Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, ¹  as the enemy comes marching up in force. They will come against her with axes as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.

biblegateway Jer 46:22

"Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, for the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees.

Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away. Its enemies will come with full force. They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.

biblegateway Jer 46:22

Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees.

"She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees.

bibleoremus Jer 46:22

She makes a sound like a snake gliding away; for her enemies march in force, and come against her with axes, like those who fell trees.

Egypt is hissing like a fleeing snake, for the enemy has come in force. They attack her with axes like fellers of trees.

biblegateway Jer 46:22

Her noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood.

The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

biblegateway Jer 46:22

Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, ¹  as the enemy comes marching up in force. They will come against her with axes as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.

¹ tn Or “Egypt will rustle away like a snake”; Heb “her sound goes like the snake,” or “her sound [is] like the snake [when] it goes.” The meaning of the simile is debated. Some see a reference to the impotent hiss of a fleeing serpent (F. B. Huey, Jeremiah, Lamentations [NAC], 382), others the sound of a serpent stealthily crawling away when it is disturbed (H. Freedman, Jeremiah [SoBB], 297-98). The translation follows the former interpretation because of the irony involved.

¹ sn Several commentators point out the irony of the snake slithering away (or hissing away) in retreat. The coiled serpent was a part of the royal insignia, signifying its readiness to strike. Pharaoh had boasted of great things (v. 8) but was just a big noise (v. 17); now all he could do was hiss as he beat his retreat (v. 22).