Ezekiel 29
Expanded Bible
Prophecy Against Egypt
29 It was the tenth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month [C January 7, 587 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], ·look [L set your face] toward the king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and all Egypt. 3 Say: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
[L Look; T Behold] I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
You are like a great ·crocodile [or monster; or dragon] that lies in the Nile River.
You say, “The Nile is mine;
I made it for myself.”
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws,
and I will make the fish of the Nile stick to your ·sides [scales].
I will pull you up out of your ·rivers [streams],
with all the fish of your streams sticking to your ·sides [scales].
5 I will leave you in the ·desert [wilderness] ,
you and all the fish from your ·rivers [streams].
You will fall onto the ·ground [open field];
you will not be picked up or ·buried [L gathered].
I have given you to the ·wild animals [L beasts of the earth]
and to the birds of the sky for food.
6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
“‘·Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass [L Because you were a reed staff for the house of Israel…; Is. 36:6]. 7 When their hands grabbed you, you ·splintered [broke] and tore open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you ·broke [splintered] and made all their ·backs twist [or legs go wobbly; or loins shake].
8 “‘So this is what the Lord God says: I will ·cause an enemy to attack [L bring a sword against] you and kill your people and animals. 9 Egypt will become an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland]. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
“‘Because you said, “The Nile River is mine, and I have made it,” 10 I am against you and your ·rivers [streams]. I will destroy the land of Egypt and make it an ·empty desert [desolate wasteland] from Migdol [C in the north] to Aswan [C in the south], all the way to the border of Cush [C Ethiopia]. 11 No ·person or animal will walk [L foot of man shall pass through it and no foot of beast will pass] through it, and no one will live in Egypt for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt ·the most deserted country of all [L a desolation among desolate lands]. Her cities will be ·the most deserted of all [a desolation among] ruined cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries.
13 “‘This is what the Lord God says: After forty years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered. 14 I will ·bring back the Egyptian captives [restore the fortunes of Egypt] and make them return to ·southern Egypt [L the land of Pathros], to the land ·they came from [of their ancestry/origin]. They will become a ·weak [lowly; insignificant] kingdom there. 15 It will be the ·weakest [most lowly/insignificant] kingdom, and it will never again ·rule [L exalt itself over] other nations. I will make it so ·weak [small] it will never again rule over the nations. 16 The Israelites will never again ·depend on [rely on; have confidence in] Egypt. Instead, ·Egypt’s punishment [L it] will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.’”
Egypt Is Given to Babylon
17 It was the twenty-seventh year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the first month, on the first day of the month [C April 26, 571 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 18 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army ·fight [L labor] hard against Tyre. Every soldier’s head was rubbed bare, and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But Nebuchadnezzar and his army gained ·nothing [or no wages] from ·fighting Tyre [L the labor he performed against her]. 19 So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will ·take away Egypt’s people and its wealth and its treasures [L carry off its wealth and loot and plunder it] as pay for his army. 20 I am giving Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt as ·a reward [compensation] for working hard for me, says the Lord God.
21 “·At that time [L On that day] I will ·make Israel grow strong again [L cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel; Ps. 132:17], and I will ·let you, Ezekiel, speak to them [L give you an open mouth among them]. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezekiel 29
English Standard Version
Prophecy Against Egypt
29 (A)In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 (B)“Son of man, (C)set your face against (D)Pharaoh king of Egypt, (E)and prophesy against him and (F)against all Egypt; 3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:
(G)“Behold, I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
(H)the great dragon that lies
in the midst of his streams,
(I)that says, ‘My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.’
4 I will (J)put hooks in your jaws,
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales;
and I will draw you up out of the midst of your streams,
with all the fish of your streams
that stick to your scales.
5 (K)And I will cast you out into the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your streams;
you shall fall (L)on the open field,
and (M)not be brought together or gathered.
To the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens
(N)I give you as food.
6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt (O)shall know that I am the Lord.
“Because you[a] have been (P)a staff of reed to the house of Israel, 7 (Q)when they grasped you with the hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke and made all their loins to shake.[b] 8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (R)Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast, 9 and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. (S)Then they will know that I am the Lord.
(T)“Because you[c] said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ 10 therefore, (U)behold, I am against you and (V)against your streams, and (W)I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, (X)from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 (Y)No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12 (Z)And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries, and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. (AA)I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries.
13 “For thus says the Lord God: At the end of forty years (AB)I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered, 14 and (AC)I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to (AD)the land of Pathros, the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom. 15 It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, (AE)and never again exalt itself above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will never again rule over the nations. 16 And it shall never again be (AF)the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. (AG)Then they will know that I am the Lord God.”
17 (AH)In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 (AI)“Son of man, (AJ)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (AK)Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; (AL)and he shall carry off its wealth[d] (AM)and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 (AN)I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.
21 “On that day (AO)I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and (AP)I will open your lips among them. (AQ)Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 29:6 Hebrew they
- Ezekiel 29:7 Syriac (compare Psalm 69:23); Hebrew to stand
- Ezekiel 29:9 Hebrew he
- Ezekiel 29:19 Or multitude
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
