About Egypt: This is a kind of title for the first message. Translators can say, for example, “Here is the message about Egypt.”

Pharaoh Neco (better “King Neco”) ruled Egypt from 609 to 594 B.C. For Pharaoh see 25.19; 43.9; 44.30.

The river Euphrates: See 2.18.

Carchemish: The battle here took place in 605 B.C.

Nebuchadrezzar; that is, “Nebuchadnezzar” (Good News Translation). See 21.2.

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: See 1.3. Most often in English, the time phrase should come earlier in the sentence. It may help readers to restructure the verse like this:

• This is the message about Egypt. In the fourth year that Jehoiakim the son of Josiah was king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated the Egyptian army under the Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt. That was at Carchemish near the Euphrates River. The LORD says this about the Egyptian army:….

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .