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30 Yahweh’s word came again to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says:

“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
    For the day is near,
    even Yahweh’s day is near.
It will be a day of clouds,
    a time of the nations.
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.

“‘“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.”

“‘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.
“They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate.
    Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted.
They will know that I am Yahweh
    when I have set a fire in Egypt,
    and all her helpers are destroyed.

“‘“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.’”

Lamentation for Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, prophesy, and say: Thus says the Lord God:

Wail, “Alas for the day!”(A)
    For a day is near,
    the day of the Lord is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
    a time of doom[a] for the nations.(B)
A sword shall come upon Egypt,
    and anguish shall be in Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
    and its wealth is carried away,
    and its foundations are torn down.(C)

Cush and Put and Lud and all the mixed populations and Libya[b] and the people of the allied land[c] shall fall with them by the sword.(D)

Thus says the Lord:
Those who support Egypt shall fall,
    and its proud might shall come down;
from Migdol to Syene
    they shall fall within it by the sword,
says the Lord God.(E)
They shall be desolated among other desolated countries,
    and their cities shall lie among cities laid waste.(F)
Then they shall know that I am the Lord,
    when I have set fire to Egypt,
    and all who help it are broken.(G)

On that day, messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the secure Cushites, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom,[d] for it is coming!(H)

10 Thus says the Lord God:

I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,
    by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon.(I)
11 He and his people with him, the most terrible of the nations,
    shall be brought in to destroy the land,
and they shall draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.(J)
12 I will dry up the channels of the Nile
    and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers;
I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it
    by the hand of foreigners;
I the Lord have spoken.(K)

13 Thus says the Lord God:

I will destroy the idols
    and put an end to the images in Memphis;
there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt,
    so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.(L)
14 I will make Pathros a desolation
    and will set fire to Zoan
    and will execute acts of judgment on Thebes.(M)
15 I will pour my wrath upon Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and will cut off the hordes of Thebes.(N)
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
    Pelusium shall be in great agony;
Thebes shall be breached
    and Memphis face adversaries by day.
17 The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves[e] shall go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark,
    when I break there the dominion of Egypt,
and its proud might shall come to an end;
    the city[f] shall be covered by a cloud,
    and its daughter towns shall go into captivity.(O)
19 Thus I will execute acts of judgment on Egypt.
    Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(P)

Proclamation against Pharaoh

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 Mortal, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword.(Q) 22 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.(R) 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.(S) 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 him with the groans of one mortally wounded.(T) 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. And they shall know that I am the Lord when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall stretch it out against the land of Egypt,(U) 26 and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 30.3 Heb lacks of doom
  2. 30.5 Compare Gk Syr Vg: Heb Cub
  3. 30.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. 30.9 Heb the day of Egypt
  5. 30.17 Heb and they
  6. 30.18 Heb she