13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and ^astrike the land of Egypt. ‡

14 “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in^{1 a}Migdol;
Proclaim in Noph and in ^bTahpanhes;
Say, ‘Stand fast and prepare yourselves,
For the sword devours all around you.’ ‡

16 He made many fall;
Yes, ^aone fell upon another.
And they said, ‘Arise!
^bLet us go back to our own people
And to the land of our nativity
From the oppressing sword.’ ‡

17 They cried there,
‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise.
He has passed by the appointed time!’