Jeremiah 47:1-7

The Lord tells Jeremiah about the things that he will do to the Philistines.

1 The Lord told this to Jeremiah the prophet before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, attacked Gaza. He spoke about the Philistines.

2 The great and powerful Lord, Israel's God says,

‘See how the armies in the north are rising like water.

I will make them as strong as a great fast river.

They will cover the country and everything in it.

They will cover the towns and the people who live in them.

The people will shout. All the people who live in the country will cry.

3 They will cry when they hear the sound of horses

and the noise of their enemies' war chariots.

They will hear them when they are coming.

Fathers will not turn to help their children.

Their hands will not move.

4 This is the day when God will kill all the Philistines.

He will not let anybody live to help Tyre and Sidon.

The Lord will soon remove the Philistines.

He will remove those who remain by the sea. He will remove them from the country called Caphtor.

5 The people in Gaza will be very sad.

No voice will speak in Ashkelon.

Stop cutting yourselves, you who live near the sea!’

6 ‘You shout to the Lord, “Your sword is attacking.

We want it to stop!

Put it back in its bag and make it still.”

7 But it cannot rest because the Lord has caused his sword to do this.

He has caused it to attack Ashkelon and the country by the sea.’