¹The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

²“This is what the Lord says:

‘Behold water rising up from the north,

Which will become an overflowing torrent,

And which will inundate the land and its fulness,

And the city and those inhabiting it.

And the men will shout out,

And every inhabitant of the land will howl.

³At the sound of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses,

At the rattling of his chariot fleet

– The clatter of its wheels –

The fathers will not turn their attention to their sons,

From their lack of strength,

⁴Because of the day which is coming,

To plunder all the Philistines,

To cut off every remnant

Who assists Tyre and Sidon,

For the Lord will plunder the Philistines,

And the remnant of the island of Caphtor.

⁵Baldness has come on Gaza;

Ashkelon is reduced to silence,

As is the rest of their valley.

How long will you make incisions on yourself?

⁶Alas!

O sword of the Lord,

How long will you not be at rest?

Be put back in your sheath;

Rest and be quiet.

⁷How can you be at rest?

Because the Lord has commanded it in Ashkelon

And at the sea coast

– He has appointed it there.’ ”