I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
    when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
    among[a] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
    and their kings will shudder with horror because of you
    when I brandish my sword before them.
On the day of your downfall
    each of them will tremble
    every moment for his life.

11 ‘“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“The sword of the king of Babylon
    will come against you.
12 I will cause your hordes to fall
    by the swords of mighty men –
    the most ruthless of all nations.
They will shatter the pride of Egypt,
    and all her hordes will be overthrown.
13 I will destroy all her cattle
    from beside abundant waters
no longer to be stirred by the foot of man
    or muddied by the hooves of cattle.
14 Then I will let her waters settle
    and make her streams flow like oil,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I make Egypt desolate
    and strip the land of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
    then they will know that I am the Lord.”

16 ‘This is the lament they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

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: 18 ‘Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit. 19 Say to them, “Are you more favoured than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.” 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged off with all her hordes. 21 From within the realm of the dead the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, “They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, 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 and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

24 ‘Elam is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword. All who had spread terror in the land of the living went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised, 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 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,[b] who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war – their swords placed under their heads and their shields[c] resting on their bones – though these warriors also had terrorised 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 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.

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

31 ‘Pharaoh – he and all his army – will see them and he will be consoled for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. 32 Although I allowed him to spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

Renewal of Ezekiel’s call as watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: “When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.”

‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, “You wicked person, you will surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[d] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:9 Hebrew; Septuagint bring you into captivity among the nations, / to
  2. Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
  3. Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment
  4. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9

I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
    when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
    among[a] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
    and their kings will shudder with horror because of you
    when I brandish my sword(A) before them.
On the day(B) of your downfall
    each of them will tremble
    every moment for his life.(C)

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘The sword(D) of the king of Babylon(E)
    will come against you.(F)
12 I will cause your hordes to fall
    by the swords of mighty men—
    the most ruthless of all nations.(G)
They will shatter the pride of Egypt,
    and all her hordes will be overthrown.(H)
13 I will destroy all her cattle
    from beside abundant waters
no longer to be stirred by the foot of man
    or muddied by the hooves of cattle.(I)
14 Then I will let her waters settle
    and make her streams flow like oil,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I make Egypt desolate
    and strip the land of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
    then they will know that I am the Lord.(J)

16 “This is the lament(K) they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

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:(L) 18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign(M) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.(N) 19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’(O) 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged(P) off with all her hordes.(Q) 21 From within the realm of the dead(R) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,(S) 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(T) and her army lies around her grave.(U) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

24 “Elam(V) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.(W) All who had spread terror in the land of the living(X) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(Y) 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,(Z) 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(AA) 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,[b](AB) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields[c] 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(AC) 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.(AD)

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

31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled(AI) 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(AJ) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(AK)

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(AL) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(AM) and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(AN) to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(AO) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(AP) Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(AQ) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(AR) But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’(AS)

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman(AT) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(AU) When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(AV)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[d] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(AW) But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(AX) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:9 Hebrew; Septuagint bring you into captivity among the nations, / to
  2. Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
  3. Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment
  4. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9