Old/New Testament
The Day of the Lord
30 Another message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say:
2 “Son of Man, here’s what you are to prophesy and announce,
‘This is what the Lord God says:
“Wail out loud!
Oh no! The day!
3 For comes now the day—
comes now the Day of the Lord,
the day of clouds!
The time of the gentiles[a] is fulfilled![b]
4 War[c] will come to Egypt,
and Ethiopia will be in anguish
when the slain fall in Egypt,
when her wealth is carried off,
and her foundations are demolished.
5 “Ethiopia,[d] Libya,[e] descendants of[f] Lud,[g] all those who have mixed themselves,[h] and Libya[i]—along with everyone in the land of Israel who is in league[j] with them—will die violently.”’”[k]
Continued Judgment on Egypt
6 “This is what the Lord says:
‘Those who are supporting Egypt will fall;
her majestic strength that she brought[l] from the Aswan[m] fortress will collapse
by the sword that invades her,’
declares the Lord God.
7 They’ll remain desolate among desolate lands,
their cities will be named among those that are ruined.
8 They will know that I am the Lord
when I kindle my fire in Egypt
and all who help her are crushed.
9 ‘When that happens, couriers will go out in ships to terrify Ethiopia[n] in its complacency. Anguish will visit them as it will visit Egypt. Watch out! It’s coming!’”
Foreigners will Invade Egypt
10 “This is what the Lord says:
‘I’m putting an end to that gang from Egypt,
and I’m going to use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to do it!
11 He and his ruthless army with him will be brought
to destroy the land.
They’ll draw their swords and attack[o] Egypt,
filling the land with the dead!
12 I’ll dry up their waterways,
and evil men will sell off the land.
I’m going to make that land desolate,
along with everything that’s in it,
and I’m going to use foreigners to do it.
I, the Lord have spoken!’”
Destruction of Egypt’s Gods
13 “This is what the Lord God says:
‘I will destroy the idols
and put an end to the images that come from Memphis.
There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt,
and I will terrify the land of Egypt.
14 I’m going to turn Pathros into a desolation,
set fire to Zoan,[p]
and judge Thebes.[q]
15 I’ll pour out my anger on Sin,[r]
Egypt’s strong fortress,
and I’ll eliminate the gangs in Thebes.
16 I’ll set fire to Egypt,
and Aswan[s] will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be demolished,
and Memphis will face daily distress.
17 The young men of On and Pi-beseth will die violently,[t]
and their cities will be taken captive.
18 It will be a dark day for Tahpanhes
when I break the yokes of Egypt.
That’s when her arrogant power will come to an end.
She’ll be covered by a cloud,
and her citizens[u] will go into captivity.
19 I will judge Egypt,
and they will learn that I am the Lord.’”
Babylon’s Victory
20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year of our captivity,[v] a message came to me from the Lord. It had this to say: 21 “Son of Man, I’ve broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Look! It hasn’t been set in a splint for healing or wrapped with a bandage so it could be strong enough to hold a sword! 22 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
‘I’m coming to attack Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I’m going to break both of his arms, the strong one and the wounded one. That will make him drop his sword. 23 I’m going to scatter Egypt throughout the surrounding[w] nations and disperse them throughout the world. 24 I’m going to strengthen the military might[x] of the king of Babylon, put my own sword in his hand, and break Pharaoh’s strength.[y] Then Pharaoh[z] will groan like a dying man right in front of the king of Babylon.[aa] 25 When I strengthen the military might of Babylon, the military might of Pharaoh will fail, and then they will learn that I am the Lord when I place my own sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He will attack the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the world, they will learn that I am the Lord.’”
Egypt Learns from Assyria’s Demise
31 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year of our captivity,[ab] this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of Man, tell this to Pharaoh, king of Egypt and his gangs:
‘Who do you think you are?
What makes you so great?
3 Think about Assyria,[ac]
that cedar of Lebanon,
beautiful with its branches,
like a shady forest,
with an awesome height,
its summit touches the clouds.
4 Abundant water made it great,
Subterranean rivers made it grow.
Rivers surrounded the area where it had been planted,
and water channels nourished all the trees in the fields.
5 That’s why it grew taller than any of the trees in the fields.
Its boughs flourished.
Its branches grew luxurious
because all the water made it spread out well.
6 The birds in the sky made nests in its boughs;
all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches.
All the great nations rested in its shade.
7 ‘Beautiful because it was so great,
with its long branches,
it was rooted in many bodies of water.[ad]
8 The cedars in God’s garden could not compare to it;
Fir trees could not match its boughs.
The plane tree[ae] never grew branches like it,
and no tree in God’s garden compares to its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful,
including all of its branches;
all the trees in God’s garden of Eden envied it!’”
Assyria’s Fall Due to Arrogance
10 “Therefore this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because of its towering height, with its summit reaching into the clouds, and because it was haughty in its position,[af] 11 I turned it over to the leader of those[ag] nations, who dealt with it thoroughly. I have driven it away because of its wickedness. 12 Foreign dictators have trimmed it down to size and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen off on mountains and in all the valleys. Its boughs have broken off in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth have moved out of its shade and abandoned it. 13 All the birds in the sky will live among its ruins, and the wild animals[ah] will forage among its branches. 14 As a result, none of its watered trees will grow tall, their tops will never reach to the clouds, and they’ll never grow so high again, because all of them have been appointed[ai] to death in the world beneath where human beings go, that is, down to the Pit.’”[aj]
Fear at Assyria’s Fall
15 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘On the day that it descended into Sheol,[ak] I shut down its water supplies, covered over its deep water, and shut down its rivers. As a result its abundant water sources dried up, and I caused Lebanon to mourn for it. All the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations tremble when they heard that Assyria[al] was falling, descending into Sheol[am] to join those who go down into the Pit.[an] Then all of the trees of Eden in the world below were comforted, including the choicest and best of Lebanon, all of whom were well-watered. 17 They also went down with it into Sheol,[ao] to those who had been killed violently[ap] and to those who had trusted in its strength by living in its shadow among the nations. 18 So tell me now, which of the trees of Eden compares to you in glory or greatness? Nevertheless, you’ll be brought down, along with those trees of Eden, to the earth below. You’ll lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who have been killed in war.[aq] Pharaoh and all his gang will be just like this!’ declares the Lord God.”
Another Prophecy about Egypt
32 On the first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of our captivity,[ar] a message came to me from the Lord, who had this to say:
2 “Son of Man, start singing this lamentation about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him,
‘You may have called yourself a lion among nations,
but you’re a monster at sea.
You thrash about in your rivers,
muddy the water with your feet,
and relieve yourself in the rivers.’
3 “This is what the Lord God says:
‘I’m coming fishing for you!
Right in the sight of many nations
they’ll haul you up in my dragnet.
4 I’ll fling you up onto the land;
I’ll haul you into the field,
I’ll make every carrion-eating bird come to dine on you,
and I’ll make all the scavenging animals gorge themselves on you.
5 I’ll cover the mountains with your flesh
and fill their valleys with your rotting carcass.[as]
6 I’ll drench the land with your blood,
right up to the mountains,
and the ravines will overflow
with blood that comes from you!
7 When I extinguish your lights,
I’ll cover the heavens
and darken their stars.
I’ll cover the sun with a cloud
and the moon won’t reflect its light.
8 I’ll darken the bright lights in the sky above you
and bring darkness to your territory,’
declares the Lord God.
9 “‘I’ll bring distress to the hearts of many nations when I destroy you among nations whose territories you have not known. 10 I’ll make many nations be appalled at you, and their kings will be terrified because of you when I brandish my sword right in their face. They will all tremble from fear for their own safety[at] on the day that you fall!’
11 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘The army[au] of the king of Babylon will attack you. 12 I’m going to make your gangs die using the weapons of valiant warriors, all of whom are ruthless people.
‘They will devastate the majesty of Egypt,
destroying all of its hordes.
13 I’m going to destroy all of its livestock
along its many riverbanks.
Human feet won’t muddy the rivers anymore,
nor will the hooves of livestock stir up the water.
14 That’s when I’ll make their waterways flow smoothly,
and their rivers flow like olive oil,’[av]
declares the Lord God.”
15 ‘When I turn the land of Egypt into a desolation,
and the land is emptied of everything that used to fill it,
when I strike everyone who lives there,
they will learn that I am the Lord.’
16 “This has been a lamentation. They will chant it, and the citizens[aw] of the nations will chant it, too. They’ll chant it about Egypt and about all of its hordes.”
Babylon’s Invasion of Egypt
17 On the fifteenth day of the first[ax] month of the twelfth year of our captivity,[ay] a message from the Lord came to me, and this is what it said: 18 “Son of Man, mourn about the hordes of Egypt. Bring them down—that is, her and the citizens[az] of those majestic[ba] nations—whose destiny is the deep part of the Pit.[bb]
19 “So who’s more beautiful than you?
You’ll be buried with the uncircumcised.[bc]
20 “They’ll die along with others who are killed violently.[bd] Egypt has been given over to violence,[be] which will carry off both it and its hordes.”
Egypt Condemned by the Dead
21 “Mighty leaders will address them and those who assist them right out of the middle of Sheol:[bf] ‘They’ve come down and will lie still, these uncircumcised people who have died violently.’[bg] 22 Assyria will be there, along with all of those who keep company with her,[bh] all of them killed violently. 23 Her grave will be set in the remotest part of the Pit,[bi] surrounded by those who accompanied her. All of them will have been killed, executed violently, who spread terror throughout the land of the living.
24 “Elam will be there. Its hordes will surround Elam’s[bj] grave. All of them have been killed. They died[bk] violently, and they have descended uncircumcised into the world below after having spread terror throughout the land of the living. They will bear the shame of those who descend to the Pit.[bl] 25 They have prepared a bed for her and for her hordes that surround her graves. All of them are uncircumcised, having been killed violently, because they had spread terror throughout the land of the living. They will bear the shame of those who descend to the Pit[bm] and will take their place among the dead.
26 “Meshech and Tubal will be there, along with all of the hordes that surround her grave. Every one of them is uncircumcised, killed violently, because they spread terror throughout the land of the living. 27 They won’t be buried with dead warriors from ancient times, who went straight to Sheol,[bn] buried with their war weapons, with their swords placed under their heads and their shields laid on top of their bones, since they spread terror throughout the land of the living. 28 You’ll be broken, and you’ll lie down with the uncircumcised who died violently.
29 “Edom will be there, along with its kings and princes who despite all their power have been killed violently. They, too, are lying dead, along with the uncircumcised; that is, with those who descend into the Pit.[bo]
30 “All of the princes from the North are there, along with the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame to join those who have been killed because of all the terror they caused by their military might. They lie dead, uncircumcised, with those who have been killed violently. They will bear their shame, along with those who descend into the Pit.[bp]
31 “When Pharaoh sees them, he will take comfort in his hordes. Pharaoh and all his army will die violently,” says the Lord God, 32 “because he spread terror throughout the land of the living. Therefore he’ll be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, who have been killed violently; that is, Pharaoh and all of his hordes,” declares the Lord God.
Good Managers of God’s Grace
4 Therefore, since the Messiah[a] suffered in a mortal body,[b] you, too, must arm yourselves with the same determination, because the person who has suffered in a mortal body has stopped sinning, 2 so that he can live the rest of his mortal life[c] guided, not by human desires, but by the will of God. 3 For you spent enough time in the past doing what the gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry. 4 They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living. 5 They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 Indeed, this is why the gospel was proclaimed even to those who have died, so that they could be judged in their mortal flesh like all humans and live in the spiritual realm like God.
7 Because everything will soon come to an end, be sensible and clear-headed, so you can pray. 8 Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without complaining. 10 As good servant managers of God’s grace in its various forms, serve one another with the gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must speak God’s words.[d] Whoever serves must serve with the strength[e] that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah.[f] Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen.
Suffering as a Christian
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, because you are participating in the sufferings of the Messiah,[g] keep on rejoicing, so that you may be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of the Messiah,[h] you are blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God is resting on you.[i]
15 Of course, none of you should suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker. 16 But if you suffer for being a Christian, do not feel ashamed, but glorify God with that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who refuse to obey the gospel of God?
18 “If it is hard for the righteous person to be saved,
what will happen to the ungodly and sinful person?”[j]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do what is good.
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