"Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,Thusyou are to sayto the kingof Judah,who sentyou to Me to inquireof Me: "Behold,Pharaoh'sarmywhich has comeout for your assistanceis going to returnto its own landof Egypt.
"But to the kingof Judahwho sentyou to inquireof the LORDthusshall you sayto him, 'Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,"[Regarding] the wordswhichyou have heard,
The kingof Egyptdidnot comeout of his landagain,for the kingof Babylonhad takenallthat belongedto the kingof Egyptfrom the brookof Egyptto the riverEuphrates.
Thereis nowisdomand nounderstandingAnd nocounselagainstthe LORD.
Even Egypt,whose helpis vainand empty.Therefore,I have calledher "Rahabwhohas been exterminated."
"Behold,you relyon the staffof thiscrushedreed,[even] on Egypt,on whichif a manleans,it will gointo his handand pierceit. Sois Pharaohkingof Egyptto allwho relyon him.
"But nowwhatare you doing on the roadto Egypt,To drinkthe watersof the Nile?Or whatare you doing on the roadto Assyria,To drinkthe watersof the Euphrates?
"Whydo you goaround somuchChangingyour way?Also,you will be putto shameby EgyptAs you were putto shameby Assyria.
"From this[place] alsoyou will goout With your handson your head;For the LORDhas rejectedthose in whomyou trust,And you will not prosperwith them."
The wordwhichcameto Jeremiahfrom the LORDwhen KingZedekiahsentto him Pashhurthe sonof Malchijah,and Zephaniahthe priest,the sonof Maaseiah,saying,
"Pleaseinquireof the LORDon our behalf,for Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylonis warringagainstus; perhapsthe LORDwill dealwith us according to allHis wonderfulacts,so that [the enemy] will withdrawfrom us."
Yet KingZedekiahsentJehucalthe sonof Shelemiah,and Zephaniahthe sonof Maaseiah,the priest,to Jeremiahthe prophet,saying,"Pleaseprayto the LORDour Godon our behalf."
Meanwhile, Pharaoh'sarmyhad setout from Egypt;and when the Chaldeanswho had been besiegingJerusalemheardthe reportabout them, they liftedthe [siege] from Jerusalem.
Then the wordof the LORDcameto Jeremiahthe prophet,saying,
In the daysof her afflictionand homelessnessJerusalemremembersallher preciousthingsThat were from the daysof old,When her peoplefellinto the handof the adversaryAnd noonehelpedher. The adversariessawher, They mockedat her ruin.
Yetour eyesfailed,[Looking] for helpwas useless;In our watchingwe have watchedFor a nationthat could not save.
Pharaohwith [his] mightyarmyand greatcompanywill not helphim in the war,when they castup rampsand buildsiegewallsto cutoffmanylives.
"And it will neveragainbe the confidenceof the houseof Israel,bringingto mindthe iniquityof their having turnedto Egypt. Then they will knowthat I am the LordGOD."'"
"Thereforethussaysthe LordGOD,'Behold,I am againstPharaohkingof Egyptand will breakhis arms,both the strongand the broken;and I will make the swordfallfrom his hand.
