17. They cried there: ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise! He let the opportune time pass.’
18. As I live,” declares the King —whose Name is Adonai-Tzva’ot— “like Tabor among the mountains, or like Carmel by the sea, so surely he will come.”
19. O daughter dwelling in Egypt, get your bags ready for exile! For Noph will become a ruin laid waste, uninhabited.
20. Egypt is a beautiful heifer— but a biting fly is coming— from the north it is coming!
21. Even her mercenaries among her are like stall-fed calves, for they also will turn back— they will flee away together, they will not stand up— for the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their visitation.
22. Its sound will hiss like a snake, as they march with an army, and come against her as woodcutters with axes.
23. They cut down her forest” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “though it was impenetrable, for they are worse than the locust —they are without number.
24. The daughter of Egypt is disgraced, handed over to people of the north.”
25. Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, Pharaoh, Egypt, with her gods and her kings—even Pharaoh, and them that trust in him.
26. I will hand them over to those seeking their lives, into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his servants. Yet afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
27. “But you, fear not, Jacob My servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, your offspring from the land of their exile. And Jacob will return and be at peace and secure, no one frightening him.
28. Fear not, Jacob My servant” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a full end of you. I will discipline you with justice, but will not utterly destroy you.”