Pharaoh’s Power Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(A) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged—no medicine has been applied and no splint put on to bandage it so that it can grow strong enough to handle a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Look! I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries.(B) 24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword(C) in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him as a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king, but Pharaoh’s arms will fall. They will know that I am Yahweh when I place My sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he wields it against the land of Egypt. 26 When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries, they will know that I am Yahweh.”

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Babylon’s Victory

20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year of our captivity,[a] a message came to me from the Lord. It had this to say: 21 “Son of Man, I’ve broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Look! It hasn’t been set in a splint for healing or wrapped with a bandage so it could be strong enough to hold a sword! 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:

‘I’m coming to attack Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I’m going to break both of his arms, the strong one and the wounded one. That will make him drop his sword. 23 I’m going to scatter Egypt throughout the surrounding[b] nations and disperse them throughout the world. 24 I’m going to strengthen the military might[c] of the king of Babylon, put my own sword in his hand, and break Pharaoh’s strength.[d] Then Pharaoh[e] will groan like a dying man right in front of the king of Babylon.[f] 25 When I strengthen the military might of Babylon, the military might of Pharaoh will fail, and then they will learn that I am the Lord when I place my own sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He will attack the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the world, they will learn that I am the Lord.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 30:20 The Heb. lacks of our captivity
  2. Ezekiel 30:23 The Heb. lacks surrounding
  3. Ezekiel 30:24 Lit. the arm
  4. Ezekiel 30:24 Lit. arms
  5. Ezekiel 30:24 Lit. he
  6. Ezekiel 30:24 Lit. of him