3 Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (), 1:, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî êlêkâ,’ ” 45 (1933): 101–8.
4 Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew read correctly “the serpent.” The Hebrew term appears to refer to a serpent in Exod 7:9–10, 12; Deut 32:33; and Ps 91:13. It also refers to large creatures that inhabit the sea (Gen 1:21; Ps 148:7). In several passages it is associated with the sea or with the multiheaded sea monster Leviathan (Job 7:12; Ps 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Because of the Egyptian setting of this prophecy and the reference to the creature’s scales (v. 4), many understand a crocodile to be the referent here (e.g., “a great crocodile”; “you monster crocodile”; “a giant crocodile”).
5 In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240–44.
6 Some Hebrew , the , and the read “buried.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, I am against you,

Pharaoh king of Egypt,

the great dragon that lies

in the midst of his streams,

that says, ‘My Nile is my own;

I made it for myself.’

I will put hooks in your jaws,

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;

and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,

with all the fish of your streams

that stick to your scales.

And I will cast you out into the wilderness,

you and all the fish of your streams;

you shall fall on the open field,

and not be brought together or gathered.

To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens

I give you as food.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

you great monster lying among your streams.

You say, “The Nile belongs to me;

I made it for myself.”

But I will put hooks in your jaws

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.

I will pull you out from among your streams,

with all the fish sticking to your scales.

I will leave you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your streams.

You will fall on the open field

and not be gathered or picked up.

I will give you as food

to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Speak to him and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

the great monster lying in the middle of his Nile,

who says, “My Nile is my own;

I made it for myself.”

I will put hooks in your jaws

and make the fish of your streams

cling to your scales.

I will haul you up

from the middle of your Nile,

and all the fish of your streams

will cling to your scales.

I will leave you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your streams.

You will fall on the open ground

and will not be taken away

or gathered for burial.

I have given you

to the wild creatures of the earth

and the birds of the sky as food.

NLTNew Living Translation

Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—

you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.

For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine;

I made it for myself.’

I will put hooks in your jaws

and drag you out on the land

with fish sticking to your scales.

I will leave you and all your fish

stranded in the wilderness to die.

You will lie unburied on the open ground,

for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Speak, and you must say, ‘thus says the Lord Yahweh:

“Look! I am against you,

Pharaoh, king of Egypt,

the great sea monster,

the one lying down

in the midst of his Nile streams,

who says to me, “It is my Nile, and I made it for myself.”

And so I will put hooks in your jawbones,

and I will make the fish of your Nile streams stick to your scales,

and I will bring you up from the midst of your Nile streams,

and all of the fish of your Nile streams which cling to your scales.

And I will fling you to the desert,

you and all the fish of your Nile streams.

On the surface of the field you will fall;

you will not be gathered,

and you will not be assembled.

To the animals of the field

and to the birds of the heavens

I will give you as food.

Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

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Ezekiel 29:3–5

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