¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king^(A) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder^(B) the land as pay for his army.^(C)

¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant^(A) Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne^(C) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy^(D) above them. ¹¹ He will come and attack Egypt,^(E) bringing death^(F) to those destined^(G) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,^(H) and the sword to those destined for the sword.^{(I) 12} He will set fire^(J) to the temples^(K) of the gods^(L) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.^(M) As a shepherd picks^(N) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. ¹³ There in the temple of the sun^[a](O) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars^(P) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

²⁴ I will strengthen^(A) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword^(B) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan^(C) 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^(D) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.^(E)

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: