1 The word of the LORD came to me: |
2 "Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: |
3 For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near-
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations. |
4 A sword will come against Egypt,
and anguish will come upon Cush.1 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and
When the slain fall in Egypt,
her wealth will be carried away
and her foundations torn down. |
5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya2 30:5 Hebrew Cub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt. |
6 " 'This is what the LORD says: |
7 " 'They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities. |
8 Then they will know that I am the LORD ,
when I set fire to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed. |
9 " 'On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt's doom, for it is sure to come. |
10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: |
11 He and his army-the most ruthless of nations-
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain. |
12 I will dry up the streams of the Nile
and sell the land to evil men;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste the land and everything in it. |
13 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: |
14 I will lay waste Upper Egypt,3 30:14 Hebrew waste Pathros
set fire to Zoan
and inflict punishment on Thebes.4 30:14 Hebrew No ; also in verses 15 and 16 |
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,5 30:15 Hebrew Sin ; also in verse 16
the stronghold of Egypt,
and cut off the hordes of Thebes. |
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis will be in constant distress. |
17 The young men of Heliopolis6 30:17 Hebrew Awen (or On) and Bubastis7 30:17 Hebrew Pi Beseth
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity. |
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes
when I break the yoke of Egypt;
there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity. |
19 So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the LORD .' " |
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the LORD came to me: |
21 "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up for healing or put in a splint so as to become strong enough to hold a sword. |
22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. |
23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. |
24 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 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 sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. |
26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD ." |
