Ezekiel 32
Expanded Bible
A Funeral Song
32 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month [C March 3, 585 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], sing a ·funeral song [lament; dirge] about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Say to him:
‘You are like a young lion [19:1–9] among the nations.
You are like a ·crocodile [or monster; or dragon; 29:4] in the seas.
You ·splash [thrash] around in your streams
and stir up the water with your feet,
making the rivers muddy.
3 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will spread my net over you,
and I will use a ·large group of [assembly of many] people
to ·pull [haul] you up in my net.
4 Then I will ·throw [cast; or abandon] you on the land
·dropping [hurling] you onto the ·ground [open field].
I will let the birds of the ·sky [heavens] ·rest [settle] on you
and all the animals of the earth ·eat you until they are full [gorge themselves on you; Rev. 19:21].
5 I will scatter your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with ·what is left of you [your remains; L your height].
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood
as far as the mountains,
and the ravines will be full of your flesh.
7 When I ·make you disappear [snuff/blot you out],
I will cover the ·sky [heavens] and make the stars dark.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not shine.
8 I will make all the shining lights in the ·sky [heavens]
become dark over you;
I will bring darkness over your land,
says the Lord God.
9 I will ·cause many people to be afraid [L trouble the hearts of many peoples]
when I bring ·you as a captive into other [or about your destruction among the] nations,
to lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many people to be shocked about you.
Their kings will tremble with ·fear [horror] because of you
when I ·swing [brandish] my sword in front of them.
They will ·shake [tremble] every moment
on the day ·you fall [of your downfall];
each ·king [one] will ·be afraid [tremble] for his own life.
11 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
The sword of the king of Babylon
will attack you.
12 I will cause your people to fall
by the swords of mighty soldiers,
the most ·terrible [ruthless] ·in the world [of nations].
They will ·destroy [shatter] the pride of Egypt
and all its ·people [L hordes/armies will be destroyed].
13 I will also destroy all Egypt’s cattle
that live alongside much water.
The foot of a human will not ·stir [disturb] the water,
and the hoofs of cattle will not muddy it anymore.
14 So I will let ·the Egyptians’ [L their] water ·become clear [or calm; L sink; settle].
I will cause their rivers to run ·as smoothly as [L like] olive oil,
says the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt ·empty [a desolation]
and ·take [strip out; empty] everything that is in the land,
when I ·destroy [strike down] all those who live in Egypt,
then they will know that I am the Lord.’
16 “This is the ·funeral song [lament; dirge] people will sing for Egypt. The ·women [L daughters] of the nations will ·sing [chant] it; they will ·sing [chant] it for Egypt and all ·its people [her hordes/armies], says the Lord God.”
Egypt to Be Destroyed
17 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], on the fifteenth day of the month [C March 17, 585 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 18 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], ·cry [wail] for the people of Egypt. Bring down Egypt, together with the ·women [L daughters] of the powerful nations; bring them down to the ·place of the dead below the earth [underworld; world below] to join those who go to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. 19 Say to them: ‘Are you more ·beautiful [or favored] than others? Go lie down [C in death] with ·those who are unclean [L the uncircumcised].’ 20 ·The Egyptians [L They] will fall among those killed ·in war [L by the sword]. The sword is ·ready [drawn; or appointed]; ·the enemy [L they] will drag Egypt and all her ·people [hordes; armies] away. 21 From the ·place of the dead [L midst of Sheol] the ·leaders of the mighty ones [or mighty leaders; warrior chiefs] will speak ·about [or to] ·the king of Egypt and the nations which help him [L him and his allies]: ‘The ·unclean [L uncircumcised], those killed ·in war [L by the sword], have come down here and ·lie dead [L lie].’
22 “Assyria and all its ·army [assembly; company] lie dead there. ·The graves of their soldiers [L Its graves] are all around. All were ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword], 23 and their graves were put in the deepest parts of the ·place of the dead [L pit]. ·Assyria’s army [L Her assembly/company] lies around its grave. When they ·lived on earth [L were in the land of the living], they ·frightened people [spread terror], but now all of them have been ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword].
24 “The nation of Elam [C a country east of Assyria; present-day Iran] is there with all its ·army [hordes] around its grave. All of them were ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword]. They had ·frightened people [L spread terror] ·on earth [L in the land of the living] and so went down ·unclean [L uncircumcised] to the ·lowest parts of the place of the dead [underworld; world below]. They must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. 25 A ·bed [resting place] has been made for Elam [v. 24] ·with all those killed in war [among the slain]. The graves of her ·soldiers [hordes] are all around her. All Elam’s people are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They ·frightened people [spread terror] ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living], but now they must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. ·Their graves are [or They are assigned a place; L They are set] with the rest who were killed.
26 “·Meshech and Tubal [or Meshech-tubal; C people from Asia Minor, southeast of the Black Sea; 27:13] are there with the graves of all their ·soldiers [hordes] around them. All of them are ·unclean [uncircumcised] and have been killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They also ·frightened people [spread terror] ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living]. 27 But they ·are not buried [L do not lie] with the ·other soldiers who were killed in battle [fallen warriors of] long ago,[a] those who went with their weapons of war to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol]. These soldiers had their swords laid under their heads and their ·shields [or iniquities; guilt] resting on their ·bodies [L bones]. These mighty soldiers used to ·frighten [terrorize] people ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living].
28 “You [C addressing Pharaoh, king of Egypt] will be broken and lie among ·those who are unclean [L the uncircumcised], who were killed ·in war [L by the sword].
29 “Edom is there also, with its kings and all its ·leaders [princes]. They were mighty, but now they lie [C in death] with those killed ·in war [L by the sword], with those who are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
30 “All the ·rulers [princes] of the north and all the Sidonians are there. Their strength frightened people, but they have gone down in shame with those who were killed. They are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], lying with those killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
31 “·The king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] and his army will see ·these who have been killed in war [L them]. Then he will be comforted for all his ·soldiers [hordes] killed ·in war [L by the sword], says the Lord God. 32 I ·made people afraid of the king of Egypt [or terrified him] ·while he lived on earth [L in the land of the living]. But he and all his ·people [hordes; armies] will lie among those who are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], who were killed ·in war [L by the sword], says the Lord God.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 32:27 long ago Greek copies read “long ago.” Hebrew copies read “of the uncircumcised.”
Ezekiel 32
English Standard Version
A Lament over Pharaoh and Egypt
32 (A)In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 (B)“Son of man, (C)raise a lamentation over (D)Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
“You consider yourself (E)a lion of the nations,
but you are like (F)a dragon (G)in the seas;
(H)you burst forth in your rivers,
trouble the waters with your feet,
and foul their rivers.
3 Thus says the Lord God:
(I)I will throw my net over you
with a host of (J)many peoples,
and (K)they will haul you up in my dragnet.
4 And (L)I will cast you on the ground;
on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you,
and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you.
5 I will strew your flesh (M)upon the mountains
and fill the valleys with your carcass.[a]
6 I will drench the land even to the mountains
with your flowing blood,
and the ravines will be full of you.
7 (N)When I blot you out, (O)I will cover the heavens
and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon shall not give its light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven
will I make dark over you,
and (P)put darkness on your land,
declares the Lord God.
9 “I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known. 10 (Q)I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle with horror because of you, when (R)I brandish my sword before them. (S)They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.
11 “For thus says the Lord God: (T)The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 I will cause (U)your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them (V)most ruthless of nations.
(W)“They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
and all its multitude[b] shall perish.
13 I will destroy all its beasts
from beside many waters;
(X)and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore,
nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then (Y)I will make their waters clear,
and cause their rivers to run like oil,
declares the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
and when the land (Z)is desolate of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who dwell in it,
then (AA)they will know that I am the Lord.
16 (AB)This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over (AC)all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord God.”
17 (AD)In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month,[c] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 (AE)“Son of man, (AF)wail over (AG)the multitude of Egypt, and (AH)send them down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, (AI)to the world below, to those who have gone down to the pit:
20 They shall fall amid those (AL)who are slain by the sword. Egypt[d] is delivered to the sword; drag her away, and (AM)all her multitudes. 21 The mighty chiefs (AN)shall speak of them, (AO)with their helpers, out of the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down, they lie still, (AP)the uncircumcised, (AQ)slain by the sword.’
22 (AR)“Assyria is there, and all her company, (AS)its graves all around it, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, 23 whose graves are set in (AT)the uttermost parts of the pit; and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, (AU)who spread terror (AV)in the land of the living.
24 (AW)“Elam is (AX)there, and all her multitude around her grave; all of them (AY)slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised into (AZ)the world below, who spread their terror in the land of the living; and (BA)they bear their shame (BB)with those who go down to the pit. 25 (BC)They have made her a bed among the slain with all her multitude, (BD)her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for terror of them was spread in the land of the living, and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.
26 (BE)“Meshech-Tubal is (BF)there, and all her multitude, (BG)her graves all around it, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword; for they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 And (BH)they do not lie with the mighty, the fallen from among the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid under their heads, and whose iniquities are upon their bones; for the terror of the mighty men was in the land of the living. 28 But as for you, you shall be broken (BI)and lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.
29 (BJ)“Edom is (BK)there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might are laid with those who are killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
30 “The princes (BL)of the north are there, all of them, and all the (BM)Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, (BN)for all the terror that they caused by their might; they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and (BO)bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
31 “When Pharaoh sees them, he (BP)will be comforted for (BQ)all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord God. 32 (BR)For I spread terror (BS)in the land of the living; and he shall be laid to rest among (BT)the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord God.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 32:5 Hebrew your height
- Ezekiel 32:12 Or wealth
- Ezekiel 32:17 Hebrew lacks in the twelfth month
- Ezekiel 32:20 Hebrew She
Ezekiel 32
Contemporary English Version
A Funeral Song for the King of Egypt
32 Twelve years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the first day of the twelfth month.[a] He said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the king of Egypt and tell him I am saying:
You act like a lion
roaming the earth;
but you are nothing more than
a crocodile in a river,
churning up muddy water
with your feet.
3 King of Egypt, listen to me. I, the Lord God, will catch you in my net and let a crowd of foreigners drag you to shore. 4 I will throw you into an open field, where birds and animals will come to feed on your flesh. 5 I will spread your rotting flesh[b] over the mountains and in the valleys, 6 and your blood will flow throughout the land and fill up the streams. 7 (A) I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining. 8 The heavens will become black, leaving your country in total darkness. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
9 Foreign nations you have never heard of will be shocked when I tell them how I destroyed you.[c] 10 They will be horrified, and when I flash my sword in victory on the day of your death, their kings will tremble in the fear of what could happen to them.
11 The king of Babylonia is coming to attack you, king of Egypt! 12 Your soldiers will be killed by the cruelest army in the world, and everything you take pride in will be crushed. 13 I will slaughter your cattle that graze by the river,[d] and no people or livestock will be left to muddy its water. 14 The water will be clear, and streams will be calm. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
15 Egypt will become a barren wasteland, and no living thing will ever survive there. Then you and your people will know that I am the Lord.
16 This is your warning, and it will be used as a funeral song by foreign women to mourn the death of your people. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
A Sad Ending for Egypt
17 On the fifteenth day of that same month,[e] the Lord said:
18 Ezekiel, son of man, mourn for the Egyptians and condemn them to the world of the dead, where they will be buried alongside the people of other powerful nations.[f] 19 Say to them:
You may be more beautiful
than the people
of other nations,
but you will also die
and join the godless
in the world below.
20 You cannot escape! The enemy's sword is ready to slaughter every one of you.[g] 21 Brave military leaders killed in battle will gladly welcome you and your allies into the world of the dead.
22-23 The graves of soldiers from Assyria are there. They once terrified people, but they were killed in battle and now lie deep in the world of the dead.[h]
24-25 The graves of soldiers from Elam are there. The very sight of those godless soldiers once terrified their enemies and made them panic. But now they are disgraced and ashamed as they lie in the world of the dead, alongside others who were killed in battle.
26 The graves of soldiers from Meshech and Tubal are there. These godless soldiers who terrified people were all killed in battle. 27 They were not given a proper burial like the heroes of long ago,[i] who were buried with their swords under their heads and with their shields[j] over their bodies. These were the heroes who made their enemies panic.
28 You Egyptians will be cruelly defeated, and you will be buried alongside these other godless soldiers who died in battle.
29 The graves of kings and leaders from Edom are there. They were powerful at one time. Now they are buried in the world of the dead with other godless soldiers killed in battle.
30 The graves of the rulers of the north[k] are there, as well as those of the Sidonians. Their powerful armies once terrified enemies. Now they lie buried in the world of the dead, where they are disgraced like other soldiers killed in battle.
31 The Lord God says:
When your king of Egypt sees all of these graves, he and his soldiers will be glad they are not the only ones suffering. 32 I sent him to terrify people all over the earth. But he and his army will be killed and buried alongside other godless soldiers in the world of the dead. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Footnotes
- 32.1 Twelve years … twelfth month: Probably February of 585 b.c.
- 32.5 rotting flesh: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.9 when I tell them how I destroyed you: Hebrew; one ancient translation “when I scatter you like prisoners among them.”
- 32.13 the river: This possibly refers to the Nile River.
- 32.17 that same month: See verse 1.
- 32.18 where they will be buried … powerful nations: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.20 The enemy's sword … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.22,23 deep in the world of the dead: The place of greatest dishonor.
- 32.27 heroes of long ago: One ancient translation; Hebrew “godless heroes.”
- 32.27 shields: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 32.30 the rulers of the north: Probably the Phoenicians.
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