Egypt in Sheol

17 In the twelfth year,[a] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld,[b] to be with those who descend to the Pit:(A)

19 Who do you surpass in loveliness?
Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword.
A sword is appointed!(B)
They drag her and all her hordes away.
21 Warrior leaders will speak
from the middle of Sheol
about him[c] and his allies:
‘They have come down;
the uncircumcised lie
slain by the sword.’(C)

22 “Assyria is there with her whole assembly;
her graves are all around her.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit,
and her assembly is all around her burial place.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who once spread terror
in the land of the living.

24 “Elam(D) is there
with all her hordes around her grave.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who went down to the underworld uncircumcised,
who once spread their terror
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain
they prepare a bed for Elam
with all her hordes.
Her graves are all around her.
All of them are uncircumcised,
slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
They are placed among the slain.

26 “Meshech and Tubal[d](E) are there,
with all their hordes.
Their graves are all around them.
All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down
with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised,[e]
who went down to Sheol
with their weapons of war,
whose swords were placed under their heads[f]
and their shields[g]
rested on their bones,
although the terror of these warriors
was once in the land of the living.
28 But you will be shattered
and will lie down among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.(F)

29 “Edom(G) is there, her kings and all her princes,
who, despite their strength, have been placed
among those slain by the sword.
They lie down with the uncircumcised,
with those who descend to the Pit.
30 All the leaders of the north(H)
and all the Sidonians(I) are there.
They went down in shame with the slain,
despite the terror their strength inspired.
They lie down uncircumcised
with those slain by the sword.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.

31 “Pharaoh will see them
and be comforted(J) over all his hordes—
Pharaoh and his whole army,
slain by the sword.”

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

32 “For I will spread my[h] terror
in the land of the living,
so Pharaoh and all his hordes
will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.”

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. 32:17 LXX reads year, in the first month,
  2. 32:18 Lit the lower parts of the earth, also in v. 24
  3. 32:21 Either Pharaoh or Egypt
  4. 32:26 Lit Meshech-tubal
  5. 32:27 LXX reads of antiquity
  6. 32:27 Or Do they not... heads?
  7. 32:27 Emended; MT reads iniquities
  8. 32:32 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Syr read his

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the first month,[a] the Lord’s word came to me: 18 Human one, mourn for Egypt’s hordes.

Send Egypt down
    with the mighty nations subject[b] to it,
    to the world below,[c]
    among those who go down to the pit.
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty?
    Go down and take your bed with the uncircumcised,
20     among those who fall slain by the sword.

A sword is appointed, and all his hordes will carry him off. 21 The mighty chieftains, those who once came to his aid, will speak to him from the middle of the underworld,[d] for the uncircumcised have gone down and have lain down, slain by the sword.

Vanished glory

22 Assyria is there, and all its assembly round about his grave,
    all of them slain, fallen by the sword,
23     who were assigned graves in the deepest region of the pit.
His assembly surrounded his grave,
    all of them slain, fallen by the sword,
        who caused terror in the land of the living.

24 Elam is there, her entire horde round about her grave,
    all of them slain, fallen by the sword,
    who went down uncircumcised to the world below,[e]
    who caused terror in the land of the living.
    They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit.
25 Among the slain they made a bed for her,
    with all her hordes round about her grave,
    all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
    for they caused terror in the land of the living.
    They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit;
    in the midst of the slain she[f] was placed.

26 Meshech and Tubal are there, and all their hordes around their graves,
    all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
    for they caused terror in the land of the living.

27 They don’t lie with the mighty men fallen among the uncircumcised. When they went down to the underworld[g] with their weapons of war, they put their swords under their heads and their shields[h] over their bones. The terror of the mighty men is in the land of the living.

28 But you, you will be broken among the uncircumcised, and you will lie with those who are slain by the sword.

29 Edom is there, its kings and all its princes,
    who, though strong, were put with those slain by the sword.
        They lie with the uncircumcised,
        like those who go down to the pit.

30 All the princes of the north are there,
    and all the Sidonians who went down with the slain;
        in spite of the terror of their strength, they were disgraced.
    They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword.
They bore their shame like those who go down to the pit.

31 When Pharaoh sees them,
    he will be sorry for all his hordes who are slain by the sword—
        Pharaoh and all his army.
This is what the Lord God says,
32 Though it was I who put his terror in the land of the living,
    he will be laid out among the uncircumcised,
    with those slain by the sword, Pharaoh and all his horde.
This is what the Lord God says.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:17 LXX; MT lacks the first month.
  2. Ezekiel 32:18 Or daughter nations
  3. Ezekiel 32:18 Or the land of the lowest places
  4. Ezekiel 32:21 Heb Sheol
  5. Ezekiel 32:24 Or the land of the lowest places
  6. Ezekiel 32:25 Or he
  7. Ezekiel 32:27 Heb Sheol
  8. Ezekiel 32:27 Or sin