The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,“ The king of Judah has sent you to ask me for advice. Tell him,‘ Pharaoh’s army has marched out to help you. But it will go back to its own land. It will return to Egypt.

“耶和华以色列的神如此说：犹大王打发你们来求问我，你们要如此对他说：‘那出来帮助你们法老的军队必回埃及本国去。

“耶和华—以色列的上帝如此说：你们要对派你们来求问我的犹大王如此说：‘看哪，那出来帮助你们的法老军队必回埃及本国去。

“耶和华—以色列的神如此说：你们要对派你们来求问我的犹大王如此说：‘看哪，那出来帮助你们的法老军队必回埃及本国去。

“这是以色列的上帝耶和华的话，‘犹大王派你们来求问我，你们告诉他，前来支援你们的法老军队必中途返回埃及，

“耶和华以色列的神这样说：你们要对差派你们来求问我的犹大王这样说：‘看哪！那出来帮助你们的法老的军队，必回到他们的埃及本地去。

「耶和華－以色列的神如此說：猶大王打發你們來求問我，你們要如此對他說：『那出來幫助你們法老的軍隊必回埃及本國去。

「耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：你們要對派你們來求問我的猶大王如此說：『看哪，那出來幫助你們的法老軍隊必回埃及本國去。

「耶和華－以色列的神如此說：你們要對派你們來求問我的猶大王如此說：『看哪，那出來幫助你們的法老軍隊必回埃及本國去。

「這是以色列的上帝耶和華的話，『猶大王派你們來求問我，你們告訴他，前來支援你們的法老軍隊必中途返回埃及，

“耶和華以色列的神這樣說：你們要對差派你們來求問我的猶大王這樣說：‘看哪！那出來幫助你們的法老的軍隊，必回到他們的埃及本地去。

『永恆主以色列之上帝這麼說：猶大王打發了你們來求問我，你們要對他這麼說：「看吧，法老的軍隊、那出來幫助你們的，必回埃及它本地去。

以色列之上帝耶和華云、其告遣爾問我之猶大王曰、法老之軍旅出以助爾、必返埃及、入其故土、

以色列族之上帝耶和華云、猶大王既遣爾、諮諏於我、爾當告之曰、法老之軍旅、雖來輔翼、終歸埃及、

主以色列之天主如是云、猶大王遣爾曹來、求問於我、爾曹當如是告之曰、法老之軍旅、出以助爾、必歸其地伊及、

“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me,‘ Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.

“ Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me,‘ Behold, Pharaoh’s army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land.

“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him,‘ Pharaoh’s army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you.

“ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: This is what you will say to Judah’s king, who is sending you to inquire of me:‘ Watch: Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, is going to return to its own land of Egypt.

“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says:‘ This is what you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me:“ Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, is going to return to its own land of Egypt.

“ Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,‘ Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me:“ Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.

Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: This is what you will say to Judah’s king, who is sending you to inquire of Me: Watch: Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, is going to return to its own land of Egypt.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

“ The LORD God of Israel says,‘ Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. Tell him,“ The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt.

“ Yahweh, the God of Israel, says,‘ You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me:“ Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.

And that’s not all. Our eyes grew tired. We looked for help that never came. We watched from our towers. We kept looking for a nation that couldn’t save us.

The king of Judah sent you to ask the Lord for advice. Tell him,‘ The Lord is the God of Israel. He has a message for you about the things you heard. He says,

“ Ask the Lord to help us. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. In the past the Lord did wonderful things for us. Maybe he’ll do them again. Then Nebuchadnezzar will pull his armies back from us.”

But King Zedekiah sent Jehukal to Jeremiah the prophet. Zedekiah sent Zephaniah the priest along with him. Jehukal was the son of Shelemiah. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah. Jehukal and Zephaniah brought the king’s message to Jeremiah. It said,“ Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help! How terrible for those who depend on horses! They trust in how many chariots they have. They trust in how strong their horsemen are. But they don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. They don’t ask the Lord for his help.He too is wise. He can bring horrible trouble. He does what he says he’ll do. He’ll rise up against that evil nation. He’ll fight against those who help them.The men of Egypt are only human beings. They aren’t God. Their horses are only flesh and blood. They aren’t spirits. The Lord will reach out his powerful hand to punish everyone. The Egyptians provide help. But they will be tripped up. The people of Judah receive the help. But they will fall down. All of them will be destroyed.

So Nebuchadnezzar will build ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. He will set up war machines to destroy many lives. Pharaoh will not be able to help Zedekiah during the war. The huge and mighty army of Egypt will not be of any help.

The Lord says,“ Those who trust in human beings are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me.They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land. They will not enjoy success when it comes. They will live in dry places in the desert. It is a land of salt where no one else lives.

Why do you keep on changing your ways so much? Assyria did not help you. And Egypt will not help you either.

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.” ’ ”

No wisdom, wise saying or plan can succeed against the Lord.

“ How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!” announces the Lord.“ How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me! Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit. So they pile up one sin on top of another.They go down to Egypt without asking me for advice. They look to Pharaoh to help them. They ask Egypt to keep them safe.But looking to Pharaoh will only bring them shame. Asking Egypt for help will bring them dishonor.Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan. Their messengers have arrived in Hanes.But the people of Judah will be put to shame. That’s because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them. Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage. Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor.”Here is a prophecy the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert. Judah’s messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys. They carry their treasures on the humps of camels. They travel through a land of danger and suffering. It’s a land filled with lions. Poisonous snakes are also there. The messengers travel to a nation that can’t do them any good.

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.”