A Lament over Pharaoh and Egypt

32 (A)In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (B)“Son of man, (C)raise a lamentation over (D)Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

“You consider yourself (E)a lion of the nations,
    but you are like (F)a dragon (G)in the seas;
(H)you burst forth in your rivers,
    trouble the waters with your feet,
    and foul their rivers.
Thus says the Lord God:
    (I)I will throw my net over you
    with a host of (J)many peoples,
    and (K)they will haul you up in my dragnet.
And (L)I will cast you on the ground;
    on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the heavens to settle on you,
    and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you.
I will strew your flesh (M)upon the mountains
    and fill the valleys with your carcass.[a]
I will drench the land even to the mountains
    with your flowing blood,
    and the ravines will be full of you.
(N)When I blot you out, (O)I will cover the heavens
    and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
    and the moon shall not give its light.
All the bright lights of heaven
    will I make dark over you,
    and (P)put darkness on your land,
declares the Lord God.

“I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries that you have not known. 10 (Q)I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle with horror because of you, when (R)I brandish my sword before them. (S)They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.

11 “For thus says the Lord God: (T)The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 I will cause (U)your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them (V)most ruthless of nations.

(W)“They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt,
    and all its multitude[b] shall perish.
13 I will destroy all its beasts
    from beside many waters;
(X)and no foot of man shall trouble them anymore,
    nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then (Y)I will make their waters clear,
    and cause their rivers to run like oil,
declares the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate,
    and when the land (Z)is desolate of all that fills it,
when I strike down all who dwell in it,
    then (AA)they will know that I am the Lord.

16 (AB)This is a lamentation that shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over (AC)all her multitude, shall they chant it, declares the Lord God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:5 Hebrew your height
  2. Ezekiel 32:12 Or wealth

Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt

32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:

“You consider yourself a lion among the nations,
    but you are like a dragon in the seas;
you burst forth in your rivers,
    trouble the waters with your feet,
    and foul their rivers.
Thus says the Lord God:
    I will throw my net over you
    with a host of many peoples;
    and I[a] will haul you up in my dragnet.
And I will cast you on the ground,
    on the open field I will fling you,
and will cause all the birds of the air to settle on you,
    and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with you.
I will strew your flesh upon the mountains,
    and fill the valleys with your carcass.[b]
I will drench the land even to the mountains
    with your flowing blood;
    and the watercourses will be full of you.
When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens,
    and make their stars dark;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
    and the moon shall not give its light.
All the bright lights of heaven
    will I make dark over you,
    and put darkness upon your land,
                says the Lord God.

“I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I carry you captive[c] among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. 10 I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings shall shudder because of you, when I brandish my sword before them; they shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall. 11 For thus says the Lord God: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. 12 I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them most terrible among the nations.

“They shall bring to nought the pride of Egypt,
    and all its multitude shall perish.
13 I will destroy all its beasts
    from beside many waters;
and no foot of man shall trouble them any more,
    nor shall the hoofs of beasts trouble them.
14 Then I will make their waters clear,
    and cause their rivers to run like oil,
                says the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate
    and when the land is stripped of all that fills it,
when I smite all who dwell in it,
    then they will know that I am the Lord.

16 This is a lamentation which shall be chanted; the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they chant it, says the Lord God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:3 Gk Vg: Heb they
  2. Ezekiel 32:5 Symmachus Syr Vg: Heb your height
  3. Ezekiel 32:9 Gk: Heb bring your destruction