Old/New Testament
Egypt Will Be Punished
30 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
·Cry [Wail] ·and say [Alas; L Hah],
“·The terrible day is coming [L …for the day].”
3 [L For] The day is near;
the ·Lord’s day of judging [L Day of the Lord] is near.
It is a ·cloudy day [day of clouds; C perhaps storm clouds, or indicating the presence of God; Joel 2:2; Ex. 19:9]
and a time ·when the nations will be judged [L for the nations].
4 An ·enemy will attack [L sword will come against] Egypt,
and Cush [C Ethiopia] will ·tremble with fear [be in anguish].
When the ·killing begins [L slain fall] in Egypt,
her wealth will be ·taken away [carried off],
and her foundations will be torn down.
5 Cush, Put, ·Lydia [L Lud; 27:10], all ·Arabia [or all the foreigners; or all the mercenaries], ·Libya [L Kub], and ·some of my people who had made an agreement with Egypt [or the people of allied lands; L the sons of the land of the covenant] will fall ·dead in war [L by the sword with them].
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
·Those who fight on Egypt’s side [Egypt’s supporters] will fall.
The power she is proud of will ·be lost [collapse; come down].
From Migdol [C in northern Egypt] to ·Aswan [L Syene; C in southern Egypt],
the people will fall ·dead in war [L by the sword]
says the Lord God.
7 They will be ·the most deserted [L desolate in the midst of desolate] lands.
Egypt’s cities will be ·the worst [L in the midst] of cities that lie in ruins.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I set fire to Egypt
and when all ·those nations on her side [her helpers/allies] are crushed.
9 “‘·At that time [L On that day] I will send messengers in ships to frighten Cush [C Ethiopia], which ·now feels safe [is over-confident; or is complacent]. ·The people of Cush will tremble with fear [L Anguish will come upon them] ·when Egypt is punished [L in the day of Egypt]. And [L look; T behold] that time is sure to come.
10 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy ·great numbers of people in [L the hordes of] Egypt
·through the power [L by the hand] of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 Nebuchadnezzar and his ·army [or people],
the ·cruelest army [most ruthless] of any nation,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and will fill the land with ·those they kill [the slain].
12 I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land,
and then I will sell the land to evil people.
I will ·destroy [desolate] the land and everything in it
through the ·power [L hand] of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt’s Idols Are Destroyed
13 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy the idols
and ·take away [put an end to] the ·statues of gods from the city of [L images in] Memphis.
There will no longer be a ·leader [prince] in the land of Egypt,
and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.
14 I will make ·southern Egypt [L Pathros] ·empty [a desolation]
and ·start a fire in [or set fire to] Zoan
and ·punish [execute judgment on] Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium [C a fortess in the eastern delta of the Nile River],
the ·strong place [stronghold] of Egypt.
I will ·destroy [cut off] ·great numbers of people in [the hordes/armies of] Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt.
Pelusium [v. 15] will ·be in great pain [writhe in agony].
·The walls of Thebes will be broken open [Thebes will be breached],
and Memphis will ·have troubles [or face enemies] every day.
17 The young men of ·Heliopolis [L On; C six miles northeast of Cairo] and Bubastis [C the capital of northern Egypt; forty miles northeast of Cairo]
will fall dead ·in war [L by the sword],
and ·the people [or the cities; L they] will be taken away as captives.
18 In Tahpanhes [C in northeast Egypt] the day will be dark
when I break ·Egypt’s power [L the yoke of Egypt].
Then ·she will no longer be proud of her power [her proud strength will cease].
A cloud will cover Egypt,
and her ·villages [L daughters] will be captured and taken away.
19 So I will ·punish [execute judgments on] Egypt,
and they will know I am the Lord.’”
Egypt Becomes Weak
20 It was in the eleventh year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the first month, on the seventh day of the month [C April 29, 587 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 21 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], I have broken the ·powerful arm [L arm] 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: [L Look; T Behold] 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 [L before 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.”
A Cedar Tree
31 It was in the eleventh year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the third month, on the first day of the month [C June 21, 587 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], say to the king of Egypt and his people:
‘·No one [L Who…?] is like you in your greatness.
3 [L Look; T Behold] Assyria was once like a cedar tree in Lebanon
with beautiful branches that shaded the forest.
It was ·very tall [a towering height];
its top was among the clouds.
4 Much water made the tree grow;
the deep springs made it tall.
Rivers flowed
around ·the bottom of the tree [its place of planting]
and sent their ·streams [channels]
to all other trees ·in the countryside [of the field].
5 So the tree was taller
than all the other trees ·in the countryside [of the field].
Its ·limbs [boughs] became large and its branches long
because of ·so much [abundant] water.
6 All the birds of the ·sky [heavens]
made their nests in the tree’s ·limbs [boughs; Dan. 4:12, 21].
And all the ·wild animals [beasts of the field]
gave birth under its branches.
All great nations
lived in the tree’s shade.
7 So the tree was great and beautiful,
with its long branches,
because its roots reached down to ·much [abundant] water.
8 The cedar trees in the garden of God [C Eden]
were not as great as it was.
The ·pine [fir; juniper] trees
·did not have such great [could not equal its] ·limbs [boughs].
The plane trees
did not have such branches.
No tree in the garden of God
was as beautiful as this tree.
9 I made it beautiful
with many branches,
and all the trees of Eden in the garden of God
·wanted to be like [envied] it.
10 “‘So this is what the Lord God says: The tree grew tall. Its top reached the clouds, and it became proud of its height. 11 So I handed it ·over to [L into the hand of] a mighty ruler of the nations for him to ·punish [deal with] it. Because it was ·evil [wicked], I ·got rid of it [threw it out; cast it aside]. 12 The ·cruelest [most ruthless] foreign nation cut it down and left it. The tree’s branches fell on the mountains and in all the valleys, and its ·broken limbs [boughs] were in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth left the shade of that tree. 13 The birds of the ·sky [heavens] live on the fallen tree. The wild animals live among the tree’s fallen branches. 14 So the trees that grow by the water will not ·be proud to be [or grow so] tall; they will not put their tops among the clouds. None of the trees that are watered well will grow that tall, because they all are ·meant [appointed; consigned] to die and go ·under the ground [or to the underworld; to the depths of the earth]. They will be with ·people who have died [mortals; L sons of men] and ·have gone down [those who descend] to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
15 “‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day ·when the tree [L it; C Assyria] went down to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol], I ·made the deep springs cry loudly [or caused mourning]. I ·covered them [or closed the deep over it] and held back their rivers, and the great waters ·stopped flowing [were restrained]. I dressed Lebanon ·in black [or with gloom; C in mourning for the great tree], and all the trees in the countryside ·were sad about it [wilted; fainted]. 16 I made the nations ·shake with fear [tremble; quake] at the sound of the tree falling when I brought it down to ·the place of the dead [Sheol]. It went to join those who ·have gone down [descend] to the ·grave [pit; C the trees represent other great nations that have fallen]. Then all the trees of Eden and the best and ·most beautiful [choicest] trees of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were comforted in the ·place of the dead below the earth [underworld; world below]. 17 These trees had also gone down with the great tree to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol]. They joined those who were killed ·in war [L by the sword] and those among the nations who had lived under the great tree’s shade.
18 “‘·So no tree [L Which of the trees…?] in Eden is equal to you [C Egypt], in ·greatness [glory; splendor] and ·honor [greatness; majesty], but you will go down to join the trees of Eden in the ·place below the earth [underworld]. You will lie among ·unclean people [L the uncircumcised], with those who were killed ·in war [L by the sword].
“‘This is about Pharaoh and all his ·people [hordes; armies], says the Lord God.’”
A Funeral Song
32 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month [C March 3, 585 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], sing a ·funeral song [lament; dirge] about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Say to him:
‘You are like a young lion [19:1–9] among the nations.
You are like a ·crocodile [or monster; or dragon; 29:4] in the seas.
You ·splash [thrash] around in your streams
and stir up the water with your feet,
making the rivers muddy.
3 “‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will spread my net over you,
and I will use a ·large group of [assembly of many] people
to ·pull [haul] you up in my net.
4 Then I will ·throw [cast; or abandon] you on the land
·dropping [hurling] you onto the ·ground [open field].
I will let the birds of the ·sky [heavens] ·rest [settle] on you
and all the animals of the earth ·eat you until they are full [gorge themselves on you; Rev. 19:21].
5 I will scatter your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys with ·what is left of you [your remains; L your height].
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood
as far as the mountains,
and the ravines will be full of your flesh.
7 When I ·make you disappear [snuff/blot you out],
I will cover the ·sky [heavens] and make the stars dark.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not shine.
8 I will make all the shining lights in the ·sky [heavens]
become dark over you;
I will bring darkness over your land,
says the Lord God.
9 I will ·cause many people to be afraid [L trouble the hearts of many peoples]
when I bring ·you as a captive into other [or about your destruction among the] nations,
to lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many people to be shocked about you.
Their kings will tremble with ·fear [horror] because of you
when I ·swing [brandish] my sword in front of them.
They will ·shake [tremble] every moment
on the day ·you fall [of your downfall];
each ·king [one] will ·be afraid [tremble] for his own life.
11 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
The sword of the king of Babylon
will attack you.
12 I will cause your people to fall
by the swords of mighty soldiers,
the most ·terrible [ruthless] ·in the world [of nations].
They will ·destroy [shatter] the pride of Egypt
and all its ·people [L hordes/armies will be destroyed].
13 I will also destroy all Egypt’s cattle
that live alongside much water.
The foot of a human will not ·stir [disturb] the water,
and the hoofs of cattle will not muddy it anymore.
14 So I will let ·the Egyptians’ [L their] water ·become clear [or calm; L sink; settle].
I will cause their rivers to run ·as smoothly as [L like] olive oil,
says the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt ·empty [a desolation]
and ·take [strip out; empty] everything that is in the land,
when I ·destroy [strike down] all those who live in Egypt,
then they will know that I am the Lord.’
16 “This is the ·funeral song [lament; dirge] people will sing for Egypt. The ·women [L daughters] of the nations will ·sing [chant] it; they will ·sing [chant] it for Egypt and all ·its people [her hordes/armies], says the Lord God.”
Egypt to Be Destroyed
17 It was in the twelfth year [C since King Jehoiachin’s exile (1:2)], on the fifteenth day of the month [C March 17, 585 bc]. The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 18 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], ·cry [wail] for the people of Egypt. Bring down Egypt, together with the ·women [L daughters] of the powerful nations; bring them down to the ·place of the dead below the earth [underworld; world below] to join those who go to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. 19 Say to them: ‘Are you more ·beautiful [or favored] than others? Go lie down [C in death] with ·those who are unclean [L the uncircumcised].’ 20 ·The Egyptians [L They] will fall among those killed ·in war [L by the sword]. The sword is ·ready [drawn; or appointed]; ·the enemy [L they] will drag Egypt and all her ·people [hordes; armies] away. 21 From the ·place of the dead [L midst of Sheol] the ·leaders of the mighty ones [or mighty leaders; warrior chiefs] will speak ·about [or to] ·the king of Egypt and the nations which help him [L him and his allies]: ‘The ·unclean [L uncircumcised], those killed ·in war [L by the sword], have come down here and ·lie dead [L lie].’
22 “Assyria and all its ·army [assembly; company] lie dead there. ·The graves of their soldiers [L Its graves] are all around. All were ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword], 23 and their graves were put in the deepest parts of the ·place of the dead [L pit]. ·Assyria’s army [L Her assembly/company] lies around its grave. When they ·lived on earth [L were in the land of the living], they ·frightened people [spread terror], but now all of them have been ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword].
24 “The nation of Elam [C a country east of Assyria; present-day Iran] is there with all its ·army [hordes] around its grave. All of them were ·killed in war [L struck down by the sword]. They had ·frightened people [L spread terror] ·on earth [L in the land of the living] and so went down ·unclean [L uncircumcised] to the ·lowest parts of the place of the dead [underworld; world below]. They must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. 25 A ·bed [resting place] has been made for Elam [v. 24] ·with all those killed in war [among the slain]. The graves of her ·soldiers [hordes] are all around her. All Elam’s people are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They ·frightened people [spread terror] ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living], but now they must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit]. ·Their graves are [or They are assigned a place; L They are set] with the rest who were killed.
26 “·Meshech and Tubal [or Meshech-tubal; C people from Asia Minor, southeast of the Black Sea; 27:13] are there with the graves of all their ·soldiers [hordes] around them. All of them are ·unclean [uncircumcised] and have been killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They also ·frightened people [spread terror] ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living]. 27 But they ·are not buried [L do not lie] with the ·other soldiers who were killed in battle [fallen warriors of] long ago,[a] those who went with their weapons of war to ·the place of the dead [L Sheol]. These soldiers had their swords laid under their heads and their ·shields [or iniquities; guilt] resting on their ·bodies [L bones]. These mighty soldiers used to ·frighten [terrorize] people ·when they lived on earth [L in the land of the living].
28 “You [C addressing Pharaoh, king of Egypt] will be broken and lie among ·those who are unclean [L the uncircumcised], who were killed ·in war [L by the sword].
29 “Edom is there also, with its kings and all its ·leaders [princes]. They were mighty, but now they lie [C in death] with those killed ·in war [L by the sword], with those who are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
30 “All the ·rulers [princes] of the north and all the Sidonians are there. Their strength frightened people, but they have gone down in shame with those who were killed. They are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], lying with those killed ·in war [L by the sword]. They carry their shame with those who have gone down to the ·place of the dead [L pit].
31 “·The king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] and his army will see ·these who have been killed in war [L them]. Then he will be comforted for all his ·soldiers [hordes] killed ·in war [L by the sword], says the Lord God. 32 I ·made people afraid of the king of Egypt [or terrified him] ·while he lived on earth [L in the land of the living]. But he and all his ·people [hordes; armies] will lie among those who are ·unclean [L uncircumcised], who were killed ·in war [L by the sword], says the Lord God.”
Change Your Lives
4 [L Therefore] Since Christ suffered while he was in his ·body [T flesh], ·strengthen [arm] yourselves with the same ·way of thinking Christ had [intention; attitude; resolve]. [L Because] The person who has suffered in the ·body [T flesh] ·is finished with sin [or has broken from the power of sin]. 2 ·Strengthen [Arm] yourselves so that you will live ·here on earth [L the rest of the time in the flesh] doing ·what God wants [the will of God], ·not the evil things people want [or not pursuing your own human desires]. 3 ·In the past you wasted too much time [or For you have spent enough time in the past] doing what ·nonbelievers [Gentiles; pagans] enjoy. You were guilty of sexual sins, evil desires, drunkenness, wild and drunken parties, and ·hateful [lawless; detestable] idol worship. 4 ·Nonbelievers [The Gentiles/pagans] think it is ·strange [surprising] that you do not ·do the many wild and wasteful things they do [L run with them into the same flood/excess of debauchery], so they ·insult you [abuse/slander you; or blaspheme]. 5 But they will have to ·explain [T give account of] this to God, who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this reason the ·Good News [Gospel] was preached to those who are now dead. Even though they were judged ·like all people [L according to human beings in the flesh], the Good News was preached to them so they could live ·in the spirit as God lives [or in the Spirit as God lives; L according to God in the spirit/Spirit; C though Christians will die physically, because of the Good News they will live forever with God].
Use God’s Gifts Wisely
7 The ·time is near when all things will end [T end of all things is near]. So ·think clearly [be serious/alert] and ·control [discipline] yourselves so you will be able to pray. 8 Most importantly, love each other ·deeply [earnestly], because love ·will cause people to forgive each other for many sins [L covers a multitude of sins; Prov. 10:12; Luke 7:46–47]. 9 ·Open your homes [Be hospitable] to each other, without ·complaining [grumbling]. 10 Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good ·servants [stewards; managers] of God’s various gifts of grace [Rom. 5:15–16; 6:23]. 11 Anyone who speaks should speak ·words from God [or oracles from God; or as one bringing God’s message]. Anyone who serves should serve with the strength God gives so that in everything God will be ·praised [glorified] through Jesus Christ. Glory and power belong to him forever and ever [Col. 3:17]. Amen.
Suffering as a Christian
12 ·My friends [Beloved], do not be surprised at the ·terrible trouble [fiery ordeal; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:1–3] which now comes to test you. Do not think that something strange is happening to you. 13 But ·be happy [rejoice] that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings so that you will ·be happy and full of joy [L rejoice exulting/joyously] ·when Christ comes again in glory [L at the revelation of his glory]. 14 When people ·insult [ridicule] you ·because you follow Christ [L for the name of Christ], you are blessed, because the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, ·is with [rests on] you [Is. 11:1–2]. 15 Do not suffer for murder, theft, or any other crime, nor ·because you trouble other people [as a meddler/troublemaker]. 16 But if you suffer because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed. ·Praise [Glorify] God ·because you wear that name [or because you are called by his name; L in that name]. 17 [L For] It is time for judgment to begin with ·God’s family [T the household of God; 2:4–5]. And if that judging begins with us, what will ·happen to [L be the end for] those people who do not obey the ·Good News [Gospel] of God?
18 “If it is very hard for a ·good [righteous] person to be saved,
·the wicked person and the sinner will surely be lost! [or What will happen to the wicked person and the sinner?; Prov. 11:31]”
19 So those who suffer ·as God wants [or because God has allowed it; L according to the will of God] should trust their souls to the faithful Creator as they continue to do what is ·right [good].
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