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17 In the twelfth year [after King Jehoiachin of Judah was taken into exile], on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and cast them down, both her and the daughters of the powerful and majestic nations, to the nether world (the place of the dead), with those who go down to the pit;

19 
‘Whom [among them] do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised (the barbaric, the boorish, the crude).’

20 They will fall among those who are slain by the sword. She (Egypt) is handed over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her hordes away [to judgment]. 21 The strong among the mighty rulers will say of him (Pharaoh) and his allies from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down [defeated]; they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’

22 “Assyria is there with all her warriors; their graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, 23 whose graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit and her army is all around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.

24 [a]Elam [a conquest of Assyria] is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who made their terror spread in the land of the living and bore their shame and defeat with those who went down to the pit. 25 They have made a bed for her among the slain with all her hordes. Her graves are around it; they are all uncircumcised (barbaric, boorish, crude), slain by the sword (for their terror had been spread in the land of the living), and they bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit; they were laid among the slain.

26 “Meshech, Tubal, and all their hordes are there; their graves [b]surround them. All of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, for they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 Nor do they lie beside the fallen heroes of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid [with honors] under their heads. The punishment for their sins rested on their bones, for the terror of these heroes was once in the land of the living. 28 But you will be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised and you will lie [without honors] with those who are slain by the sword.

29 “Edom is there also, her kings and all her princes, who for all their power and strength are laid with those who were slain by the sword; they will lie [in shame and defeat] with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit.

30 “The princes of the north are there also, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their power, have gone down in shame with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit.

31 “Pharaoh will see them, and he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his army,” says the Lord God. 32 “Though I instilled a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes,” says the Lord God.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:24 Southwestern part of current day Iran.
  2. Ezekiel 32:26 Lit are around him.

Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign(B) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.(C) 19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’(D) 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged(E) off with all her hordes.(F) 21 From within the realm of the dead(G) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,(H) with those killed by the sword.’

22 “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. 23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit(I) and her army lies around her grave.(J) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

24 “Elam(K) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.(L) All who had spread terror in the land of the living(M) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(N) 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,(O) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

26 “Meshek and Tubal(P) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,[a](Q) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields[b] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

28 “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

29 “Edom(R) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.(S)

30 “All the princes of the north(T) and all the Sidonians(U) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised(V) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(W)

31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled(X) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. 32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh(Y) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
  2. Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment