Victory for Babylon

20 In the (A)eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 21 “Son of man, I have (B)broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been (C)bound up [a]for healing [b]or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may be strong to wield the sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am (D)against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the (E)broken; and I will make the sword (F)fall from his hand. 23 And I will (G)scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. 24 For I will (H)strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put (I)My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groans of a wounded man. 25 So I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fail. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he (J)reaches out with it against the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 30:21 Lit to give healing
  2. Ezekiel 30:21 Lit to wrap it

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month,[a] the Lord’s message came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm[b] of Pharaoh king of Egypt.[c] Look, it has not been bandaged for healing or set with a dressing so that it might become strong enough to grasp a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look,[d] I am against[e] Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong arm and the broken one, and I will make the sword drop from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will place my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan like the fatally wounded before the king of Babylon.[f] 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon and he extends it against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 30:20 tn April 29, 587 b.c.
  2. Ezekiel 30:21 sn The expression “breaking the arm” indicates the removal of power (Pss 10:15; 37:17; Job 38:15; Jer 48:25).
  3. Ezekiel 30:21 sn This may refer to the event recorded in Jer 37:5.
  4. Ezekiel 30:22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  5. Ezekiel 30:22 tn Or “I challenge.” 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.
  6. Ezekiel 30:24 tn Heb “him”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.