< Ezekiel 30 >

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying,
The LORD’s word came again to me, saying,
2 Son of man, be a prophet, and say, These are the words of the Lord: Give a cry, Aha, for the day!
“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
3 For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near, a day of cloud; it will be the time of the nations.
For the day is near, even the LORD’s day is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of the nations.
4 And a sword will come on Egypt, and cruel pain will be in Ethiopia, when they are falling by the sword in Egypt; and they will take away her wealth and her bases will be broken down.
A sword will come on Egypt, and anguish will be in Ethiopia, when the slain fall in Egypt. They take away her multitude, and her foundations are broken down.
5 Ethiopia and Put and Lud and all the mixed people and Libya and the children of the land of the Cherethites will all be put to death with them by the sword.
“‘“Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the mixed people, Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, will fall with them by the sword.”
6 This is what the Lord has said: The supporters of Egypt will have a fall, and the pride of her power will come down: from Migdol to Syene they will be put to the sword in it, says the Lord.
“‘The LORD says: “They also who uphold Egypt will fall. The pride of her power will come down. They will fall by the sword in it from the tower of Seveneh,” says the Lord GOD.
7 And she will be made waste among the countries which have been made waste, and her towns will be among the towns which are unpeopled.
“They will be desolate in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities will be among the cities that are wasted.
8 And they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I have put a fire in Egypt and all her helpers are broken.
They will know that I am the LORD when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed.
9 In that day men will go out quickly to take the news, causing fear in untroubled Ethiopia; and bitter pain will come on them as in the day of Egypt; for see, it is coming.
“‘“In that day messengers will go out from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid. There will be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.”
10 This is what the Lord has said: I will put an end to great numbers of the people of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon.
“‘The Lord GOD says: “I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 He and the people with him, causing fear among the nations, will be sent for the destruction of the land; their swords will be let loose against Egypt and the land will be full of dead.
He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
12 And I will make the Nile streams dry, and will give the land into the hands of evil men, causing the land and everything in it to be wasted by the hands of men from a strange country: I the Lord have said it.
I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men. I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of foreigners. I, the LORD, have spoken it.”
13 This is what the Lord has said: In addition to this, I will give up the images to destruction and put an end to the false gods in Noph; never again will there be a ruler in the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
“‘The Lord GOD says: “I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis. There will be no more a prince from the land of Egypt. I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
14 And I will make Pathros a waste, and put a fire in Zoan, and send my punishments on No.
I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments on No.
15 I will let loose my wrath on Sin, the strong place of Egypt, cutting off the mass of the people of No.
I will pour my wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt. I will cut off the multitude of No.
16 And I will put a fire in Egypt; Syene will be twisting in pain, and No will be broken into, as by the onrush of waters.
I will set a fire in Egypt Sin will be in great anguish. No will be broken up. Memphis will have adversaries in the daytime.
17 The young men of On and Pi-beseth will be put to the sword: and these towns will be taken away prisoners.
The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth will fall by the sword. They will go into captivity.
18 And at Tehaphnehes the day will become dark, when the yoke of Egypt is broken there, and the pride of her power comes to an end: as for her, she will be covered with a cloud, and her daughters will be taken away prisoners.
At Tehaphnehes also the day will withdraw itself, when I break the yokes of Egypt there. The pride of her power will cease in her. As for her, a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.
19 And I will send my punishments on Egypt: and they will be certain that I am the Lord.
Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”’”
20 Now in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
In the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,
21 Son of man, the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, has been broken by me, and no band has been put round it to make it well, no band has been twisted round it to make it strong for gripping the sword.
“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it may become strong to hold the sword.
22 For this cause the Lord has said: See, I am against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and by me his strong arm will be broken; and I will make the sword go out of his hand.
Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken. I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.
23 And I will send the Egyptians in flight among the nations and wandering through the countries.
I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
24 And I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, and will put my sword in his hand: but Pharaoh's arms will be broken, and he will give cries of pain before him like the cries of a man wounded to death.
I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before the king of Babylon with the groaning of a mortally wounded man.
25 And I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, and the arms of Pharaoh will be hanging down; and they will be certain that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and it is stretched out against the land of Egypt.
I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall down. Then they will know that I am the LORD when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he stretches it out on the land of Egypt.
26 And I will send the Egyptians in flight among the nations and wandering through the countries; and they will be certain that I am the Lord.
I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

< Ezekiel 30 >