11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools;

the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the wise men,

a disciple of the ancient kings”?

12 Where are your wise men now?

Let them show you and make known

what the Lord Almighty

has planned against Egypt.

13 The officials of Zoan have become fools,

the leaders of Memphis are deceived;

the cornerstones of her peoples

have led Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has poured into them

a spirit of dizziness;

they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,

as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.

15 There is nothing Egypt can do—

head or tail, palm branch or reed.

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools,

The counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish:

How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise,

The son of ancient kings?

12 Where are they? where are thy wise men?

And let them tell thee now,

And let them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan are become fools,

The princes of Noph are deceived;

They have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.

14 The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof:

And they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof,

As a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt,

Which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

11 What fools are the officials of Zoan!

Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong.

Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom?

Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?

12 Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh?

Let them tell you what God plans,

what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt.

13 The officials of Zoan are fools,

and the officials of Memphis are deluded.

The leaders of the people

have led Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them,

so all their suggestions are wrong.

They cause Egypt to stagger

like a drunk in his vomit.

15 There is nothing Egypt can do.

All are helpless—

the head and the tail,

the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools;

Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel.

How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise,

The son of ancient kings?”

12 Where are they?

Where are your wise men?

Let them tell you now,

And let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools;

The princes of Noph are deceived;

They have also deluded Egypt,

Those who are the mainstay of its tribes.

14 The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst;

And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work,

As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

15 Neither will there be any work for Egypt,

Which the head or tail,

Palm branch or bulrush, may do.

11 The officers of the city of Zoan are fools;

the wise men who advise the king of Egypt give wrong advice.

How can you say to him, ‘I am wise’?

How can you say, ‘I am from the old family of the kings’?

12 Egypt, where are your wise men?

Let them show you

what the Lord All-Powerful has planned for Egypt.

13 The officers of Zoan have been fooled;

the leaders of Memphis have believed false things.

So the leaders of Egypt

lead that nation the wrong way.

14 The Lord has made the leaders confused.

They have led Egypt to wander in the wrong ways,

like drunk people stumbling in their own vomit.

15 There is nothing Egypt can do;

no one there can help.

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where then are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now; and let them know what Jehovah of hosts hath purposed concerning Egypt. 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes. 14 Jehovah hath mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst of her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. 15 Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

11 They are but fools, the princes of Zoan, the wise counsellors of Pharaoh: their counsel is become senseless. How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where are they then, thy wise men? Let them now tell thee, and let them make known what Jehovah of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. 13 The princes of Zoan are become foolish, the princes of Noph are deceived; and the corner-stones of its tribes have caused Egypt to err. 14 Jehovah hath mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst thereof; and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunkard staggereth in his vomit. 15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

11 The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools. 

The wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors gives stupid advice. 

How can you tell Pharaoh, 

“I’m a descendant of wise men, 

a descendant of ancient kings”? 

12 Where are your wise men now? 

Let them tell you. 

Let them explain what the Lord of Armies 

is planning against Egypt. 

13 The leaders of Zoan are acting foolishly. 

The leaders of Memphis are led astray. 

The leaders who are the cornerstones of its tribes mislead the Egyptians. 

14 The Lord mixes up their minds. 

So they lead the Egyptians astray 

like a drunk who staggers in his vomit. 

15 No one—leaders or followers, important or unimportant— 

can do anything for Egypt. 

11 The princes of Zoan are complete fools;

Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice!

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the wise,

a student of eastern kings”?

12 Where then are your wise men?

Let them tell you and reveal

what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have been fools;

the princes of Memphis are deceived.

Her tribal chieftains have led Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of confusion.

The leaders have made Egypt stagger in all she does,

as a drunkard staggers in his vomit.

15 No head or tail, palm or reed,

will be able to do anything for Egypt.

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish;

the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

a descendant of ancient kings”?

12 Where now are your sages?

Let them tell you and make known

what the Lord of hosts has planned against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools,

and the princes of Memphis are deluded;

those who are the cornerstones of its tribes

have led Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has poured into them

a spirit of confusion;

and they have made Egypt stagger in all its doings

as a drunkard staggers around in vomit.

15 Neither head nor tail, palm branch or reed,

will be able to do anything for Egypt.

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are foolish;

the wise of the counselors of Pharaoh give senseless counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I myself am a son of sages,

a descendant of ancient kings”?

12 Where are your sages then?

Now, let them tell you,

and let them know what Yahweh of hosts has planned against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have become foolish;

the princes of Memphis are deceived;

the leaders of her tribes have led Egypt astray.

14 Yahweh has mixed a spirit of confusion into her midst,

and they have caused Egypt to stagger in all of its doings,

as when a drunkard staggers in his vomit.

15 And there will be nothing for Egypt to do,

head or tail, palm branch or reed.

11 The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish.

Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense.

How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,

“We’re among the wise men”?

How can they say to him,

“We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?

12 Pharaoh, where are your wise men now?

Let them tell you

what the Lord who rules over all

has planned against Egypt.

13 The officials of Zoan have become foolish.

The leaders of Memphis have been lied to.

The most important leaders in Egypt

have led its people down the wrong path.

14 The Lord has given them

a spirit that makes them feel dizzy.

They make Egypt unsteady in everything it does.

Egypt is like a person who drinks too much.

He throws up and then walks around in the mess he’s made.

15 No one in Egypt can do anything to help them.

Its elders and important leaders can’t help them.

Its prophets and priests can’t do anything.

Those who rule over others can’t help.

And those who bow down to them can’t help either.

11 The princes of Zoan are mere fools;

The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid.

How can you men say to Pharaoh,

“I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

12 Well then, where are your wise men?

Please let them tell you,

And let them understand what the Lord of hosts

Has purposed against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have acted foolishly,

The princes of Memphis are deluded;

Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes

Have led Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of distortion;

They have led Egypt astray in all that it does,

As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

15 There will be no work for Egypt

Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.