Judgment of Egypt

29 In the (A)tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against (B)Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all (C)Egypt. Speak and say, ‘This is what the Lord [a]God says:

“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
The great [b](D)monster that lies in the midst of his [c]canals,
That (E)has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.’
I will put (F)hooks in your jaws
And make the fish of your [d]canals cling to your scales.
And I will bring you up out of the midst of your [e]canals,
And all the fish of your [f]canals will cling to your scales.
I will (G)abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your [g]canals;
You will fall on the [h]open field; you will not be brought together or [i](H)gathered.
I have given you for (I)food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been only a (J)staff made of reed to the house of Israel.
When they took hold of you with the hand,
You (K)broke and tore all their [j]hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their hips [k]shake.”

‘Therefore the Lord God says this: “Behold, I am going to (L)bring upon you a sword, and I will cut off from you human and animal life. The (M)land of Egypt will become a desolation and place of ruins. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“Because [l]you (N)said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have made it,’ 10 therefore, behold, I am (O)against you and against your [m]canals, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and as far as the border of [n]Cush. 11 A human foot will (P)not pass through it, nor will the foot of an animal pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. 12 So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the (Q)midst of deserted lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate for forty years; and I will (R)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.”

13 ‘For this is what the Lord God says: “At the end of forty years I will (S)gather the Egyptians from the peoples [o]among whom they were scattered. 14 And I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of (T)Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 It will be the (U)lowest of the kingdoms, and it will not raise itself above the nations again. And I will make them small so that they will not (V)rule over the nations. 16 And it will no longer be a kingdom on which (W)the house of Israel relies, [p](X)bringing to mind the guilt of their having turned [q]to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”’”

17 Now in the (Y)twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (Z)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor [r]hard against Tyre; every head [s]had a (AA)bald spot and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But he and his army acquired no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had [t]performed against it.” 19 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to (AB)give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her (AC)wealth and capture her spoils and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor which he [u](AD)performed, because they acted for Me,” declares the Lord God.

21 “On that day I will make a (AE)horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will [v](AF)open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Grief over Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord [w]God says:

(AG)Wail, ‘Woe for the day!’
For the day is near,
Indeed, (AH)the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of (AI)clouds,
A time of doom for the nations.
A sword will come upon Egypt,
And there will be trembling in [x]Cush;
When the slain fall in Egypt,
They will (AJ)take away her [y]wealth,
And her foundations will be torn down.

[z]Cush, Put, Lud, all [aa](AK)Arabia, [ab]Libya and the [ac]people of the land [ad]that is in league will fall with them by the sword.”

‘This is what the Lord says:
“Indeed, those who support (AL)Egypt will fall
And the pride of her power will come down;
From Migdol to Syene
They will fall within her by the sword,”
Declares the Lord God.
“They will be desolate
In the (AM)midst of the desolated lands;
And her cities will be
In the midst of the devastated cities.
And they will (AN)know that I am the Lord,
When I set a (AO)fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are broken.

On that day (AP)messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten (AQ)carefree [ae]Cush; and (AR)trembling will come on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it is coming!”

10 ‘This is what the Lord God says:

(AS)I will also make the [af]hordes of Egypt cease
By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him,
(AT)The most ruthless of the nations,
Will be brought in to destroy the land;
And they will draw their swords against Egypt
And fill the land with the slain.
12 Moreover, I will make the (AU)Nile canals dry
And (AV)sell the land into the hands of evil men.
And I will make the land desolate
And [ag]all that is in it,
By the hand of strangers; I the Lord have spoken.”

13 ‘This is what the Lord God says:

“I will also (AW)destroy the idols
And make the [ah]images cease from [ai](AX)Memphis.
And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;
And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make (AY)Pathros desolate,
Set a fire in (AZ)Zoan
And execute judgments on [aj](BA)Thebes.
15 I will pour out My wrath on [ak]Sin,
The stronghold of Egypt;
I will also eliminate the hordes of [al]Thebes.
16 I will set a fire in Egypt;
[am]Sin will writhe in anguish,
[an]Thebes will be breached
And [ao]Memphis will have [ap]distresses daily.
17 The young men of [aq](BB)On and of Pi-beseth
Will fall by the sword,
And [ar]the women will go into captivity.
18 In (BC)Tehaphnehes the day will [as]be (BD)dark
When I (BE)break there the yoke bars of Egypt.
Then the pride of her power will cease in her;
A cloud will cover her,
And her daughters will go into captivity.
19 So I will (BF)execute judgments on Egypt,
And they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

Victory for Babylon

20 In the (BG)eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, I have (BH)broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been (BI)bound up [at]for healing [au]or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am (BJ)against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the (BK)broken; and I will make the sword (BL)fall from his hand. 23 And I will (BM)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. 24 For I will (BN)strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put (BO)My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groans of a wounded man. 25 So I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fail. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he (BP)reaches out with it against the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Notas al pie

  1. Ezekiel 29:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  2. Ezekiel 29:3 Heb tannim
  3. Ezekiel 29:3 Or Nile
  4. Ezekiel 29:4 Or Nile
  5. Ezekiel 29:4 Or Nile
  6. Ezekiel 29:4 Or Nile
  7. Ezekiel 29:5 Or Nile
  8. Ezekiel 29:5 Lit faces of the field
  9. Ezekiel 29:5 Or with several mss and Targum, buried
  10. Ezekiel 29:7 As in some ancient versions; MT shoulders
  11. Ezekiel 29:7 Cf. ancient versions; MT stand
  12. Ezekiel 29:9 As in ancient versions; MT he
  13. Ezekiel 29:10 Or Nile
  14. Ezekiel 29:10 Or Ethiopia
  15. Ezekiel 29:13 Lit where
  16. Ezekiel 29:16 Lit causing to remember
  17. Ezekiel 29:16 Lit after them
  18. Ezekiel 29:18 Lit a great labor
  19. Ezekiel 29:18 I.e., injuries from the labor
  20. Ezekiel 29:18 Lit labored
  21. Ezekiel 29:20 Lit labored
  22. Ezekiel 29:21 Lit give you an opening of the mouth
  23. Ezekiel 30:2 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
  24. Ezekiel 30:4 Or Ethiopia
  25. Ezekiel 30:4 Or multitude
  26. Ezekiel 30:5 Or Ethiopia
  27. Ezekiel 30:5 Or the mixed people
  28. Ezekiel 30:5 Or Cub
  29. Ezekiel 30:5 Lit sons
  30. Ezekiel 30:5 Lit of the covenant
  31. Ezekiel 30:9 Or Ethiopia
  32. Ezekiel 30:10 Or people; lit crowd, and so throughout the ch
  33. Ezekiel 30:12 Lit her fullness
  34. Ezekiel 30:13 Or futile ones
  35. Ezekiel 30:13 Or Noph
  36. Ezekiel 30:14 Or No
  37. Ezekiel 30:15 Or Pelusium
  38. Ezekiel 30:15 Or No
  39. Ezekiel 30:16 Or Pelusium
  40. Ezekiel 30:16 Or No
  41. Ezekiel 30:16 Or Noph
  42. Ezekiel 30:16 Or adversaries
  43. Ezekiel 30:17 Or Aven
  44. Ezekiel 30:17 Lit they
  45. Ezekiel 30:18 As in many mss and ancient versions; MT restrain
  46. Ezekiel 30:21 Lit to give healing
  47. Ezekiel 30:21 Lit to wrap it

A Message for Egypt

29 On January 7,[a] during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, turn and face Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt—
    you great monster, lurking in the streams of the Nile.
For you have said, ‘The Nile River is mine;
    I made it for myself.’
I will put hooks in your jaws
    and drag you out on the land
    with fish sticking to your scales.
I will leave you and all your fish
    stranded in the wilderness to die.
You will lie unburied on the open ground,
    for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.
All the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
    for to Israel you were just a staff made of reeds.
When Israel leaned on you,
    you splintered and broke
    and stabbed her in the armpit.
When she put her weight on you,
    you collapsed, and her legs gave way.

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals. The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.

“Because you said, ‘The Nile River is mine; I made it,’ 10 I am now the enemy of both you and your river. I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate wasteland, from Migdol to Aswan, as far south as the border of Ethiopia.[b] 11 For forty years not a soul will pass that way, neither people nor animals. It will be completely uninhabited. 12 I will make Egypt desolate, and it will be surrounded by other desolate nations. Its cities will be empty and desolate for forty years, surrounded by other ruined cities. I will scatter the Egyptians to distant lands.

13 “But this is what the Sovereign Lord also says: At the end of the forty years I will bring the Egyptians home again from the nations to which they have been scattered. 14 I will restore the prosperity of Egypt and bring its people back to the land of Pathros in southern Egypt from which they came. But Egypt will remain an unimportant, minor kingdom. 15 It will be the lowliest of all the nations, never again great enough to rise above its neighbors.

16 “Then Israel will no longer be tempted to trust in Egypt for help. Egypt’s shattered condition will remind Israel of how sinful she was to trust Egypt in earlier days. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Nebuchadnezzar to Conquer Egypt

17 On April 26, the first day of the new year,[c] during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzar[d] of Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors’ heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work. 19 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army. 20 Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign Lord, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.

21 “And the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive,[e] and then, Ezekiel, your words will be respected. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Sad Day for Egypt

30 This is another message that came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“Weep and wail
    for that day,
for the terrible day is almost here—
    the day of the Lord!
It is a day of clouds and gloom,
    a day of despair for the nations.
A sword will come against Egypt,
    and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground.
Its wealth will be carried away
    and its foundations destroyed.
The land of Ethiopia[f] will be ravished.
    Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia,[g]
and all their other allies
    will be destroyed in that war.

“For this is what the Lord says:
All of Egypt’s allies will fall,
    and the pride of her power will end.
From Migdol to Aswan[h]
    they will be slaughtered by the sword,
    says the Sovereign Lord.
Egypt will be desolate,
    surrounded by desolate nations,
and its cities will be in ruins,
    surrounded by other ruined cities.
And the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord
    when I have set Egypt on fire
    and destroyed all their allies.
At that time I will send swift messengers in ships
    to terrify the complacent Ethiopians.
Great panic will come upon them
    on that day of Egypt’s certain destruction.
Watch for it!
    It is sure to come!

10 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
By the power of King Nebuchadnezzar[i] of Babylon,
    I will destroy the hordes of Egypt.
11 He and his armies—the most ruthless of all—
    will be sent to demolish the land.
They will make war against Egypt
    until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.
12 I will dry up the Nile River
    and sell the land to wicked men.
I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it
    by the hands of foreigners.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

13 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I will smash the idols[j] of Egypt
    and the images at Memphis.[k]
There will be no rulers left in Egypt;
    terror will sweep the land.
14 I will destroy southern Egypt,[l]
    set fire to Zoan,
    and bring judgment against Thebes.[m]
15 I will pour out my fury on Pelusium,[n]
    the strongest fortress of Egypt,
and I will stamp out
    the hordes of Thebes.
16 Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt!
    Pelusium will be racked with pain;
Thebes will be torn apart;
    Memphis will live in constant terror.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis[o] will die in battle,
    and the women[p] will be taken away as slaves.
18 When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt,
    it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too.
A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes,
    and its daughters will be led away as captives.
19 And so I will greatly punish Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.”

The Broken Arms of Pharaoh

20 On April 29,[q] during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms—the good arm along with the broken one—and I will make his sword clatter to the ground. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world. 24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the earth. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Notas al pie

  1. 29:1 Hebrew On the twelfth day of the tenth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on January 7, 587 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
  2. 29:10 Hebrew from Migdol to Syene as far as the border of Cush.
  3. 29:17 Hebrew On the first day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on April 26, 571 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.
  4. 29:18 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 29:19.
  5. 29:21 Hebrew I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.
  6. 30:4 Hebrew Cush; similarly in 30:9.
  7. 30:5 Hebrew Cush, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Cub. Cub is otherwise unknown and may be another spelling for Lub (Libya).
  8. 30:6 Hebrew to Syene.
  9. 30:10 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.
  10. 30:13a The Hebrew term (literally round things) probably alludes to dung.
  11. 30:13b Hebrew Noph; also in 30:16.
  12. 30:14a Hebrew Pathros.
  13. 30:14b Hebrew No; also in 30:15, 16.
  14. 30:15 Hebrew Sin; also in 30:16.
  15. 30:17a Hebrew of Awen and Pi-beseth.
  16. 30:17b Or and her cities.
  17. 30:20 Hebrew On the seventh day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on April 29, 587 B.c.; also see note on 1:1.