2-5 The Message to Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt at the time it was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon while camped at Carchemish on the Euphrates River in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah:

“‘Present arms!
    March to the front!
Harness the horses!
    Up in the saddles!
Battle formation! Helmets on,
    spears sharpened, armor in place!’
But what’s this I see?
    They’re scared out of their wits!
They break ranks and run for cover.
    Their soldiers panic.
They run this way and that,
    stampeding blindly.
It’s total chaos, total confusion, danger everywhere!”
    God’s Decree.

“The swiftest runners won’t get away,
    the strongest soldiers won’t escape.
In the north country, along the River Euphrates,
    they’ll stagger, stumble, and fall.

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Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish(A) your spears,
    put on your armor!(B)
What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee(C) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror(D) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
“The swift cannot flee(E)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(F)
    they stumble and fall.(G)

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