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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

  1. Ezekiel 29:1 tn January 7, 587 b.c.
  2. Ezekiel 29:2 tn Heb “set your face against.”
  3. 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.
  4. 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”).
  5. 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.
  6. Ezekiel 29:5 tc Some Hebrew mss, the Targum, and the LXX read “buried.”
  7. Ezekiel 29:6 sn Cf. Isa 36:6.
  8. 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).
  9. Ezekiel 29:7 tn Or perhaps “dislocated.”
  10. 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).
  11. Ezekiel 29:8 tn Heb “I will cut off from you.”
  12. 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.
  13. 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).
  14. Ezekiel 29:10 sn Syene is known today as Aswan.
  15. Ezekiel 29:13 sn In Ezek 4:4-8 it was said that the house of Judah would suffer forty years.
  16. 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”).
  17. Ezekiel 29:16 tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”
  18. Ezekiel 29:17 sn April 26, 571 b.c.
  19. 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).
  20. Ezekiel 29:18 sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571 b.c.
  21. Ezekiel 29:20 tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).
  22. 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.
  23. Ezekiel 29:21 tn Heb “I will grant you an open mouth.”
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以西結書 29
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

預言審判埃及

29 第十年十月十二日，耶和華對我說： 2 「人子啊，你要說預言斥責埃及王法老和埃及全國， 3 你要告訴他，主耶和華這樣說，

『埃及王法老啊，
你這躺臥在自己河中的大怪物，
我要與你為敵。
你說這尼羅河屬於你，
是你為自己造的。
4 但我要鉤住你的腮，
使河中的魚貼在你的鱗甲上，
把你連同貼在你鱗甲上的魚一起從河中拉上來，
5 丟棄在曠野。
你必曝屍野外，無人收殮。
我要讓你成為野獸和飛鳥的食物。

6 「『這樣，所有的埃及人就知道我是耶和華，因為你不過是一根蘆葦，以色列人無法依靠你。 7 當他們用手握住你的時候，你就斷裂，刺傷了他們的肩；當他們倚靠你的時候，你就折斷，閃了他們的腰。

8 「『因此，主耶和華說，看啊，我要使刀劍臨到你，消滅你的人畜， 9 使埃及一片荒涼。這樣，他們就知道我是耶和華。因為你說這尼羅河屬於你，是你造的。 10 因此，我要攻擊你和你的河流，使埃及從密奪到色弗尼，一直到古實的邊界全都荒廢。 11 四十年之內，這裡必無人居住，人獸蹤跡滅絕。 12 我必使埃及成為荒地中的荒地，讓埃及的城邑淪為廢墟中的廢墟，長達四十年。我要將埃及人驅散到列國，分散到列邦。』

13 「主耶和華說，『四十年之後，我要把分散的埃及人從各國聚集起來。 14 我要把被擄的埃及人帶回來，使他們回到故土巴特羅，成為一個卑微的國家， 15 在列國中最衰微，再也不能雄居列國之上。我要使埃及國勢衰弱，再也不能統治列國。 16 埃及不再是以色列人的指望，反而會使以色列人想起自己投靠埃及的罪。這樣，他們便知道我是主耶和華。』」

17 第二十七年一月一日，耶和華對我說： 18 「人子啊，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒派兵苦攻泰爾，以致士兵的頭都禿了，肩也破了，卻是徒勞無功。 19 所以主耶和華說，『我要把埃及賜給巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，他必擄掠埃及的財富為戰利品，犒賞自己的軍隊。 20 他和他的軍隊為我效力，所以我把埃及賜給他作為酬勞。』這是主耶和華說的。

21 「到那天，我必復興以色列[a]，使你以西結在他們當中開口說話，這樣他們就知道我是耶和華。」

Footnotes

  1. 29·21 「我必復興以色列」希伯來文是「我必使一隻角從以色列興起」。
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Ezekiel 29
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) 3 Speak 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.”
4 But 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)
5 I 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)

6 Then 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. 7 When 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) 9 Egypt 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)” 10 therefore 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) 11 The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years.(X) 12 I 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. 14 I 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) 15 It 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. 16 Egypt 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)’”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AI) 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar(AJ) king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare(AK) and every shoulder made raw.(AL) Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king(AM) of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder(AN) the land as pay for his army.(AO) 20 I have given him Egypt(AP) as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AQ)

21 “On that day I will make a horn[c](AR) grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth(AS) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(AT)”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 29:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Vulgate); Hebrew and you caused their backs to stand
  2. Ezekiel 29:10 That is, the upper Nile region
  3. Ezekiel 29:21 Horn here symbolizes strength.
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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

  1. Ezekiel 29:3 The Nile
  2. Ezekiel 29:5 Lit. face of the field
  3. Ezekiel 29:5 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; some Heb. mss., Tg. buried
  4. Ezekiel 29:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. hand
  5. Ezekiel 29:10 Or the tower
  6. Ezekiel 29:21 Strength
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