Ezekiel 29:1-16

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Egypt

Judgment on Pharaoh

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me:^(A) ²“Son of man, set your face against^(B) Pharaoh king of Egypt^(C) and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.^(D) ³Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I am against you, Pharaoh^(E) king of Egypt,
    you great monster^(F) lying among your streams.
You say, “The Nile^(G) belongs to me;
    I made it for myself.”
⁴But I will put hooks^(H) in your jaws
    and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
    with all the fish sticking to your scales.^(I)
⁵I will leave you in the desert,
    you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
    and not be gathered^(J) or picked up.
I will give you as food
    to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.^(K)

⁶Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“‘You have been a staff of reed^(L) for the people of Israel. ⁷When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered^(M) and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.^[a]^(N)

⁸“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast.^(O) ⁹Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“‘Because you said, “The Nile^(P) is mine; I made it,^(Q)” ¹⁰therefore I am against you^(R) and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt^(S) a ruin and a desolate waste^(T) from Migdol^(U) to Aswan,^(V) as far as the border of Cush.^[b]^(W) ¹¹The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.^(X) ¹²I will make the land of Egypt desolate^(Y) among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^(Z)

¹³“‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. ¹⁴I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt,^(AA) the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly^(AB) kingdom.^(AC) ¹⁵It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations.^(AD) I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. ¹⁶Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence^(AE) for the people of Israel but will be a reminder^(AF) of their sin in turning to her for help.^(AG) Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(AH)’”