Lamentation for Egypt

1The word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:

Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’

3For a day is near,

the day of the LORD is near;

it will be a day of clouds,

a time of doom30.3 Heb lacks of doom for the nations.

4A sword shall come upon Egypt,

and anguish shall be in Ethiopia,30.4 Or Nubia; Heb Cush

when the slain fall in Egypt,

and its wealth is carried away,

and its foundations are torn down.

5Ethiopia,30.5 Or Nubia; Heb Cush and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya,30.5 Compare Gk Syr Vg: Heb Cub and the people of the allied land30.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain shall fall with them by the sword.

6Thus says the LORD:

Those who support Egypt shall fall,

and its proud might shall come down;

from Migdol to Syene

they shall fall within it by the sword,

says the Lord GOD.

7They shall be desolated among other desolated countries,

and their cities shall lie among cities laid waste.

8Then they shall know that I am the LORD,

when I have set fire to Egypt,

and all who help it are broken.

9On that day, messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians;30.9 Or Nubians; Heb Cush and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom;30.9 Heb the day of Egypt for it is coming!

10Thus says the Lord GOD:

I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,

by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.

11He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations,

shall be brought in to destroy the land;

and they shall draw their swords against Egypt,

and fill the land with the slain.

12I will dry up the channels,

and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers;

I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it

by the hand of foreigners;

I the LORD have spoken.

13Thus says the Lord GOD:

I will destroy the idols

and put an end to the images in Memphis;

there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;

so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

14I will make Pathros a desolation,

and will set fire to Zoan,

and will execute acts of judgement on Thebes.

15I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium,

the stronghold of Egypt,

and cut off the hordes of Thebes.

16I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium shall be in great agony;

Thebes shall be breached,

and Memphis face adversaries by day.

17The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword;

and the cities themselves30.17 Heb and they shall go into captivity.

18At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark,

when I break there the dominion of Egypt,

and its proud might shall come to an end;

the city30.18 Heb she shall be covered by a cloud,

and its daughter-towns shall go into captivity.

19Thus I will execute acts of judgement on Egypt.

Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

Proclamation against Pharaoh

20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 21Mortal, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. 22Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them throughout the lands. 24I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him with the groans of one mortally wounded. 25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall stretch it out against the land of Egypt, 26and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.