Ezekiel 30
Common English Bible
30 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 Human one, prophesy and say, The Lord God proclaims:
Howl! Horror for the day!
3 The day is coming,
the day of the Lord comes,
a day of clouds: the nations’ time has come.
4 A sword will come into Egypt,
and trembling will overcome Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
its wealth carried away,
and its foundations razed.
5 Cush, Put, and Lud,
all Arabia and Cub,
and the people from the allied country[a] with them
will fall by the sword.
6 The Lord proclaims:
When Egypt’s helpers fall,
its proud strength will decline.
From Migdol to Syene
they will fall by the sword.
This is what the Lord God says.
7 Of all the lands laid waste, it will be the most desolate; of all cities, the most ruined. 8 They will know that I am the Lord. On the day that I set fire to Egypt and all its helpers are broken, 9 messengers in ships will go out from me to startle the complacent Cushites. Anguish will overcome them on Egypt’s day. It’s certainly coming.
10 The Lord God proclaims:
I will bring an end to the hordes of Egypt
through the power of Babylon’s King Nebuchadrezzar.
11 He and his people with him,
the most terrible of the nations,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.
12 I will dry up the Nile canals;
I will sell the land to evildoers.
With the help of foreigners
I will lay waste to the land and everything in it.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 The Lord God proclaims:
I will destroy the idols
and bring an end to the images in Memphis.
Never again will there be a prince from the land of Egypt;
so I will kindle fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will turn Pathros into a desolation,
set fire to Zoan,
and execute judgments in Thebes.
15 I will pour out my anger on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and I will cut down pompous Thebes.
16 I will set Egypt on fire;
Pelusium will writhe in travail,
Thebes will be split open,
Memphis assaulted in broad daylight.
17 The elite troops of On and Pi-beseth
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes the day will go dark when I break Egypt’s yoke and bring an end to its proud strength. A cloud will cover it, and the towns around it will go into captivity. 19 I will execute judgments in Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.
20 In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, the Lord’s word came to me: 21 Human one, I’ve broken the arm of Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, and it hasn’t been set so that it might heal, nor has it been braced or wrapped up so that it might be strong enough to grasp a sword.
22 So now the Lord God proclaims: I’m against Pharaoh, and I will break his arms, both the sound one and the broken one, and I’ll make the sword fall out of his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the earth. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will put my sword into his hand. When I break the arms of Pharaoh, he will groan like a dying man in his presence. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. They will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he uses it against the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the earth, they will know that I am the Lord.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 30:5 Or land of the covenant
Ezekiel 30
New Century Version
Egypt Will Be Punished
30 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 “Human, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Cry and say,
“The terrible day is coming.”
3 The day is near;
the Lord’s day of judging is near.
It is a cloudy day
and a time when the nations will be judged.
4 An enemy will attack Egypt,
and Cush will tremble with fear.
When the killing begins in Egypt,
her wealth will be taken away,
and her foundations will be torn down.
5 Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya, and some of my people who had made an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war.
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
Those who fight on Egypt’s side will fall.
The power she is proud of will be lost.
The people in Egypt will fall dead in war
from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south,
says the Lord God.
7 They will be the most deserted lands.
Egypt’s cities will be the worst of cities that lie in ruins.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I set fire to Egypt
and when all those nations on her side are crushed.
9 “‘At that time I will send messengers in ships to frighten Cush, which now feels safe. The people of Cush will tremble with fear when Egypt is punished. And that time is sure to come.
10 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy great numbers of people in Egypt
through the power of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 Nebuchadnezzar and his army,
the cruelest army of any nation,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will pull out their swords against Egypt
and will fill the land with those they kill.
12 I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land,
and then I will sell the land to evil people.
I will destroy the land and everything in it
through the power of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt’s Idols Are Destroyed
13 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy the idols
and take away the statues of gods from the city of Memphis.
There will no longer be a leader in Egypt,
and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.
14 I will make southern Egypt empty
and start a fire in Zoan
and punish Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium,
the strong place of Egypt.
I will destroy great numbers of people in Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt.
Pelusium will be in great pain.
The walls of Thebes will be broken open,
and Memphis will have troubles every day.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
will fall dead in war,
and the people will be taken away as captives.
18 In Tahpanhes the day will be dark
when I break Egypt’s power.
Then she will no longer be proud of her power.
A cloud will cover Egypt,
and her villages will be captured and taken away.
19 So I will punish Egypt,
and they will know I am the Lord.’”
Egypt Becomes Weak
20 It was in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 21 “Human, I have broken the powerful arm of the king of Egypt. It has not been tied up, so it will not get well. It has not been wrapped with a bandage, so it will not be strong enough to hold a sword in war. 22 So this is what the Lord God says: I am against the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong arm and the broken arm, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. 24 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of the king of Egypt. Then when he faces the king of Babylon, he will cry out in pain like a dying person. 25 So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of the king of Egypt will fall. Then people will know that I am the Lord when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he uses it in war against Egypt. 26 Then I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel 30
King James Version
30 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!
3 For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.
5 Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
6 Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God.
7 And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.
8 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.
9 In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
10 Thus saith the Lord God; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
12 And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it.
13 Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
14 And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.
15 And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.
16 And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.
17 The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.
19 Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the Lord.
20 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.
22 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.
23 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
24 And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.
25 But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.
26 And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 30
World English Bible
30 Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says:
“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
3 For the day is near,
even Yahweh’s day is near.
It will be a day of clouds,
a time of the nations.
4 A sword will come on Egypt,
and anguish will be in Ethiopia,
when the slain fall in Egypt.
They take away her multitude,
and her foundations are broken down.
5 “‘“Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mixed people, Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, will fall with them by the sword.”
6 “‘Yahweh says:
“They also who uphold Egypt will fall.
The pride of her power will come down.
They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,”
says the Lord Yahweh.
7 “They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate.
Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted.
8 They will know that I am Yahweh
when I have set a fire in Egypt,
and all her helpers are destroyed.
9 “‘“In that day messengers will go out from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid. There will be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.”
10 “‘The Lord Yahweh says:
“I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease,
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him,
the terrible of the nations,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt,
and fill the land with the slain.
12 I will make the rivers dry,
and will sell the land into the hand of evil men.
I will make the land desolate,
and all that is therein,
by the hand of strangers:
I, Yahweh, have spoken it.”
13 “‘The Lord Yahweh says:
“I will also destroy the idols,
and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis.
There will be no more a prince from the land of Egypt.
I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
14 I will make Pathros desolate,
and will set a fire in Zoan,
and will execute judgments on No.
15 I will pour my wrath on Sin,
the stronghold of Egypt.
I will cut off the multitude of No.
16 I will set a fire in Egypt
Sin will be in great anguish.
No will be broken up.
Memphis will have adversaries in the daytime.
17 The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword.
They will go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes also the day will withdraw itself,
when I break the yokes of Egypt, there.
The pride of her power will cease in her.
As for her, a cloud will cover her,
and her daughters will go into captivity.
19 Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt.
Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”’”
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it become strong to hold the sword. 22 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken. I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before the king of Babylon with the groaning of a mortally wounded man. 25 I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh will fall down. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he stretches it out on the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”
Ezekiel 30
Contemporary English Version
Egypt Will Be a Barren Desert
30 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Egypt that I am saying:
Cry out in despair,
3 because you will soon
be punished!
That will be a time
of darkness and doom
for all nations.
4 Your own nation of Egypt
will be attacked,
and Ethiopia[a] will suffer.
You will be killed in battle,
and your land will be robbed
and left in ruins.
5 Soldiers hired from Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, Arabia, Kub, as well as from Israel,[b] will die in that battle. 6 All of your allies will be killed, and your proud strength will crumble. People will die from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south. I, the Lord, have spoken.
7 Your nation of Egypt will be the most deserted place on earth, and its cities will lie in complete ruin. 8 I will set fire to your land, and anyone who defended your nation will die. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9 On the same day I destroy Egypt, I will send messengers to the Ethiopians to announce their coming destruction. They think they are safe, but they will be terrified.
10 Your Egyptian army is very strong, but I will send King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to completely defeat that army. 11 He and his cruel troops will invade and destroy your land and leave your dead bodies piled everywhere.
12 I will dry up the Nile River, then sell the land to evil buyers. I will send foreigners to turn your entire nation into a barren desert. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt's Proud Cities Will Lie in Ruins
The Lord said to the people of Egypt:
13 All the idols and images you Egyptians worship in the city of Memphis[c] will be smashed. No one will be left to rule your nation, and terror will fill the land. 14 The city of Pathros will be left in ruins, and Zoan will be burned to the ground. Thebes,[d] your capital city, will also be destroyed! 15 The fortress city of Pelusium will feel my fierce anger, and all the troops stationed at Thebes will be slaughtered.
16 I will set fire to your nation of Egypt! The city of Pelusium will be in anguish. Thebes will fall, and the people of Memphis will live in constant fear.[e] 17 The young soldiers in the cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis[f] will die in battle, and the rest of the people will be taken prisoner. 18 You were so proud of your nation's power, but when I crush that power and kill that pride, darkness will fall over the city of Tahpanhes. A dark, gloomy cloud will cover the land as you are being led away into captivity. 19 When I'm through punishing Egypt, you will know that I am the Lord.
Egypt's King Is Powerless
20 Eleven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the seventh day of the first month.[g] He said:
21 Ezekiel, son of man, I, the Lord, have defeated the king of Egypt! I broke his arm, and no one has wrapped it or put it in a sling, so that it could heal and get strong enough to hold a sword. 22 So tell him that I am now his worst enemy. I will break both his arms—the good one and the broken one! His sword will drop from his hand forever, 23 and I will scatter the Egyptians all over the world.
24-25 I will strengthen the power of Babylonia's king and give him my sword to use against Egypt. I will also make the wounded king of Egypt powerless, and he will moan in pain and die in front of the Babylonian king. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will force the Egyptians to live as prisoners in foreign nations, and they will know that I, the Lord, have punished them.
Footnotes
- 30.4 Ethiopia: See the note at 29.10.
- 30.5 as well as from Israel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 30.13 Memphis: Hebrew “Noph.”
- 30.14 Thebes: Hebrew “No.”
- 30.16 the people of Memphis … constant fear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 30.17 Heliopolis and Bubastis: Hebrew “On and Pi-Beseth.”
- 30.20 Eleven years … first month: Probably March of 587 b.c.
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