47
A Message About the Philistine People
1 This is the message from the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines. This message came before Pharaoh attacked the city of Gaza.
2 This is what the LORD says:
“Look, the enemy is gathering in the north* like rising water.
They will come like a river spilling over its banks.
They will cover the whole country like a flood.
They will cover the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone in the country will cry for help.
Everyone will cry out in pain.
3 They will hear the sound of running horses,
the noisy chariots, the rumbling wheels.
Fathers will not be able to protect their children.
They will be too weak to help,
4 because the time has come to destroy all the Philistines.
The time has come to destroy Tyre and Sidon’s remaining helpers.
The LORD will destroy the Philistines,
the survivors from the Island of Crete.†
5 The people from Gaza will be sad and shave their heads.
The people from Ashkelon will be silenced.
Survivors from the valley, how long will you cut yourselves?‡
6 “Sword of the LORD, you have not stopped.
How long will you keep fighting?
Go back into your scabbard§!
Stop! Be still!
7 But how can the sword of the Lord rest?
The LORD gave it a command.
He commanded it to attack
the city of Ashkelon and the seacoast.”
* 47:2 north The Babylonian army came from this direction to attack Judah. Armies from countries north and east of Israel often came this way to attack Judah and Israel. † 47:4 Island of Crete Literally, “Island of Caphtor.” Sometimes this means Crete, and sometimes it means Cyprus. The Bible says the Philistines originally came from Caphtor. ‡ 47:5 sad … cut yourselves The people did these things to show their sadness. § 47:6 scabbard A holder for a sword.