⁹ Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile^(A) is mine; I made it,^(B)” ¹⁰ therefore I am against you^(C) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt^(D) a ruin and a desolate waste^(E) from Migdol^(F) to Aswan,^(G) as far as the border of Cush.^{[a](H) 11} The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.^{(I) 12} I will make the land of Egypt desolate^(J) 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.^(K)

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,^(L) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(M) kingdom.^{(N) 15} It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.^(O) 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^(P) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder^(Q) of their sin in turning to her for help.^(R) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(S)’”