1Guds budskab om Egypten: Se, Herren kommer imod Egypten, ridende på en hurtig sky. Landets afguder skælver, og egypterne mister modet.2„Jeg skaber borgerkrig i landet, så bror kæmper mod bror, by bekæmper by, og landets provinser erklærer hinanden krig.3Landets ledere bliver modløse og forvirrede, så de ikke aner, hvad de skal stille op. De trygler deres afguder om visdom, de anråber de døde om indsigt ved hjælp af medier og clairvoyante.4Men jeg vil udlevere Egypten til en streng og grusom herre,” siger Herren, den Almægtige.5-7Nilen og dens bifloder tørrer langsomt ud, kanalerne kommer til at stinke af råddent vand, sivene og alt, hvad der gror ved floden, visner og blæser bort.8Fiskerne klager og sørger. Både de, der fisker med krog, og de, der fisker med net, sygner hen.9-10Der bliver hverken hør eller bomuld, for høsten har svigtet. Væverne og de ansatte arbejdere fortvivler.11Zoans ledere opfører sig som tåber, Faraos klogeste rådgivere bliver rådvilde. Hvad hjælper det dem at henvise til deres fornemme herkomst?12Hvor er nu dine vismænd, Farao? Kan de ikke fortælle dig, hvad Herren har i sinde at gøre ved Egypten?13Zoans ledere giver tåbelige råd, vismændene fra Memfis er ført bag lyset. Deres råd har ført Egypten til afgrundens rand.14Herren har taget al fornuft og dømmekraft fra dem, så de raver omkring som berusede i deres eget bræk.15Egyptens skæbne er beseglet. Ingen, hverken høj eller lav, kan redde landet fra undergang.16Til den tid vil egypterne fortvivle som kvinder, ryste og skælve for Herren den Almægtiges hånd, der er løftet til slag.17Blot tanken om Judas land får dem til at ryste af skræk, for de ved jo, at Herren selv har lagt planer imod dem.
En fremtidig velsignelse for Egypten, Assyrien og Israel
18Engang vil der være fem af Egyptens byer, hvor man taler Kana’ans sprog og sværger troskab til Herren, den Almægtige. En af de byer er „Solens by”.[1]19-20Til den tid vil der stå et alter for Herren midt i Egypten og et monument for ham ved landets grænse som et vidnesbyrd om, at der findes gudfrygtige mennesker i Egypten. Når de derfor råber til Herren om hjælp imod deres undertrykkere, vil han sende en befrier og redde dem.21Da vil Herren åbenbare sig for egypterne, og de skal kende ham, ofre til ham og indfri de løfter, de aflægger til ham.22Herren vil straffe egypterne, men han vil også hjælpe og genoprette dem. For når de vender sig til Herren, vil han høre deres bøn og hjælpe dem.23Til den tid skal der gå en lige vej fra Egypten til Assyrien, og de to folk skal indgå forbund og tilbede Herren sammen.24Da skal Israel sammen med Egypten og Assyrien blive til velsignelse på jorden.25Herren vil velsigne dem med følgende ord: „Velsignet være mit folk Egypten. Velsignet være Assyrien, som jeg har skabt. Velsignet være Israel, min ejendom.”
1An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. (2.Mos 12,12; Josva 2,11; 1.Sam 5,3; Salm 18,10; Salm 104,3; Es 13,1; Es 13,7; Jer 43,12; Jer 46,13; Jer 50,2; Ez 29,1; Ez 31,18; Joel 3,19; Matt 26,64; Åb 1,7)2And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; (Dom 7,22)3and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound[1] their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; (Es 8,19; Es 19,11)4and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts. (Es 20,4; Jer 46,26; Ez 29,19)5And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,6and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.7There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.8The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water. (4.Mos 11,5)9The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. (Ez 27,7)10Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. (Jer 46,21; Gal 2,9)11The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”? (4.Mos 13,22; Salm 78,43; Es 30,4)12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt. (1.Kong 4,30; Ap G 7,22)13The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger. (Es 19,11; Jer 2,16; Jer 44,1; Jer 46,14; Jer 46,19; Ez 30,13; Ez 30,16; Zak 10,4)14The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. (1.Kong 22,22; Es 24,20; Es 29,9)15And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. (Es 9,14)
Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed
16In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. (Es 10,32; Jer 50,37; Jer 51,30; Nah 3,13)17And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.18In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.[2] (2.Kong 7,13; Es 19,21; Es 30,17; Zef 3,9)19In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. (1.Mos 28,18; 2.Kong 5,17)20It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. (Es 19,19; Ob 1,21)21And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. (Es 2,2; Es 19,25; Zak 14,16)22And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. (Jer 46,25)23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. (Es 11,16; Es 19,18; Es 19,21; Zef 3,9)24In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, (1.Mos 12,2)25whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (5.Mos 32,9; Es 29,23; Hos 2,23)