¹² Egypt will become like a desert among empty lands. Its cities will be empty for 40 years, among cities that have become heaps of stones. I will cause the Egyptians to go and live among other nations in places far away.

¹³ But this is what the Almighty Lord says: After 40 years, I will bring the Egyptians back from the places where I sent them. ¹⁴ I will bring them back home to live in peace. I will bring them to Pathros, the land of their ancestors. There they will be a weak kingdom. ¹⁵ Egypt will be the least important of all kingdoms. It will never again have power over other nations. I will make it too weak to rule over other nations.

²³ I will cause the Egyptian people to run away to live in foreign countries.

²⁶ I will send the Egyptian people away to many different countries. They will live among other nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ’