Desolation of Egypt

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

“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’

3For the day is near,

the day of the LORD is near;

it will be a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

4A sword shall come upon Egypt,

and anguish shall be in Ethiopia,

when the slain fall in Egypt,

and her wealth is carried away,

and her foundations are torn down.

5Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya,30.5 Gk Compare Syr Vg: Heb Cub and the people of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

6“Thus says the LORD:

Those who support Egypt shall fall,

and her proud might shall come down;

from Migdol to Syene

they shall fall within her by the sword,

says the Lord GOD.

7And she30.7 Gk: Heb they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries

and her cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste.

8Then they will know that I am the LORD,

when I have set fire to Egypt,

and all her helpers are broken.

9“On that day swift30.9 Gk Syr: Heb in ships messengers shall go forth from me to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians; and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom; for, lo, it comes!

10“Thus says the Lord GOD:

I will put an end to the wealth30.10 Or multitude of Egypt,

by the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king 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.

12And I will dry up the Nile,

and will sell the land into the hand of evil men;

I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it,

by the hand of foreigners;

I, the LORD, have spoken.

13“Thus 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 Zo'an,

and will execute acts of judgment upon Thebes.

15And I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium,

the stronghold of Egypt,

and cut off the multitude of Thebes.

16And I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium shall be in great agony;

Thebes shall be breached,

and its walls broken down.30.16 Cn: Heb and Memphis, distresses by day

17The young men of On and of Pibe'seth shall fall by the sword;

and the women shall go into captivity.

18At Tehaph'nehes the day shall be dark,

when I break there the dominion of Egypt,

and her proud might shall come to an end;

she shall be covered by a cloud,

and her daughters shall go into captivity.

19Thus I will execute acts of judgment upon Egypt.

Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and lo, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. 22Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, 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. 24And I 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 like a man 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 will know that I am the LORD.”