¹ The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines, before Pharaoh's attack on Gaza.

² This is what the Lord has said: See, waters are coming up out of the north, and will become an overflowing stream, overflowing the land and everything in it, the town and those who are living in it; and men will give a cry, and all the people of the land will be crying out in pain.

³ At the noise of the stamping of the feet of his war-horses, at the rushing of his carriages and the thunder of his wheels, fathers will give no thought to their children, because their hands are feeble;

⁴ Because of the day which is coming with destruction on all the Philistines, cutting off from Tyre and Zidon the last of their helpers: for the Lord will send destruction on the Philistines, the rest of the sea-land of Caphtor.

⁵ The hair is cut off from the head of Gaza; Ashkelon has come to nothing; the last of the Anakim are deeply wounding themselves.

⁶ O sword of the Lord, how long will you have no rest? put yourself back into your cover; be at peace, be quiet.

⁷ How is it possible for it to be quiet, seeing that the Lord has given it orders? against Ashkelon and against the sea-land he has given it directions.

⁶ For he will be like the brushwood in the upland, and will not see when good comes; but his living-place will be in the dry places in the waste land, in a salt and unpeopled land.

¹⁶ But he said to him, "A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

¹⁷ He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, 'Come, for everything is ready now.'

¹⁸ They all as one began to make excuses. "The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.'

¹⁹ "Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.'

²⁰ "Another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I can't come.'

²¹ "That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.'

²² "The servant said, 'Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.'

²³ "The lord said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

²⁴ For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper.'"