² “Son of man, set your face against^(A) Pharaoh king of Egypt^(B) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.^{(C) 3} Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

⁶ Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“‘You have been a staff of reed^(K) for the people of Israel. ⁷ When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered^(L) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.^[a](M)

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.^{(N) 9} Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile^(O) is mine; I made it,^(P)” ¹⁰ therefore I am against you^(Q) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt^(R) a ruin and a desolate waste^(S) from Migdol^(T) to Aswan,^(U) as far as the border of Cush.^{[b](V) 11} The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.^{(W) 12} I will make the land of Egypt desolate^(X) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^(Y)

¹³ “‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. ¹⁴ I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,^(Z) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(AA) kingdom.^{(AB) 15} It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.^(AC) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. ¹⁶ Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence^(AD) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder^(AE) of their sin in turning to her for help.^(AF) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(AG)’”