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A Prophecy 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, saying: Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
    the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers,
which has said, “My Nile is my own,
    and I myself have made it.”
But I will put hooks in your jaws,
    and will cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales,
and will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
    and all the fish of your rivers shall stick to your scales.
I will abandon you to the wilderness,
    you and all the fish of your rivers;
you shall fall upon the open field;
    you shall not be brought together or gathered.
I have given you for food
    to the beasts of the field and to the fowl of the heavens.

All the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke and tore all their hands. And when they leaned upon you, you broke and made all their legs shake.

Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will bring a sword upon you, and cut off man and beast out of you. The land of Egypt shall become a desolation and waste. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

Because you said, “The Nile is mine, and I have made it,” 10 therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast pass through it, nor shall it be inhabited for forty years. 12 Thus I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate for forty years. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them among the countries.

13 For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples wherever they were scattered. 14 And I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their origin, and there they shall be a debased kingdom. 15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms, and it shall exalt itself no more above the nations. For I will diminish them so that they shall rule over the nations no more. 16 It shall be the confidence of the house of Israel no more, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. But they shall know that I am the Lord God.

Babylonia to 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, saying: 18 Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled. Yet he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had done against it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he shall carry off her wealth and take her spoil and take her prey. And it shall be wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor with which he labored against it, because they acted for Me, says the Lord God.

21 On that day I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. And I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales; and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, with all the fish of thy rivers which stick unto thy scales. And I will cast thee forth into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the [a]open field; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered; I have given thee for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens. And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of thee [b]by thy hand, thou didst break, and didst rend all their shoulders; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to [c]be at a stand.

Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and will cut off from thee man and beast. And the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. Because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it; 10 therefore, behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, [d]from the tower of Seveneh even unto the border of Ethiopia. 11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 12 And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

13 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples whither they were scattered; 14 and I will [e]bring back the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their [f]birth; and they shall be there a [g]base kingdom. 15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations: and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. 16 And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they turn to look after them: and they shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah.

17 And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 18 Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it. 19 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt [h]as his recompense for which he served, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord Jehovah.

21 In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth unto the house of Israel, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 29:5 Hebrew face of the field.
  2. Ezekiel 29:7 Or, by the handle Another reading is, with the hand.
  3. Ezekiel 29:7 Or as some read shake. See Ps. 69:23.
  4. Ezekiel 29:10 Or, from Migdol to Syene, and even etc.
  5. Ezekiel 29:14 Or, return to
  6. Ezekiel 29:14 Or, origin
  7. Ezekiel 29:14 Hebrew low.
  8. Ezekiel 29:20 Or, for his labor wherewith he served