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30 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, “Son of man, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord and King says,

“ ‘ “Cry out,
    ‘A terrible day is coming!’
The day is near.
    The day of the Lord is coming.
It will be a cloudy day.
    The nations have been sentenced to die.
I will send Nebuchadnezzar’s sword against Egypt.
    Cush will suffer terribly.
Many will die in Egypt.
    Then its wealth will be carried away.
    Its foundations will be torn down.

The people of Cush, Libya, Lydia, Kub and the whole land of Arabia will be killed by swords. So will the Jews who live in Egypt. They went there from the covenant land of Israel. And the Egyptians will die too.” ’ ”

The Lord says,

“Those who were going to help Egypt will die.
    The strength Egypt was so proud of will fail.
Its people will be killed by swords
    from Migdol all the way to Aswan,”
    announces the Lord and King.
“Egypt will be more empty than any other land.
    Its cities will be completely destroyed.
I will set Egypt on fire.
    All those who came to help it will be crushed.
    Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“At that time I will send messengers out in ships. They will terrify the people of Cush who are so contented. Cush will suffer greatly when Egypt falls. And you can be sure it will fall.”

10 The Lord and King says,

“I will put an end to the huge armies of Egypt.
    I will use Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to do this.
11 He and his armies will attack the land and destroy it.
    They will not show its people any pity at all.
They will use their swords against Egypt.
    They will fill the land with dead bodies.
12 I will dry up the waters of the Nile River.
    I will sell the land to an evil nation.
I will use the power of outsiders
    to destroy the land and everything in it.

I have spoken. I am the Lord.”

13 The Lord and King says,

“I will destroy the statues of Egypt’s gods.
    I will put an end to the gods
    the people in Memphis worship.
Egypt will not have princes anymore.
    I will spread fear all through the land.
14 I will completely destroy Upper Egypt.
    I will set Zoan on fire.
    I will punish Thebes.
15 I will pour out my burning anger on Pelusium.
    It is a fort in eastern Egypt.
    I will wipe out the huge army of Thebes.
16 I will set Egypt on fire.
    Pelusium will groan with terrible pain.
Thebes will be ripped apart.
    Memphis will suffer greatly
    because of everything that happens.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
    will be killed by swords.
    Their people will be taken away as prisoners.
18 I will break Egypt’s power over other lands.
    That will be a dark day for Tahpanhes.
There the strength Egypt was so proud of
    will come to an end.
Egypt will be covered with clouds.
    The people in its villages
    will be taken away as prisoners.
19 So I will punish Egypt.
    Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

20 It was the 11th year since King Jehoiachin had been brought to Babylon as a prisoner. On the seventh day of the first month, a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 21 “Son of man, I have broken the powerful arm of Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt. No bandages have been put on his arm to heal it. It has not been put in a cast. So his arm will not be strong enough to use a sword. 22 I am against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. I will break both his arms. I will break his healthy arm and his broken one. His sword will fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the people of Egypt among the nations. I will send them to other countries. 24 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon stronger. I will put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh. And he will groan in front of Nebuchadnezzar. He will cry out like someone dying from his wounds. 25 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon stronger. But the arms of Pharaoh will not be able to help Egypt. I will put my sword in Nebuchadnezzar’s hand. He will get ready to use it against Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. I will send them to other countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Lament Over Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Wail(A) and say,
    “Alas for that day!”
For the day is near,(B)
    the day of the Lord(C) is near—
a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for the nations.
A sword will come against Egypt,(D)
    and anguish will come upon Cush.[a](E)
When the slain fall in Egypt,
    her wealth will be carried away
    and her foundations torn down.(F)

Cush and Libya,(G) Lydia and all Arabia,(H) Kub and the people(I) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.(J)

“‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
    and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan(K)
    they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
“‘They will be desolate
    among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
    among ruined cities.(L)
Then they will know that I am the Lord,
    when I set fire(M) to Egypt
    and all her helpers are crushed.(N)

“‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush(O) out of her complacency. Anguish(P) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.(Q)

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar(R) king of Babylon.(S)
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations(T)
    will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.(U)
12 I will dry up(V) the waters of the Nile(W)
    and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
    I will lay waste(X) the land and everything in it.

I the Lord have spoken.

13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will destroy the idols(Y)
    and put an end to the images in Memphis.(Z)
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,(AA)
    and I will spread fear throughout the land.
14 I will lay(AB) waste Upper Egypt,
    set fire to Zoan(AC)
    and inflict punishment on Thebes.(AD)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire(AE) to Egypt;
    Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
    Memphis(AF) will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis(AG) and Bubastis
    will fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes(AH)
    when I break the yoke of Egypt;(AI)
    there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
    and her villages will go into captivity.(AJ)
19 So I will inflict punishment(AK) on Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AL) 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(AM) of Pharaoh(AN) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed(AO) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.(AP) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.(AQ) 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(AR) 24 I will strengthen(AS) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword(AT) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan(AU) 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(AV) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.(AW) 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(AX)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and 9