²⁰ Egypt is as sleek as a beautiful heifer,
    but a horsefly from the north is on its way!

¹¹ “Israel^[a] is like a trained heifer treading out the grain—
    an easy job she loves.
    But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck.
I will force Judah to pull the plow
    and Israel^[b] to break up the hard ground.

“A flood is coming from the north
    to overflow the land.
It will destroy the land and everything in it—
    cities and people alike.
People will scream in terror,
    and everyone in the land will wail.

¹⁰ For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    a day of vengeance on his enemies.
The sword will devour until it is satisfied,
    yes, until it is drunk with your blood!
The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will receive a sacrifice today
    in the north country beside the Euphrates River.

⁶ “The swiftest runners cannot flee;
    the mightiest warriors cannot escape.
By the Euphrates River to the north,
    they stumble and fall.

²⁴ Egypt will be humiliated;
    she will be handed over to people from the north.”