Proclamation Against Egypt

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, aset your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and bagainst all Egypt. 3 Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

c“Behold, I am against you,

O Pharaoh king of Egypt,

O great dmonster who lies in the midst of his rivers,

eWho has said, ‘My 1River is my own;

I have made it for myself.’

4 But fI will put hooks in your jaws,

And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;

I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,

And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the wilderness,

You and all the fish of your rivers;

You shall fall on the 2open gfield;

hYou shall not be picked up or 3gathered.

iI have given you as food

To the beasts of the field

And to the birds of the heavens.

6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt

Shall know that I am the Lord,

Because they have been a jstaff of reed to the house of Israel.

7 kWhen they took hold of you with the hand,

You broke and tore all their 4shoulders;

When they leaned on you,

You broke and made all their backs quiver.”

8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will bring la sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 And the land of Egypt shall become mdesolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’ 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, nand I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, ofrom 5Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 pNeither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 qI will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will rscatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”

13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the send of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a tlowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be uthe confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.” ’ ”