“ 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.

“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.

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.

“ 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: 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.

We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.

“ But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him:‘ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard:

“ Please speak to the Lord for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.”

Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah,“ Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers.For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.

Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives.

This is what the Lord says:“ Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

First here, then there— you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before.

All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord, for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds.When Israel leaned on you, you splintered and broke and stabbed her in the armpit. When she put her weight on you, you collapsed, and her legs gave way.

No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.

“ What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord.“ You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes,all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you.”This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev: The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt— donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure— all to pay for Egypt’s protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.

“ Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt’s shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”