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”