13 ⇔When the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) was coming to attack Mitsrayim (Egypt), Yahweh gave the prophet Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) this message:[ref]

14 Announce in Mitsrayim, and proclaim it in Migdol, Nof (Memphis), and Tahfanhes:

‘Take your station and prepare to defend yourself,

because everyone around you will be killed.’

15 Why are your powerful warriors lying face down on the ground?

They can’t stand against the enemy,

because I Yahweh, have pushed them to the ground.

16 He increases the numbers of those who stumble.

Each soldier falls against the next one.

They’re saying, ‘Get ready.

Let’s go back to our own people, to our native land.

Let’s leave this oppressive war.

17 There in Mitsrayim (Egypt) they’ll call out,

‘Our King Par’oh (Pharaoh) is all noise—

he’s let his opportunity slip away.

18 The king whose name is Commander-in-chief Yahweh declares:

‘As surely as I live

an invader is coming

who’s as tall as Mt. Tavor among the mountains,

≈ and like Mt. Karmel by the sea.

19 You inhabitants of Mitsrayim,

pack your own baggage to carry into exile,

because Nof (Memphis) will become a wasteland—

it will lie in ruins and no one will live there.

20 Mitsrayim is a very beautiful young cow,

but a stinging insect is coming from the north.

It’s on its way.

21 Its hired soldiers are like calves that have been protected and well-fed,

but they’ll also turn away and run away.

They won’t stand together, because the day of their disaster is coming against them—

it’s time for their punishment.

22 Mitsrayim hisses like a snake and crawls away,

because her enemies are coming with a show of strength.

They’re coming toward her like woodcutters with axes.

23 Yahweh declares that they’ll cut down the forest

so there’ll be nowhere to hide

because their soldiers will be more numerous than locusts

and no one will even be able to count them.

24 Mitsrayim’s inhabitants will be humiliated—

they’ll be handed over to those northern people.

25 Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says, “Listen, I’m about to punish Amon the god of No (Thebes) city, Mitsrayim (Egypt) and her other gods, its kings the Par’ohs (Pharaohs), and all those who trust in them. 26 I’ll hand them over to those who want them dead, and over to Bavel’s (Babylon’s) King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) and his servants. But after that, Mitsrayim will be inhabited as in past times. That is Yahweh’s declaration.