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Egypt Falls into the Pit

17 On March 17,[a] during the twelfth year, another message came to me from the Lord: 18 “Son of man, weep for the hordes of Egypt and for the other mighty nations.[b] For I will send them down to the world below in company with those who descend to the pit. 19 Say to them,

‘O Egypt, are you lovelier than the other nations?
    No! So go down to the pit and lie there among the outcasts.[c]

20 The Egyptians will fall with the many who have died by the sword, for the sword is drawn against them. Egypt and its hordes will be dragged away to their judgment. 21 Down in the grave[d] mighty leaders will mockingly welcome Egypt and its allies, saying, ‘They have come down; they lie among the outcasts, hordes slaughtered by the sword.’

22 “Assyria lies there surrounded by the graves of its army, those who were slaughtered by the sword. 23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit, and they are surrounded by their allies. They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have been slaughtered by the sword.

24 “Elam lies there surrounded by the graves of all its hordes, those who were slaughtered by the sword. They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have descended as outcasts to the world below. Now they lie in the pit and share the shame of those who have gone before them. 25 They have a resting place among the slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. Yes, they terrorized the nations while they lived, but now they lie in shame with others in the pit, all of them outcasts, slaughtered by the sword.

26 “Meshech and Tubal are there, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. They once struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere. But now they are outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword. 27 They are not buried in honor like their fallen heroes, who went down to the grave[e] with their weapons—their shields covering their bodies[f] and their swords beneath their heads. Their guilt rests upon them because they brought terror to everyone while they were still alive.

28 “You too, Egypt, will lie crushed and broken among the outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword.

29 “Edom is there with its kings and princes. Mighty as they were, they also lie among those slaughtered by the sword, with the outcasts who have gone down to the pit.

30 “All the princes of the north and the Sidonians are there with others who have died. Once a terror, they have been put to shame. They lie there as outcasts with others who were slaughtered by the sword. They share the shame of all who have descended to the pit.

31 “When Pharaoh and his entire army arrive, he will take comfort that he is not alone in having his hordes killed, says the Sovereign Lord. 32 Although I have caused his terror to fall upon all the living, Pharaoh and his hordes will lie there among the outcasts who were slaughtered by the sword. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

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Footnotes

  1. 32:17 Hebrew On the fifteenth day of the month, presumably in the twelfth month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar (see 32:1). This would put this message at the end of King Jehoiachin’s twelfth year of captivity, on March 17, 585 B.c.; also see note on 1:1. Greek version reads On the fifteenth day of the first month, which would put this message on April 27, 586 B.c., at the beginning of Jehoiachin’s twelfth year.
  2. 32:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  3. 32:19 Hebrew the uncircumcised; also in 32:21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32.
  4. 32:21 Hebrew in Sheol.
  5. 32:27a Hebrew to Sheol.
  6. 32:27b The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Babylon’s Invasion of Egypt

17 On the fifteenth day of the first[a] month of the twelfth year of our captivity,[b] a message from the Lord came to me, and this is what it said: 18 “Son of Man, mourn about the hordes of Egypt. Bring them down—that is, her and the citizens[c] of those majestic[d] nations—whose destiny is the deep part of the Pit.[e]

19 “So who’s more beautiful than you?
    You’ll be buried with the uncircumcised.[f]

20 “They’ll die along with others who are killed violently.[g] Egypt has been given over to violence,[h] which will carry off both it and its hordes.”

Egypt Condemned by the Dead

21 “Mighty leaders will address them and those who assist them right out of the middle of Sheol:[i] ‘They’ve come down and will lie still, these uncircumcised people who have died violently.’[j] 22 Assyria will be there, along with all of those who keep company with her,[k] all of them killed violently. 23 Her grave will be set in the remotest part of the Pit,[l] surrounded by those who accompanied her. All of them will have been killed, executed violently, who spread terror throughout the land of the living.

24 “Elam will be there. Its hordes will surround Elam’s[m] grave. All of them have been killed. They died[n] violently, and they have descended uncircumcised into the world below after having spread terror throughout the land of the living. They will bear the shame of those who descend to the Pit.[o] 25 They have prepared a bed for her and for her hordes that surround her graves. All of them are uncircumcised, having been killed violently, because they had spread terror throughout the land of the living. They will bear the shame of those who descend to the Pit[p] and will take their place among the dead.

26 “Meshech and Tubal will be there, along with all of the hordes that surround her grave. Every one of them is uncircumcised, killed violently, because they spread terror throughout the land of the living. 27 They won’t be buried with dead warriors from ancient times, who went straight to Sheol,[q] buried with their war weapons, with their swords placed under their heads and their shields laid on top of their bones, since they spread terror throughout the land of the living. 28 You’ll be broken, and you’ll lie down with the uncircumcised who died violently.

29 “Edom will be there, along with its kings and princes who despite all their power have been killed violently. They, too, are lying dead, along with the uncircumcised; that is, with those who descend into the Pit.[r]

30 “All of the princes from the North are there, along with the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame to join those who have been killed because of all the terror they caused by their military might. They lie dead, uncircumcised, with those who have been killed violently. They will bear their shame, along with those who descend into the Pit.[s]

31 “When Pharaoh sees them, he will take comfort in his hordes. Pharaoh and all his army will die violently,” says the Lord God, 32 “because he spread terror throughout the land of the living. Therefore he’ll be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, who have been killed violently; that is, Pharaoh and all of his hordes,” declares the Lord God.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:17 The Heb. lacks the first
  2. Ezekiel 32:17 The Heb. lacks of our captivity
  3. Ezekiel 32:18 Lit. daughters
  4. Ezekiel 32:18 Or powerful
  5. Ezekiel 32:18 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  6. Ezekiel 32:19 I.e. as one who does not honor God, and so throughout the chapter
  7. Ezekiel 32:20 Lit. killed with the sword, and so throughout the chapter
  8. Ezekiel 32:20 Lit. to the sword, and so throughout the chapter
  9. Ezekiel 32:21 I.e. the realm of the afterlife
  10. Ezekiel 32:21 Lit. by the sword, and so throughout the chapter
  11. Ezekiel 32:22 I.e. the nation personified as a woman
  12. Ezekiel 32:23 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  13. Ezekiel 32:24 Lit. its
  14. Ezekiel 32:24 Lit. fell
  15. Ezekiel 32:24 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  16. Ezekiel 32:25 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  17. Ezekiel 32:27 I.e. the realm of the afterlife
  18. Ezekiel 32:29 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  19. Ezekiel 32:30 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife