In his time Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went up toward the Euphrates River against the king of Assyria. King Josiah set out to meet him, but was slain at Megiddo at the first encounter.
During Jehoiakim’s reign Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then Jehoiakim turned and rebelled against him.
But the Lord said: I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters, so I know well what they are suffering.
Then will the Lord create, over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her place of assembly, A smoking cloud by day and a light of flaming fire by night.
Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion; Put on your glorious garments, Jerusalem, holy city. Never again shall the uncircumcised or the unclean enter you.
No longer shall violence be heard of in your land, or plunder and ruin within your borders. You shall call your walls “Salvation” and your gates “Praise.”
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings: The grain, the wine, and the oil, flocks of sheep and cattle; They themselves shall be like watered gardens, never again neglected.
Concerning Egypt. Against the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah:
On that day—oracle of the Lord—I will strike every horse with fright, and its rider with madness. But over the house of Judah I will keep watch, while I strike blind all the horses of the peoples.
On that day the Lord will shield the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David on that day; and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them.
and take from their mouths their bloody prey, their disgusting meat from between their teeth. They will become merely a remnant for our God, and will be like a clan in Judah; Ekron will be like the Jebusites.
I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’