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^[a] you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol^[b] to Syene,^[c] 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^[d] I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered. ¹⁴ I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and will bring them back^[e] 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.^[f] Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’”