They took hold of you. But you broke under their weight. You tore open their shoulders. The people of Israel leaned on you. But you snapped in two. And their backs were broken.” ’ ”So the Lord and King says,“ I will send Nebuchadnezzar’s sword against you. He will kill people and animals alike.Egypt will become a dry and empty desert. Then your people will know that I am the Lord.“ You said,‘ The Nile River belongs to me. I made it for myself.’So I am against you and your streams. I will destroy the land of Egypt. I will turn it into a dry and empty desert from Migdol all the way to Aswan. I will destroy everything as far as the border of Cush.No people or animals will travel through Egypt. No one will even live there for 40 years.Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its destroyed cities will lie empty for 40 years. I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries.”But here is what the Lord and King says.“ At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians together. I will bring them back from the nations where they were scattered.I will bring them back from where they were taken as prisoners. I will return them to Upper Egypt. That is where their families came from. There they will be an unimportant kingdom.Egypt will be the least important kingdom of all. It will never place itself above the other nations again. I will make it very weak. Then it will never again rule over the nations.The people of Israel will no longer trust in Egypt. Instead, Egypt will remind them of how they sinned when they turned to it for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord and King.”It was the 27th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the first day of the first month, a message from the Lord came to me. Here is what the Lord said.“ Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar drove his army in a hard military campaign. The campaign was against Tyre. Their helmets rubbed their heads bare. The heavy loads they carried made their shoulders raw. But he and his army did not gain anything from the campaign he led against Tyre.So I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth. He will take away anything else they have. He will give it to his army.I have given Egypt to him as a reward for his efforts. After all, he and his army attacked Egypt because I told them to,” announces the Lord and King.“ When Nebuchadnezzar wins the battle over Egypt, I will make the Israelites strong again. Ezekiel, I will open your mouth. And you will be able to speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
-
Jeremiah 43:9-11
“ Make sure the Jews are watching you. Then get some large stones. Go to the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes. Bury the stones in the clay under the brick walkway there.Then tell the Jews,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And I will set his throne over these stones that are buried here. He will set up his royal tent over them.He will come and attack Egypt. He will bring death to those I have appointed to die. He will take away as prisoners those I have appointed to be taken away. And he will kill with swords those I have appointed to be killed.
