Old/New Testament
A funeral song for Egypt
30 The Lord gave this message to me: 2 ‘Son of man, prophesy to the people. Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says:
Weep and cry aloud, ‘Help! The day of great trouble is coming!’
3 Yes, that day will be very soon. It is the day of the Lord.
It will be a day of dark clouds,
when the Lord will punish the nations.
4 An enemy army will attack Egypt.
The people of Ethiopia will be afraid.
Many people in Egypt will die in the battle.
Enemies will carry away Egypt's riches.
They will knock down Egypt's buildings.
5 Soldiers from other nations will also die in the battle.
They are soldiers from Ethiopia, Put, Lydia, Libya, and Arabia,
as well as men who belong to my own people.
6 This is what the Lord says:
All the people who help Egypt will die in the battle.
Egypt will no longer be proud of her great power.
Egypt's soldiers will die everywhere, from Migdol to Aswan.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
7 Egypt will become like a desert among other deserts.
Its cities will become heaps of stones.
8 I will burn Egypt with fire.
I will destroy all those who fight to help Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
9 At that time, I will send messengers in ships to Ethiopia. I will stop the Ethiopian people being proud of their power. Instead, the news about Egypt's trouble will make them very afraid. That day is coming soon! Be careful!
10 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to destroy Egypt's army.
11 The king and his army will come to destroy the land.
They are a nation of cruel people.
They will attack Egypt's people with their swords.
They will fill the land with dead bodies.
12 I will cause the Nile river to become dry.
I will put the land under the power of evil men.
Foreigners will destroy the land of Egypt
and everything that is in it.
That is what I, the Lord, say.
13 The Almighty Lord says this:
I will destroy Egypt's idols and the false gods in Memphis.
Egypt will no longer have its own ruler.
I will cause Egypt's people to be very afraid.
14 I will make Pathros a desert.
I will burn Zoan with fire.
I will punish the city of Thebes.
15 I will punish Egypt's strong city of Pelusium.
I will show the people there that I am very angry.
I will destroy all the soldiers in Thebes.
16 Yes, I will destroy all of Egypt with fire!
The people of Pelusium will suffer with great pain.
Enemies will knock down the walls of Thebes.
The people of Memphis will live in fear every day.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in the war.
Enemies will take the other people from those cities as their prisoners.
18 It will be a very dark day in Tahpanhes
when I destroy Egypt's strength.
Egypt will not be proud of her great power any more.
A dark cloud will cover the land.
Enemies will take away the people from Egypt's villages as prisoners.
19 That is how I will punish Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.” ’
20 The Lord gave this message to me on the 7th day of the first month, in the 11th year:
21 ‘Son of man, I have removed the strength of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. It is as if I have broken his arm and nobody has helped it to mend. He will never again have the power to fight battles. 22 So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I have become the enemy of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will make him like a man with two broken arms. I will break his strong arm and his broken arm. He will not be able to fight at all! 23 I will cause the Egyptian people to run away to live in foreign countries. 24 I will make the king of Babylon powerful, to fight battles on my behalf. But I will cause Pharaoh to be weak. He will cry in pain when the king of Babylon attacks. He will receive wounds that cause him to die. 25 Yes, I will make the king of Babylon strong. But Pharaoh, king of Egypt, will become weak. I will give the king of Babylon power to fight on my behalf. He will use that power to attack Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will send the Egyptian people away to many different countries. They will live among other nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. ’
31 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the 3rd month, in the 11th year: 2 ‘Son of man, say this to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all his people:
“You think that you are as powerful as any other country!
3 Think about how powerful Assyria was.
At one time, it was as strong as a great cedar tree in Lebanon.
It had beautiful branches that gave shade in the forest.
It was very tall. Its top reached up to the clouds.
4 Springs of water from under the ground helped it to grow very tall.
Rivers passed around the place where the tree was.
Streams from there gave water to all the trees in the forest.
5 So this cedar tree grew taller than all the other trees.
Its branches became large and very long.
It grew very well because it had plenty of water.
6 All kinds of birds built their nests among its leaves.
Under its branches, the wild animals gave birth.
All the great nations lived in its shade.
7 It was great and beautiful, with long branches.
Its roots went down deep into the ground
and they drank plenty of water.
8 The cedar trees in God's garden were not as beautiful.
The branches of the pine trees were not as strong.
No other tree in God's garden was nearly as great or as beautiful.
9 I made that tree beautiful, with all its strong branches.
All the trees in Eden, God's garden, were jealous of that tree.
10 So this is what the Almighty Lord says:
That great tree, Assyria, was very tall. Its top reached up to the clouds. It was very proud because it was so great. 11 Because of that, I put it under the power of the ruler of the nations. He has punished it as it deserved for its sins. In that way, I have removed it. 12 Foreigners from cruel nations have cut it down. They have left it on the ground. Its broken branches lie on the mountains and in the valleys. The people of other nations no longer live in its shade. They have gone away. 13 Now the birds go and sit on the bits of the tree that remain. The wild animals walk over its branches. 14 Because of that, no tree will ever grow as tall again. Even if it receives plenty of water, no tree will grow so tall that its top reaches up to the clouds. All trees will die and fall to the ground. Like people, they must die and go into their graves, under the ground.
15 This is what the Almighty Lord says: This tree has died and it has gone down into its grave. When that happened, I caused people to be very sad. I caused the springs of water to stop. There were no longer streams with plenty of water. I caused the mountains of Lebanon to become dark. All the trees in the forest became dry. 16 The other nations shook when they heard that great tree fall. I had caused it to go down into its grave, deep under the ground, as all people must die. The other strong trees saw what had happened to the great cedar tree. They were the trees of Eden and the best trees of Lebanon that had received plenty of water. They were pleased to see that the great cedar tree had fallen down. 17 The trees that had lived in the great tree's shade also fell and went into their graves. Those are the nations that had helped the great tree to fight its battles. They went to join other soldiers who had died in war.
18 Yes, Egypt is very strong, like the great trees of Eden. You are as great and powerful as any nation. But you will fall to the ground and go into your grave. It happened to Assyria and the other nations, and it will happen to you. You will lie under the ground among people who do not belong to me and who have died in war.
This is a picture of what will happen to Pharaoh and all his people. That is what the Almighty Lord says.” ’[a]
A funeral song for Egypt and its king
32 The Lord gave this message to me on the first day of the 12th month, in the 12th year: 2 ‘Son of man, sing a funeral song about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Say this to him:
“You have shown your power among the nations,
like a strong lion.
But really you are a monster who lives in the sea.
You live in the rivers of your country.
You beat the water with your feet.
The water of your streams becomes dirty.
3 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
I will bring a big crowd of people together
to catch you in my net.
They will use my net to pull you out of the water.
4 I will throw you onto dry ground
and I will leave you there.
I will bring the birds to fly down from the sky
and sit on you.
I will bring the wild animals to feed themselves on you,
and eat as much as they want.
5 I will put the meat of your body on the mountains.
Your bones will fill the valleys.
6 I will make the ground wet with your blood.
It will pour out of you, up to the mountains.
And it will fill the deep valleys.
7 When I completely destroy you,
I will cover the sky and make the stars become dark.
I will cover the sun with a cloud.
The moon will no longer give any light.
8 I will make the sky over you become dark,
with no lights in it.
Your whole country will become dark.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
9 When many other nations know that I have destroyed you,
they will be afraid.
Foreign nations that you do not know will be very upset.
10 The people of many countries will be afraid
when they see what I have done to you.
Their kings will shake with fear.
When I wave my sword in front of them,
they will not stop shaking!
At the time that your life finishes,
they will also fear death.
11 This is what the Almighty Lord says:
The king of Babylon will attack you with his army.
12 His brave soldiers will fight against you.
I will cause them to destroy your army.
They are the most cruel of all the nations.
They will stop Egypt's people being proud of their power.
They will destroy all Egypt's armies.
13 I will destroy all Egypt's cows that live beside its great rivers.
So no people or animals will walk in the water any more.
They will not cause the water to become dirty.
14 Then I will cause the water in the rivers to be clean again.
The water will move freely like olive oil.
That is what the Almighty Lord says.
15 I will cause Egypt to become an empty place.
I will remove everything that grows on the land.
I will kill all the people who live there.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
16 That is the funeral song that they will sing about Egypt. Women of many nations will sing it. They will sing it because of the death of Egypt and all her people. That is what the Almighty Lord says.’
17 In the 12th year, the Lord gave this message to me on the 15th day of the month: 18 ‘Son of man, weep for the many people of Egypt. Send them down to the place of dead people, deep under the ground. They will be there in their graves with the people of other powerful nations. 19 Say to them, “You think you are more beautiful than the people of other nations. But you too must go down to lie in your graves among those who do not belong to God.”
20 An enemy has come to attack Egypt! Many of its people will die among the soldiers who die in battle. The enemy will take many of Egypt's people away as their prisoners. 21 In the place of dead people, brave soldiers will welcome the people of Egypt and those who helped them. They will say, “They have come down to join us who do not belong to God. They have died in battle and now they lie in their graves.”
22 The people of Assyria and its whole army are there in their graves! All of them died in battle. 23 Their graves are in the deepest parts of the deep hole of death. Soldiers who fought with them lie all around. They were very cruel to people when they were alive. But they died in battle and now they lie in their graves.
24 The people of Elam and its whole army are also there! All of them died in battle too. They were cruel to many people when they were alive. Now they have gone down deep below the ground, as people who do not belong to God. They are ashamed to join with other people in the deep hole of death. 25 Elam lies there on a bed that people have prepared for her. All Elam's soldiers lie around its grave. None of them belongs to God and they have all died in battle. When they were alive, they made people very afraid. But now they are ashamed, as they lie in their graves among other dead people in the deep hole of death.
26 Meshech and Tubal are also there in their graves, with their soldiers all around. When they were alive, they made people very afraid. Now they have all died in battle and none of them belongs to God. 27 They do not lie with the brave dead soldiers of long ago. Those men went down into their graves with honour. People buried them with their weapons. They put their swords under their heads. When those brave men were alive, they caused people to be very afraid of them.
28 You too, Egypt, will lie in your grave among those who do not belong to God. You will lie beside other people who died in battle.
29 Edom is there, too, with its kings and leaders. They were powerful, but now they lie in their graves, among those who have died in battle. They have gone down into the deep hole of death with those who do not belong to God.
30 All the rulers of the north are there, as well as all the people of Sidon. They used their power to make people very afraid. But now they are ashamed, like other people who have gone down into the deep hole of death. They lie in their graves with those who have died in battle, and they do not belong to God.
31 The Almighty Lord says this: Pharaoh will not feel so sad when he sees all these other dead people in their graves. He and his whole army will know that they are not the only people to have died in battle. 32 When he was alive, I caused him to make people very afraid. But Pharaoh and all his great army will lie in their graves among other people who died in battle. They will lie with people who do not belong to God. That is what I, the Almighty Lord, have said.’
4 Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his human body. So you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too. Think about it in the same way that Christ did. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he stops doing wrong things. 2 As a result, that person will want to do what God wants him to do. In his life in this world, he will not want to do the bad things that people think are good.
3 You have already had enough time in your life to do bad things. Those are the kinds of things that people who do not know God like to do. You did many evil things that your bodies wanted to do. You had sex in a wrong way. You often became drunk. You went to wild parties where you drank too much alcohol. You also worshipped useless idols.[a]
4 But now you no longer live in the same wicked way as those people do. They continue to enjoy those wrong things all the time. But you do not join with them. So they insult you. 5 But those people will have to explain to God what they have done. He is ready to judge every person, whether they are alive now or they have already died. 6 That is why even dead people needed to hear the good news about Christ. Their bodies had to die, as all people must die. But they heard the good news so that their spirits could live, as God wants them to live.[b]
We must use God's gifts properly
7 All things in this world will soon come to an end. So you must think clearly. Then you will be able to pray in a serious way. 8 Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done. 9 Always be happy to have other believers as visitors in your homes.
10 God has helped each of you in a certain way. Think carefully about how to use that gift from God well. Remember that God has given many different gifts to his people so that they can help each other. 11 Has God helped you to speak well? Then speak God's messages to people. Or has God helped you to serve other people? Then let God make you strong to do that. Do everything so that people will praise God. They will say that God is great, because of Jesus Christ. He is the one who has all authority and power for ever. Everyone should praise him! Amen! This is true!
Christians must be ready to have trouble and pain
12 My friends, I know that people are causing you to have bad trouble. It is like a fire that is burning you. Do not be surprised about that. These things are happening to you, to show whether you really trust God. Do not think that something strange is happening to you. 13 Instead, be happy when you have trouble. Remember that Christ also received much trouble and pain. If you have trouble like he did, then you will be happy when he returns. At that time, everyone will see how great Christ really is. Then you will be very happy with a great joy. 14 People may insult you because you belong to Christ. But God will bless you when that happens. It shows that the Holy Spirit is with you. He is God's great Spirit.
15 Do not murder anyone. Do not rob anyone. Do not do evil things. Do not try to cause trouble for other people. If you do those things, you deserve to have trouble. 16 But if you receive trouble because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed about that. Instead, you should praise God that you belong to Christ.
17 The time has come when God will start to judge people. He will first judge the people who belong to him. If he will start with his own people, what will happen to other people? They have refused to obey God's good news, so it will surely be very bad for them. 18 The Bible says:
‘When God saves righteous people, that is a difficult thing.
It will surely be much worse for people who turn away from God and who do bad things.’[c]
19 So remember this. If you receive trouble because that is what God wants, you should continue to trust him. God made you and he always does what he has promised. So you should continue to do what is good.
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