Ezekiel 29
New English Translation
A Prophecy Against Egypt
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month,[a] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn toward[b] Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3 Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against[c] you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monster[d] lying in the midst of its waterways,
who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.”[e]
4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales.
I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways,
and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your waterways;
you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected.[f]
I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.
6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord
because they were a reed staff[g] for the house of Israel;
7 when they grasped you with their hand,[h] you broke and tore[i] their shoulders,
and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady.[j]
8 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill[k] every person and every animal. 9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
“‘Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,” 10 I am against[l] you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol[m] to Syene,[n] as far as the border with Ethiopia. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for forty years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.
13 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years[o] I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered. 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and will bring them back[p] to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom. 15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. 16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help.[q] Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month,[r] the Lord’s message came to me: 18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar[s] of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre.[t] Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre,[u] because they did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 21 On that day I will make Israel powerful,[v] and I will give you the right to be heard[w] among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 29:1 tn January 7, 587 b.c.
- Ezekiel 29:2 tn Heb “set your face against.”
- Ezekiel 29:3 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
- Ezekiel 29:3 tn Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew mss read correctly “the serpent.” The Hebrew term appears to refer to a serpent in Exod 7:9-10, 12; Deut 32:33; Ps 91:13. It also refers to large creatures that inhabit the sea (Gen 1:21; Ps 148:7). In several passages it is associated with the sea or with the multiheaded sea monster Leviathan (Job 7:12; Ps 74:13; Isa 27:1; 51:9). Because of the Egyptian setting of this prophecy and the reference to the creature’s scales (v. 4), many understand a crocodile to be the referent here (e.g., NCV “a great crocodile”; TEV “you monster crocodile”; CEV “a giant crocodile”).
- Ezekiel 29:3 sn In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240-44.
- Ezekiel 29:5 tc Some Hebrew mss, the Targum, and the LXX read “buried.”
- Ezekiel 29:6 sn Cf. Isa 36:6.
- Ezekiel 29:7 tc The Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) implies בְכַפְּךָ (vekappeka, “by your hand”) but the marginal reading (Qere) has simply בַכַּף (vakkaf, “by the hand”). The LXX reads: “with their hand,” implying בְכַפָּם (vekappam).
- Ezekiel 29:7 tn Or perhaps “dislocated.”
- Ezekiel 29:7 tn Heb “you caused to stand for them all their hips.” An emendation that switches two letters but is supported by the LXX yields the reading: “you caused all their hips to shake.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:103. In 2 Kgs 18:21 and Isa 36:6 trusting in the Pharaoh is compared to leaning on a staff. The oracle may reflect Hophra’s attempt to aid Jerusalem (Jer 37:5-8).
- Ezekiel 29:8 tn Heb “I will cut off from you.”
- Ezekiel 29:10 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
- Ezekiel 29:10 sn This may refer to a site in the Egyptian Delta that served as a refuge for Jews (Jer 44:1; 46:14).
- Ezekiel 29:10 sn Syene is known today as Aswan.
- Ezekiel 29:13 sn In Ezek 4:4-8 it was said that the house of Judah would suffer forty years.
- Ezekiel 29:14 tc Thus the MT, which reads וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי (vahashivoti, “I will cause to return”), a Hiphil of the verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”). The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate translate as though the Hebrew had the vocalization וְהֹשַׁבְתִּי (vehoshavti, “I will cause to inhabit”), a Hiphil from יָשַׁב (yashav “to dwell”).
- Ezekiel 29:16 tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”
- Ezekiel 29:17 sn April 26, 571 b.c.
- Ezekiel 29:18 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more exact spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-uṣur has an “r” rather than an “n” (so also in v. 19).
- Ezekiel 29:18 sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571 b.c.
- Ezekiel 29:20 tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).
- Ezekiel 29:21 tn Heb “I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.” The horn is used as a figure for military power in the OT (Ps 92:10). A similar expression is made about the Davidic dynasty in Ps 132:17.
- Ezekiel 29:21 tn Heb “I will grant you an open mouth.”
Ezechiel 29
Nouă Traducere În Limba Română
Profeţie împotriva Egiptului
29 În anul al zecelea, în ziua a douăsprezecea a lunii a zecea,[a] Cuvântul Domnului a venit la mine şi mi-a zis: 2 „Fiul omului, îndreaptă-ţi faţa spre Faraon, monarhul Egiptului şi profeţeşte împotriva lui şi împotriva întregului Egipt. 3 Vorbeşte şi spune-le din partea Stăpânului Domn:
«Iată, sunt împotriva ta, Faraon,
monarh al Egiptului,
marele monstru
care te odihneşti în mijlocul râurilor tale!
Tu zici: ‘Nilul este al meu!
L-am făcut pentru mine însumi!’
4 Dar îţi voi pune cârlige în fălci
şi voi face ca peştii râurilor tale să se lipească de solzii tăi!
Te voi scoate din mijlocul râurilor tale
împreună cu toţi peştii care s-au lipit de solzii tăi.
5 Te voi lăsa în pustie,
pe tine şi pe toţi peştii din râurile tale.
Vei cădea pe suprafaţa câmpiei
şi nu vei fi luat sau ridicat,[b]
ci te voi da drept hrană
fiarelor pământului şi păsărilor cerului.
6 Atunci toţi locuitorii Egiptului vor şti că Eu sunt Domnul.
Ai fost un toiag de trestie pentru Casa lui Israel. 7 Când te-a luat în mână, te-ai sfărâmat şi i-ai străpuns tot umărul. Când s-a rezemat de tine, te-ai rupt şi i s-au scrântit şoldurile[c].»
8 De aceea, aşa vorbeşte Stăpânul Domn: «Iată, voi aduce împotriva ta o sabie şi-ţi voi nimici oamenii şi animalele. 9 Ţara Egiptului va ajunge o pustietate şi o ruină şi veţi şti astfel că Eu sunt Domnul. Pentru că ai zis: ‘Râul este al meu! Eu l-am făcut!’, 10 iată, sunt împotriva ta şi a râurilor tale! Voi preface ţara Egiptului într-o mare ruină, într-o pustietate ce se va întinde de la Migdol la Syene[d] şi până la hotarul ţării Cuş[e]. 11 Nu va mai trece prin ea nici picior de om, nici picior de animal şi timp de patruzeci de ani[f] va rămâne nelocuită. 12 Voi preface ţara Egiptului într-o pustietate în mijlocul altor ţări pustiite şi, timp de patruzeci de ani, cetăţile ei vor face parte din rândul cetăţilor lăsate pustii. Îi voi împrăştia pe egipteni printre neamuri şi-i voi risipi în ţări străine.»
13 Aşa vorbeşte Stăpânul Domn: «La sfârşitul celor patruzeci de ani, îi voi strânge pe egipteni dintre popoarele unde au fost împrăştiaţi. 14 Îi voi aduce înapoi pe captivii Egiptului, îi voi aduce înapoi în ţara Patros[g], în patria lor, şi acolo vor fi un regat neînsemnat. 15 Va fi cel mai neînsemnat dintre regate şi nu se va mai înălţa deasupra neamurilor. Îi voi împuţina ca să nu mai stăpânească peste neamuri. 16 Egiptul nu va mai fi o pricină de încredere pentru Casa lui Israel, ci îi va aduce aminte de nelegiuirea ei, când venea să-i ceară ajutorul. Şi vor şti astfel că Eu sunt Stăpânul Domn.»“
Egiptul, răsplata oferită lui Nebucadneţar
17 În anul al douăzeci şi şaptelea, în prima zi a lunii întâi,[h] Cuvântul Domnului a venit la mine şi mi-a zis: 18 „Fiul omului, Nebucadneţar, împăratul Babilonului, şi-a pus oştirea să facă o lucrare grea împotriva Tirului. Fiecare cap a fost pleşuvit şi fiecare umăr a fost zdrelit, dar nici el, nici oştirea lui nu au căpătat nici o răsplată din Tir pentru lucrarea pe care au înfăptuit-o împotriva cetăţii.
19 De aceea, aşa vorbeşte Stăpânul Domn: «Iată, îi dau ţara Egiptului lui Nebucadneţar, împăratul Babilonului. El îi va duce bogăţia, va jefui ce este de jefuit şi va prăda ce este de prădat. Aceasta va fi plata oştirii sale. 20 Ca răsplată pentru ceea ce a lucrat împotriva Tirului îi dau ţara Egiptului, deoarece s-a ostenit pentru Mine, zice Stăpânul Domn.»
21 În ziua aceea voi înălţa puterea Casei lui Israel[i], iar ţie îţi voi deschide gura să vorbeşti în mijlocul lor. Şi vor şti astfel că Eu sunt Domnul.“
Footnotes
- Ezechiel 29:1 7 ianuarie 587 î.Cr.; vezi nota de la 1:1
- Ezechiel 29:5 Probabil cu referire la înmormântare
- Ezechiel 29:7 Siriacă, LXX, VUL; TM: rupt şi l-ai lăsat să se sprijinească numai pe picioarele lui
- Ezechiel 29:10 Modernul Aswan, la frontiera de sud a Egiptului; expresia de la Migdol la Syene poate fi comparată cu expresia de la Dan la Beer-Şeba, adică de la un capăt la celălalt al ţării
- Ezechiel 29:10 Regiunea Nilului Superior; Etiopia
- Ezechiel 29:11 De obicei număr generic, desemnând o perioadă de timp lungă şi grea; şi în v. 12
- Ezechiel 29:14 Egiptul de Sus (sudul Egiptului)
- Ezechiel 29:17 26 aprilie 571 î.Cr.; vezi nota de la 1:1
- Ezechiel 29:21 Lit.: În ziua aceea voi face să răsară un corn pentru Casa lui Israel, cornul fiind în concepţia antică simbolul puterii sau al unui conducător puternic; vezi şi Ier. 23:5; Zah. 3:8; 6:12
Ezekiel 29
King James Version
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
3 Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
4 But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.
5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
9 And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
10 Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
13 Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
14 And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
16 And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord God.
17 And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
18 Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord God.
21 In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 29
New King James Version
Proclamation Against Egypt
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, (A)set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and (B)against all Egypt. 3 Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:
(C)“Behold, I am against you,
O Pharaoh king of Egypt,
O great (D)monster who lies in the midst of his rivers,
(E)Who has said, ‘My [a]River is my own;
I have made it for myself.’
4 But (F)I will put hooks in your jaws,
And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
You and all the fish of your rivers;
You shall fall on the [b]open (G)field;
(H)You shall not be picked up or [c]gathered.
(I)I have given you as food
To the beasts of the field
And to the birds of the heavens.
6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
Shall know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been a (J)staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 (K)When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their [d]shoulders;
When they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their backs quiver.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will bring (L)a sword upon you and cut off from you man and beast. 9 And the land of Egypt shall become (M)desolate and waste; then they will know that I am the Lord, because he said, ‘The River is mine, and I have made it.’ 10 Indeed, therefore, I am against you and against your rivers, (N)and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, (O)from [e]Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. 11 (P)Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (Q)I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and among the cities that are laid waste, her cities shall be desolate forty years; and I will (R)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.”
13 ‘Yet, thus says the Lord God: “At the (S)end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. 14 I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a (T)lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the lowliest of kingdoms; it shall never again exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish them so that they will not rule over the nations anymore. 16 No longer shall it be (U)the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.” ’ ”
Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt
17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 18 “Son of man, (V)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre; every head was made (W)bald, and every shoulder rubbed raw; yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre, for the labor which they expended on it. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will give the land of Egypt to (X)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, and remove her pillage; and that will be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they (Y)worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.
21 ‘In that day (Z)I will cause the [f]horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will (AA)open your mouth to speak in their midst. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 29:3 The Nile
- Ezekiel 29:5 Lit. face of the field
- Ezekiel 29:5 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. buried
- Ezekiel 29:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. hand
- Ezekiel 29:10 Or the tower
- Ezekiel 29:21 Strength
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
