Egypt Becomes Weak

²⁰ It was in the eleventh year [^Csince King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the first month, on the seventh day of the month [^CApril 29, 587 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [^Lword of the Lord came] to me, saying: ²¹ “·Human [^TSon of man; 2:1], I have broken the ·powerful arm [^Larm] of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. It has not been ·tied [bound] up, so it will not get well. It has not been wrapped with a bandage, so it will not be strong enough to hold a sword in war. ²² So this is what the Lord God says: [^LLook; ^TBehold] I am against Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong arm and the broken arm, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. ²³ I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. ²⁴ I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh. Then ·when he faces the king of Babylon [^Lbefore him] he will ·cry out in pain [groan] like a ·dying [mortally wounded] person. ²⁵ So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of the king of Egypt will ·fall [become limp]. Then people will know that I am the Lord when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he ·uses it in war [wields it; extends it] against the land of Egypt. ²⁶ Then I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”