2 Timothy 1-4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving and Encouragement
3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.(A) 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.(B) 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.(C)
8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God,(D) 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,[a](E) 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,[b] who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.(F) 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,[c](G) 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day the deposit I have entrusted to him.[d](H) 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.(I) 14 Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
15 You are aware that all who are in Asia have turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain;(J) 17 when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly[e] searched for me and found me 18 —may the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know very well how much service he rendered in Ephesus.(K)
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
2 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.(L) 3 Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5 And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.(M) 6 It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.(N) 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.(O) 11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;(P)
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
he[f] cannot deny himself.(Q)
A Worker Approved by God
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before the Lord[g] that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.(R) 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16 Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people[h] into more and more impiety,(S) 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,(T) 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying resurrection[i] has already occurred. They are upsetting the faith of some.(U) 19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”(V)
20 In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special[j] use, some for ordinary.[k](W) 21 All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned[l] will become special[m] utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.(X) 22 Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.(Y) 23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.(Z) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,(AA) 25 correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth(AB) 26 and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.[n]
Godlessness in the Last Days
3 You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,(AC) 3 unfeeling, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good,(AD) 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,(AE) 5 holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! 6 For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate immature women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires,(AF) 7 who are always studying yet never able to recognize truth. 8 As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth.(AG) 9 But they will not make much progress because, as in the case of those two men,[o] their folly will become plain to everyone.
Paul’s Charge to Timothy
10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,(AH) 11 my persecutions, and my sufferings, the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.(AI) 12 Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.(AJ) 13 But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.(AK) 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is[p] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,(AL) 17 so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.(AM)
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you:(AN) 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching.(AO) 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires(AP) 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, be sober in everything, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.(AQ)
6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come.(AR) 7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.(AS) 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.(AT)
Personal Instructions
9 Do your best to come to me soon, 10 for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia,[q] Titus to Dalmatia.(AU) 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in ministry.(AV) 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds.(AW) 15 You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.(AX) 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.(AY)
Final Greetings and Benediction
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained in Corinth; Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.[r]
Footnotes
- 1.9 Gk lacks began
- 1.10 Other ancient authorities read Christ Jesus
- 1.11 Other ancient authorities add of the gentiles
- 1.12 Or the deposit he has entrusted to me
- 1.17 Or promptly
- 2.13 Other ancient authorities read for he
- 2.14 Other ancient authorities read God
- 2.16 Gk for they will advance
- 2.18 Other ancient authorities read the resurrection
- 2.20 Gk honorable
- 2.20 Gk dishonorable
- 2.21 Gk of these things
- 2.21 Gk honorable
- 2.26 Or by him, to do his (that is, God’s) will
- 3.9 Gk lacks two men
- 3.16 Or Every scripture inspired by God is also
- 4.10 Other ancient authorities read Gaul
- 4.22 The Greek word for you here is plural. Other ancient authorities add Amen
Ezekiel 25-32
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proclamation against Ammon
25 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.(A) 3 Say to the Ammonites: Hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God: Because you said, “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was profaned and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate and over the house of Judah when it went into exile,(B) 4 therefore I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession. They shall set their encampments among you and pitch their tents in your midst; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk. 5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.(C) 6 For thus says the Lord God: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within you against the land of Israel,(D) 7 therefore I have stretched out my hand against you and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.(E)
Proclamation against Moab
8 Thus says the Lord God: Because Moab[a] said, “The house of Judah is like all the other nations,” 9 therefore I will lay open the flank of Moab from the towns[b] on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 I will give it along with Ammon to the people of the East as a possession. Thus Ammon shall be remembered no more among the nations, 11 and I will execute judgments upon Moab. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
Proclamation against Edom
12 Thus says the Lord God: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance upon them,(F) 13 therefore thus says the Lord God: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it humans and animals, and I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword.(G) 14 I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall act in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, says the Lord God.(H)
Proclamation against Philistia
15 Thus says the Lord God: Because with unending hostilities the Philistines acted in vengeance and with malice of heart took revenge in destruction,(I) 16 therefore thus says the Lord God: I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the rest of the seacoast.(J) 17 I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful punishments. Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance on them.(K)
Proclamation against Tyre
26 In the twelfth year,[c] in the eleventh[d] month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem,
“Aha, broken is the gateway of the peoples;
it has swung open to me;
I shall be replenished,
now that it is wasted,”(L)
3 therefore, thus says the Lord God:
See, I am against you, O Tyre!
I will hurl many nations against you,
as the sea hurls its waves.(M)
4 They shall destroy the walls of Tyre
and break down its towers.
I will scrape its soil from it
and make it a bare rock.(N)
5 It shall become, in the midst of the sea,
a place for spreading nets.
I have spoken, says the Lord God.
It shall become plunder for the nations,(O)
6 and its daughter towns inland
shall be killed by the sword.
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(P)
7 For thus says the Lord God: I will bring against Tyre from the north King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, king of kings, together with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great and powerful army.(Q)
8 Your daughter towns inland
he shall put to the sword.
He shall set up a siege wall against you,
cast up a ramp against you,
and raise a roof of shields against you.(R)
9 He shall direct the shock of his battering rams against your walls
and break down your towers with his axes.(S)
10 His horses shall be so many
that their dust shall cover you.
At the noise of cavalry, wheels, and chariots
your very walls shall shake
when he enters your gates
like those entering a breached city.(T)
11 With the hoofs of his horses
he shall trample all your streets.
He shall put your people to the sword,
and your strong pillars shall fall to the ground.(U)
12 They will take your riches
and plunder your merchandise;
they shall break down your walls
and destroy your fine houses.
Your stones and timber and soil
they shall cast into the water.
13 I will silence the music of your songs;
the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more.(V)
14 I will make you a bare rock;
you shall be a place for spreading nets.
You shall never again be rebuilt,
for I the Lord have spoken,
says the Lord God.
15 Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter goes on within you?(W) 16 Then all the princes of the sea shall step down from their thrones; they shall remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They shall clothe themselves with trembling and shall sit on the ground; they shall tremble every moment and be appalled at you.(X) 17 And they shall raise a lamentation over you and say to you:
“How you have vanished[e] from the seas,
O city renowned,
once mighty on the sea,
you and your inhabitants,[f]
who imposed your[g] terror
on all the mainland
18 Now the coastlands tremble
on the day of your fall;
the coastlands by the sea
are dismayed at your passing.”(Z)
19 For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a city laid waste, like cities that are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, 20 then I will thrust you down with those who descend into the Pit, to the people of long ago, and I will make you live in the world below, among primeval ruins, with those who go down to the Pit, so that you will not be inhabited or have a place[i] in the land of the living.(AA) 21 I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more; though sought for, you will never be found again, says the Lord God.(AB)
Lamentation over Tyre
27 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Now you, mortal, raise a lamentation over Tyre,(AC) 3 and say to Tyre, which sits at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands: Thus says the Lord God:
O Tyre, you have said,
“I am perfect in beauty.”(AD)
4 Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.(AE)
5 They made all your planks
of fir trees from Senir;
they took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.(AF)
6 From oaks of Bashan
they made your oars;
they made your deck of pines[j]
from the coasts of Cyprus,
inlaid with ivory.(AG)
7 Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
was your sail,
serving as your ensign;
blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah
was your awning.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad
were your rowers;
skilled men of Zemer[k] were within you;
they were your pilots.(AH)
9 The elders of Gebal and its artisans were within you,
caulking your seams;
all the ships of the sea with their sailors were within you,
to barter for your wares.(AI)
10 Paras[l] and Lud and Put
were in your army,
your mighty warriors;
they hung shield and helmet in you;
they gave you splendor.(AJ)
11 Men of Arvad and Helech[m]
were on your walls all around;
men of Gamad were at your towers.
They hung their quivers all around your walls;
they made perfect your beauty.(AK)
12 Tarshish did business with you out of the abundance of your great wealth; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares.(AL) 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.(AM) 14 Beth-togarmah exchanged for your wares horses, war horses, and mules.(AN) 15 The Rhodians[n] traded with you; many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.(AO) 16 Edom[o] did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies.(AP) 17 Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat from Minnith, millet,[p] honey, oil, and balm.(AQ) 18 Damascus traded with you for your abundant goods—because of your great wealth of every kind—wine of Helbon and wool of Zahar.(AR) 19 Vedan and Javan from Uzal[q] entered into trade for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were bartered for your merchandise. 20 Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you.(AS) 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold.(AT) 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.(AU) 24 These traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure; in these they traded with you.[r] 25 The ships of Tarshish traveled for you in your trade.
So you were filled and heavily laden
in the heart of the seas.(AV)
26 Your rowers have brought you
into the high seas.
The east wind has wrecked you
in the heart of the seas.(AW)
27 Your riches, your wares, your merchandise,
your sailors and your pilots,
your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise,
and all your warriors within you,
with all the company
that is with you,
sink into the heart of the seas
on the day of your ruin.(AX)
28 At the sound of the cry of your pilots
the pasturelands shake,(AY)
29 and down from their ships
come all who handle the oar.
The sailors and all the pilots of the sea
stand on the shore(AZ)
30 and wail aloud over you
and cry bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads
and wallow in ashes;(BA)
31 they make themselves bald for you
and put on sackcloth,
and they weep over you in bitterness of soul,
with bitter mourning.(BB)
32 In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you
and lament over you:
“Who was ever destroyed[s] like Tyre
in the midst of the sea?(BC)
33 When your wares came from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with your abundant wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.(BD)
34 Now you are wrecked by the seas,
in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your crew
have sunk with you.(BE)
35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands
are appalled at you,
and their kings are horribly afraid;
their faces are convulsed.(BF)
36 The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.”(BG)
Proclamation against the King of Tyre
28 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God:
Because your heart is proud
and you have said, “I am a god;
I sit in the seat of the gods,
in the heart of the seas,”
yet you are but a mortal and no god,
though you compare your mind
with the mind of a god.(BH)
3 You are indeed wiser than Daniel;[t]
no secret is hidden from you;(BI)
4 by your wisdom and your understanding
you have amassed wealth for yourself
and have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries.(BJ)
5 By your great wisdom in trade
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth.(BK)
6 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
Because you compare your mind
with the mind of a god,(BL)
7 therefore, I will bring strangers against you,
the most terrible of the nations;
they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom
and defile your splendor.(BM)
8 They shall thrust you down to the Pit,
and you shall die a violent death
in the heart of the seas.(BN)
9 Will you still say, “I am a god,”
in the presence of those who kill you,
though you are but a mortal and no god,
in the hands of those who pierce you?
10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
by the hand of foreigners,
for I have spoken, says the Lord God.(BO)
Lamentation over the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me: 12 Mortal, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord God:
You were the signet of perfection,[u]
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(BP)
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
carnelian, chrysolite, and moonstone,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire,[v] turquoise, and emerald;
and worked in gold were your settings
and your engravings.[w]
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.(BQ)
14 You were a cherub;[x]
I placed you on the holy mountain of God;
you walked among the stones of fire.(BR)
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day that you were created,
until iniquity was found in you.(BS)
16 In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence, and you sinned,
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
and I drove you out, O guardian cherub,
from among the stones of fire.(BT)
17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I exposed you before kings,
to feast their eyes on you.(BU)
18 By the multitude of your iniquities,
in the unrighteousness of your trade,
you profaned your sanctuaries.
So I brought out fire from within you;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
in the sight of all who saw you.(BV)
19 All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.(BW)
Proclamation against Sidon
20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 Mortal, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it,(BX) 22 and say: Thus says the Lord God:
I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will gain glory in your midst.
They shall know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments in it
and manifest my holiness in it;(BY)
23 for I will send pestilence into it,
and bloodshed into its streets;
and the dead shall fall in its midst,
by the sword that is against it on every side.
And they shall know that I am the Lord.(BZ)
24 The house of Israel shall no longer find a pricking brier or a piercing thorn among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. And they shall know that I am the Lord God.(CA)
Future Blessing for Israel
25 Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall settle on their own soil that I gave to my servant Jacob.(CB) 26 They shall live in safety in it and shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall live in safety when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God.(CC)
Proclamation against Egypt
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt;(CD) 3 speak and say: Thus says the Lord God:
I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great dragon sprawling
in the midst of its channels,
saying, “My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.”(CE)
4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and make the fish of your channels stick to your scales.
I will draw you up from your channels,
with all the fish of your channels
sticking to your scales.(CF)
5 I will fling you into the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your channels;
you shall fall in the open field
and not be gathered or picked up.
To the animals of the earth and to the birds of the air
I have given you as food.(CG)
6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know
that I am the Lord,
because you[y] were a staff of reed
to the house of Israel;(CH)
7 when they grasped you with the hand, you broke
and tore all their shoulders,
and when they leaned on you, you broke
and made all their legs give way.[z](CI)
8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will bring a sword upon you and will cut off from you human and animal,(CJ) 9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
Because you[aa] said, “The Nile is mine, and I made it,” 10 therefore, I am against you and against your channels, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.(CK) 11 No human foot shall pass through it, and no animal foot shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years.(CL) 12 I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the countries.(CM)
13 Further, thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered,(CN) 14 and I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms and never again exalt itself above the nations, and I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 The Egyptians[ab] shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel; they will recall their iniquity when they turned to them for aid. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.(CO)
Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 Mortal, King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had expended against it.(CP) 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and he shall carry off its wealth and despoil it and plunder it, and it shall be the wages for his army.(CQ) 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, says the Lord God.(CR)
21 On that day I will cause a horn to sprout up for the house of Israel, and I will open your lips among them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(CS)
Lamentation for Egypt
30 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God:
Wail, “Alas for the day!”(CT)
3 For a day is near,
the day of the Lord is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
a time of doom[ac] for the nations.(CU)
4 A sword shall come upon Egypt,
and anguish shall be in Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
and its wealth is carried away,
and its foundations are torn down.(CV)
5 Cush and Put and Lud and all the mixed populations and Libya[ad] and the people of the allied land[ae] shall fall with them by the sword.(CW)
6 Thus 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.(CX)
7 They shall be desolated among other desolated countries,
and their cities shall lie among cities laid waste.(CY)
8 Then they shall know that I am the Lord,
when I have set fire to Egypt,
and all who help it are broken.(CZ)
9 On that day, messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the secure Cushites, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom,[af] for it is coming!(DA)
10 Thus says the Lord God:
I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,
by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.(DB)
11 He 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.(DC)
12 I will dry up the channels of the Nile
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.(DD)
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.(DE)
14 I will make Pathros a desolation
and will set fire to Zoan
and will execute acts of judgment on Thebes.(DF)
15 I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and will cut off the hordes of Thebes.(DG)
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium shall be in great agony;
Thebes shall be breached
and Memphis face adversaries by day.
17 The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves[ag] shall go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark,
when I break there the dominion of Egypt,
and its proud might shall come to an end;
the city[ah] shall be covered by a cloud,
and its daughter towns shall go into captivity.(DH)
19 Thus I will execute acts of judgment on Egypt.
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(DI)
Proclamation against Pharaoh
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 Mortal, 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.(DJ) 22 Therefore 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.(DK) 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.(DL) 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 with the groans of one mortally wounded.(DM) 25 I 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,(DN) 26 and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(DO)
The Lofty Cedar
31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
Whom are you like in your greatness?(DP)
3 Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,
with fair branches and forest shade,
and of great height,
its top among the clouds.(DQ)
4 The waters nourished it;
the deep made it grow tall,
flowing with its rivers
around the place it was planted,
sending forth its streams
to all the trees of the field.(DR)
5 So it towered high
above all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large
and its branches long,
from abundant water in its shoots.(DS)
6 All the birds of the air
made their nests in its boughs;
under its branches all the animals of the field
gave birth to their young,
and in its shade
all great nations lived.(DT)
7 It was beautiful in its greatness,
in the length of its branches,
for its roots went down
to abundant water.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it
nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing
compared with its branches;
no tree in the garden of God
was like it in beauty.(DU)
9 I made it beautiful
with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
that were in the garden of God.
10 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it[ai] towered high and set its top among the clouds and its heart was proud of its height,(DV) 11 I gave it into the hand of the prince of the nations; he has dealt with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out.(DW) 12 Foreigners from the most terrible of the nations have cut it down and left it. On the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs lie broken in all the watercourses of the land, and all the peoples of the earth went away from its shade and left it.(DX)
13 On its fallen trunk settle
all the birds of the air,
and among its boughs lodge
all the wild animals.(DY)
14 All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to lofty height or set their tops among the clouds and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height.
For all of them are handed over to death,
to the world below;
along with mortals,
with those who go down to the Pit.(DZ)
15 Thus says the Lord God: On the day it went down to Sheol I closed the deep over it and covered it; I restrained its rivers, and its mighty waters were checked. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.(EA) 16 I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who go down to the Pit, and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that were well watered, were consoled in the world below.(EB) 17 They also went down to Sheol with it, to those killed by the sword, along with its allies,[aj] those who lived in its shade among the nations.(EC)
18 Which among the trees of Eden was like you in glory and in greatness? Now you shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below; you shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his horde, says the Lord God.(ED)
Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt
32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
You consider yourself a lion among the nations,
but you are like a dragon in the seas;
you thrash about in your streams,
trouble the water with your feet,
and foul your[ak] streams.(EE)
3 Thus says the Lord God:
In an assembly of many peoples
I will throw my net over you,
and I[al] will haul you up in my dragnet.(EF)
4 I will throw you on the ground;
on the open field I will fling you
and will cause all the birds of the air to settle on you,
and I will let the wild animals of the whole earth gorge themselves on you.(EG)
5 I will strew your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with your carcass.[am]
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood
up to the mountains,
and the watercourses will be filled with you.(EH)
7 When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens
and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon shall not give its light.(EI)
8 All the shining lights of the heavens
I will darken above you
and put darkness on your land,
says the Lord God.
9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
as I carry you captive[an] among the nations,
into countries you have not known.(EJ)
10 I will make many peoples appalled at you;
their kings shall shudder because of you.
When I brandish my sword before them,
they shall tremble every moment
for their lives, each one of them,
on the day of your downfall.(EK)
11 For thus says the Lord God:
The sword of the king of Babylon shall come against you.(EL)
12 I will cause your hordes to fall
by the swords of mighty ones,
all of them most terrible among the nations.
They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
and all its hordes shall perish.(EM)
13 I will destroy all its livestock
from beside abundant waters,
and no human foot shall trouble them any more,
nor shall the hoofs of cattle trouble them.(EN)
14 Then I will make their waters clear
and cause their streams to run like oil, says the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate
and when the land is stripped of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who live in it,
then they shall know that I am the Lord.(EO)
16 This is a lamentation; it shall be chanted.
The women of the nations shall chant it.
Over Egypt and all its hordes they shall chant it,
says the Lord God.(EP)
Dirge over Egypt
17 In the twelfth year, in the first month,[ao] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
18 Mortal, wail over the hordes of Egypt
and send them down,
with Egypt[ap] and the daughters of majestic nations,
to the world below,
with those who go down to the Pit.(EQ)
19 “Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down! Be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!”(ER)
20 They shall fall among those who are killed by the sword. Egypt[aq] has been handed over to the sword; both it and its hordes will be carried away.[ar] 21 The mighty chiefs shall speak of them, with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: “They have come down; they lie still, the uncircumcised, killed by the sword.”(ES)
22 Assyria is there and all its company, their graves all around it, all of them killed, fallen by the sword.(ET) 23 Their graves are set in the uttermost parts of the Pit. Its company is all around its grave, all of them killed, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.(EU)
24 Elam is there and all its hordes around its grave, all of them killed, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into the world below, who spread terror in the land of the living. They bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.(EV) 25 They have made Elam[as] a bed among the slain with all its hordes, their graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, killed by the sword, for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit; they are placed among the slain.(EW)
26 Meshech and Tubal are there, and all their multitude, their graves all around them, all of them uncircumcised, pierced by the sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living.(EX) 27 And they do not lie with the fallen warriors of long ago[at] who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads and whose shields[au] are upon their bones; for the terror of the warriors was in the land of the living.(EY) 28 So you shall be broken and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are killed by the sword.
29 Edom is there, its kings and all its princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the Pit.(EZ)
30 The princes of the north are there, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.(FA)
31 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be consoled for all his hordes—Pharaoh and all his army, killed by the sword, says the Lord God. 32 For he[av] spread terror in the land of the living; therefore he shall be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.
Footnotes
- 25.8 Gk OL: Heb Moab and Seir
- 25.9 Heb towns from its towns
- 26.1 Gk ms: Heb eleventh year
- 26.1 Cn: Heb lacks eleventh
- 26.17 Gk OL Aquila: Heb have vanished, O inhabited one,
- 26.17 Heb it and its inhabitants
- 26.17 Heb their
- 26.17 Cn: Heb its inhabitants
- 26.20 Gk: Heb I will give beauty
- 27.6 Or boxwood
- 27.8 Cn: Heb your skilled men, O Tyre
- 27.10 Or Persia
- 27.11 Or and your army
- 27.15 Gk: Heb The Dedanites
- 27.16 Heb mss Syr Aquila: MT Aram
- 27.17 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 27.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 27.24 Cn: Heb in your market
- 27.32 Tg Vg: Heb silenced
- 28.3 Or Danel
- 28.12 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 28.13 Or lapis lazuli
- 28.13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 28.14 Gk: Heb adds anointed guardian
- 29.6 Gk Syr Vg: Heb they
- 29.7 Syr: Heb stand
- 29.9 Gk Syr Vg: Heb he
- 29.16 Heb It
- 30.3 Heb lacks of doom
- 30.5 Compare Gk Syr Vg: Heb Cub
- 30.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 30.9 Heb the day of Egypt
- 30.17 Heb and they
- 30.18 Heb she
- 31.10 Syr Vg: Heb you
- 31.17 Heb its arms
- 32.2 Heb their
- 32.3 Gk Vg: Heb they
- 32.5 Symmachus Syr Vg: Heb your height
- 32.9 Gk: Heb bring your destruction
- 32.17 Gk: Heb lacks in the first month
- 32.18 Heb it
- 32.20 Heb It
- 32.20 Cn: Heb carry away both it and its hordes
- 32.25 Heb it
- 32.27 Gk OL: Heb of the uncircumcised
- 32.27 Cn: Heb iniquities
- 32.32 Cn: Heb I
Psalm 132-133
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 132
The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion
A Song of Ascents.
1 O Lord, remember in David’s favor
all the hardships he endured;
2 how he swore to the Lord
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,(A)
3 “I will not enter my house
or get into my bed;
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”(B)
6 We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.(C)
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool.”(D)
8 Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.(E)
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.(F)
10 For your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.(G)
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
shall sit on your throne.”(H)
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:(I)
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.(J)
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.(K)
18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam.”(L)
Psalm 133
The Blessedness of Unity
A Song of Ascents.
1 How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!(M)
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.(N)
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.(O)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.