“Says Yahweh.

‘This shall be the sign

To you,

That I am going

To punish you

In this place.

Thus you may know

That my words

Against you

Will surely be carried out.’

Thus says Yahweh.

‘I am going to give

Pharaoh Hophra,

The king of Egypt,

Into the hand of his enemies,

Those who seek his life.

Just as I gave

King Zedekiah

Of Judah

Into the hand

Of King Nebuchadnezzar

Of Babylon,

His enemy,

Who sought his life.’”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, said that he was going to give these Judeans in Egypt a sign that he was going to punish them in Egypt. The sign that he gave them was the fact that Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, would be overthrown by his enemies. Pharaoh Hophra was also known as King Apries (589-570 BCE), who would have been the ruler during this Judean refugee migration to Egypt. He was favorable to the Judeans, since he had tried unsuccessfully to protect Jerusalem from King Nebuchadnezzar during the siege of that city. He was killed in 570 by the new Pharaoh Amasis, who ruled from 570-526 BCE. Yahweh had done the same to King Zedekiah of Judah. Thus Yahweh wanted to show them that he had control over all kings.