19. Pack your bags for exile,you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt.For Memphis will be laid waste.It will lie in ruins and be uninhabited.
20. Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies.
21. Even her mercenarieswill prove to be like pampered, well-fed calves.For they too will turn and run away.They will not stand their ground when the time for them to be destroyed comes,the time for them to be punished.
22. Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake,as the enemy comes marching up in force.They will come against her with axesas if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.
23. The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.But I, the Lord, affirm that the enemy will cut them down.For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts.They will be too numerous to count.
24. Poor dear Egypt will be put to shame.She will be handed over to the people from the north.”
25. The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him.
26. I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!”
27. “You descendants of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid;do not be terrified, people of Israel.For I will rescue you and your descendantsfrom the faraway lands where you are captives.The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.They will be secure and no one will terrify them.
28. I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid,you descendants of Jacob, my servant,for I am with you.Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,I will not completely destroy you.I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”