A Prophecy Against Egypt

Judgment on Pharaoh

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:p 2 “Son of man, set your face againstq Pharaoh king of Egyptr and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.s 3 Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

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

you great monsteru lying among your streams.

You say, “The Nilev belongs to me;

I made it for myself.”

4 But I will put hooksw 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.x

5 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 gatheredy or picked up.

I will give you as food

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

6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“ ‘You have been a staff of reeda for the people of Israel. 7 When they grasped you with their hands, you splinteredb and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.a c

8 “ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.d 9 Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“ ‘Because you said, “The Nilee is mine; I made it,f” 10 therefore I am against youg and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypth a ruin and a desolate wastei from Migdolj to Aswan,k as far as the border of Cush.b l 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.m 12 I will make the land of Egypt desolaten among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.o

13 “ ‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14 I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,p the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowlyq kingdom.r 15 It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.s I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16 Egypt will no longer be a source of confidencet for the people of Israel but will be a reminderu of their sin in turning to her for help.v Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.w’ ”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:x 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzary king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed barez and every shoulder made raw.a Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar kingb of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunderc the land as pay for his army.d 20 I have given him Egypte as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.f

21 “On that day I will make a hornc g grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouthh among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.i”

A Lament Over Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Wailj and say,

“Alas for that day!”

3 For the day is near,k

the day of the Lordl is near—

a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

4 A sword will come against Egypt,m

and anguish will come upon Cush.a n

When the slain fall in Egypt,

her wealth will be carried away

and her foundations torn down.o

5 Cush and Libya,p Lydia and all Arabia,q Kub and the peopler of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.s

6 “ ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘The allies of Egypt will fall

and her proud strength will fail.

From Migdol to Aswant

they will fall by the sword within her,

declares the Sovereign Lord.

7 “ ‘They will be desolate

among desolate lands,

and their cities will lie

among ruined cities.u

8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,

when I set firev to Egypt

and all her helpers are crushed.w

9 “ ‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cushx out of her complacency. Anguishy will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.z

10 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt

by the hand of Nebuchadnezzara king of Babylon.b

11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nationsc—

will be brought in to destroy the land.

They will draw their swords against Egypt

and fill the land with the slain.d

12 I will dry upe the waters of the Nilef

and sell the land to an evil nation;

by the hand of foreigners

I will lay wasteg the land and everything in it.

I the Lord have spoken.

13 “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I will destroy the idolsh

and put an end to the images in Memphis.i

No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,j

and I will spread fear throughout the land.

14 I will layk waste Upper Egypt,

set fire to Zoanl

and inflict punishment on Thebes.m

15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,

the stronghold of Egypt,

and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.

16 I will set firen to Egypt;

Pelusium will writhe in agony.

Thebes will be taken by storm;

Memphiso will be in constant distress.

17 The young men of Heliopolisp and Bubastis

will fall by the sword,

and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhesq

when I break the yoke of Egypt;r

there her proud strength will come to an end.

She will be covered with clouds,

and her villages will go into captivity.s

19 So I will inflict punishmentt on Egypt,

and they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:u 21 “Son of man, I have broken the armv of Pharaohw king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healedx or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.y I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.z 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.a 24 I will strengthenb the arms of the king of Babylon and put my swordc in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groand before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sworde into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.f 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.g”