Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

¹⁷ In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:^{(A) 18} “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign^(B) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.^{(C) 19} Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’^{(D) 20} They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged^(E) off with all her hordes.^{(F) 21} From within the realm of the dead^(G) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,^(H) with those killed by the sword.’

²² “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. ²³ Their graves are in the depths of the pit^(I) and her army lies around her grave.^(J) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

²⁴ “Elam^(K) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.^(L) All who had spread terror in the land of the living^(M) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^{(N) 25} A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,^(O) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

²⁶ “Meshek and Tubal^(P) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. ²⁷ But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,^[a](Q) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields^[b] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

²⁸ “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

²⁹ “Edom^(R) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.^(S)

³⁰ “All the princes of the north^(T) and all the Sidonians^(U) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised^(V) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.^(W)

³¹ “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled^(X) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³² Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh^(Y) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”^(Z)