Ezekiel 29

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth [month], on the twelfth of the month, a word of YHWH has been to me, saying,

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy concerning him, and concerning Egypt—all of it.

“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 Speak, and you have said, Thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I [am] against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt! The great dragon that is crouching in the midst of his floods, Who has said, My flood [is] my own, And I have made it [for] myself.

Speak and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

4 And I have put hooks in your jaws, And I have caused the fish of your floods to cleave to your scales, And I have caused you to come up from the midst of your floods, And every fish of your floods cleaves to your scales.

I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.

5 And I have left you in the wilderness, You and every fish of your floods, You fall on the face of the field, You are not gathered nor assembled, I have given you for food to the beast of the earth and to the bird of the heavens.

I’ll cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You’ll fall on the open field. You won’t be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

6 And all inhabitants of Egypt have known That I [am] YHWH, Because of their being a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

7 In their taking hold of you by your hand, You crush and have torn every shoulder of theirs, And in their leaning on you you are broken, And have caused all their thighs to stand.

When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and paralysed all of their thighs.”

8 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I am bringing in a sword against you, And have cut off man and beast from you.

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.

9 And the land of Egypt has been for a desolation and a ruin, And they have known that I [am] YHWH, Because he said: The flood [is] mine, and I made [it].

The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’

10 Therefore, behold, I [am] against you, and against your floods, And have given the land of Egypt for ruins, A dry place, a desolation, from Migdol to Syene, And to the border of Cush.

therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.

11 A foot of man does not pass over into it, Indeed, the foot of beast does not pass into it, Nor is it inhabited forty years.

No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It won’t be inhabited for forty years.

12 And I have made the land of Egypt a desolation, In the midst of desolate lands, And its cities, in the midst of cities [that are] laid waste, Are a desolation [for] forty years, And I have scattered the Egyptians among nations, And I have dispersed them through lands.

I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities amongst the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians amongst the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”

13 But thus said Lord YHWH: At the end of forty years I gather the Egyptians Out of the peoples to where they have been scattered,

“‘For the Lord GOD says: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.

14 And I have turned back [to] the captivity of Egypt, And I have brought them back [To] the land of Pathros, to the land of their birth, And they have been a low kingdom there.

I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. There they will be a lowly kingdom.

15 It is lowest of the kingdoms, And it does not lift itself up above the nations anymore, And I have made them few, So as not to rule among nations.

It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It won’t lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them so that they will no longer rule over the nations.

16 And it is no longer for confidence to the house of Israel, Bringing iniquity to remembrance, By their turning after them, And they have known that I [am] Lord YHWH.”

It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’”

17 And it comes to pass, in the twenty-seventh year, in the first [month], on the first of the month, a word of YHWH has been to me, saying,

It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Has caused his force to serve a great service against Tyre, Every head [is] bald—every shoulder peeled, And neither he, nor his force, had reward out of Tyre, For the service that he served against it.

“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

19 Therefore, thus said Lord YHWH: Behold, I am giving the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, And he has taken away its store, And has taken its spoil, and taken its prey, And it has been a reward to his force.

Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army.

20 I have given to him his wage for which he labored—The land of Egypt, in that they worked for Me, A declaration of Lord YHWH.

I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord GOD.

21 In that day I cause a horn to shoot up for the house of Israel, And I give an opening to your mouth in their midst, And they have known that I [am] YHWH!”

“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth amongst them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”