1The word of the Lord came to me:2‘Son of man, prophesy and say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘ “Wail and say, ‘Alas for that day!’3For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near – a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.4A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush.[1] When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.5Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.6‘ “This is what the Lord says: ‘ “The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign Lord.7They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.8Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.9‘ “On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.10‘ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘ “I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.11He and his army – the most ruthless of nations – will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.12I will dry up the waters of the Nile and sell the land to an evil nation; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the Lord have spoken.13‘ “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘ “I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in Egypt, and I will spread fear throughout the land.14I will lay waste Upper Egypt, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on Thebes.15I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.16I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. Thebes will be taken by storm; Memphis will be in constant distress.17The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall by the sword, and the cities themselves will go into captivity.18Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt; there her proud strength will come to an end. She will be covered with clouds, and her villages will go into captivity.19So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.” ’
Pharaoh’s arms are broken
20In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:21‘Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword.22Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.23I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.24I 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 him like a mortally wounded man.25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.26I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
Ezekiel 30
English Standard Version
A Lament for Egypt
1The word of the Lord came to me:2“Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’ (Isa 13:6; Eze 2:1)3For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for[1] the nations. (Eze 7:7; Eze 7:12; Eze 30:2; Eze 34:12; Joe 1:15; Joe 2:1; Zep 1:7)4A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Cush, when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth[2] is carried away, and her foundations are torn down. (Isa 21:3; Isa 43:3; Eze 29:8; Eze 29:19; Eze 30:6)5Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya,[3] and the people of the land that is in league,[4] shall fall with them by the sword. (Jer 25:20; Eze 27:10; Eze 30:4)6“Thus says the Lord: Those who support Egypt shall fall, and her proud might shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword, declares the Lord God. (Eze 29:10; Eze 30:18; Eze 32:21; Eze 33:28)7And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries, and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste. (Eze 29:12)8Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have set fire to Egypt, and all her helpers are broken. (Eze 6:7; Eze 28:18; Eze 29:6; Eze 30:6)9“On that day messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting people of Cush, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom;[5] for, behold, it comes! (Isa 18:1; Eze 30:4)10“Thus says the Lord God: “I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (Eze 29:19)11He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land, and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. (Eze 28:7; Eze 30:4)12And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the Lord; I have spoken. (Isa 19:4; Isa 19:5; Eze 17:24; Eze 28:7; Eze 29:3; Eze 29:10)13“Thus says the Lord God: “I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt; so I will put fear in the land of Egypt. (Isa 19:13; Isa 19:16; Jer 43:12; Eze 29:15; Zec 10:11)14I will make Pathros a desolation and will set fire to Zoan and will execute judgments on Thebes. (Nu 13:22; Isa 11:11; Jer 46:25; Eze 29:14; Eze 30:19)15And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the multitude[6] of Thebes.16And I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium shall be in great agony; Thebes shall be breached, and Memphis shall face enemies[7] by day. (Eze 30:13)17The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword, and the women[8] shall go into captivity.18At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark, when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt, and her proud might shall come to an end in her; she shall be covered by a cloud, and her daughters shall go into captivity. (Jer 2:16; Jer 15:9; Eze 30:6; Am 8:9)19Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Eze 6:7; Eze 30:14)
Egypt Shall Fall to Babylon
20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: (Eze 20:1)21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword. (Jer 30:13; Jer 46:11; Jer 48:25; Eze 2:1)22Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. (Eze 30:21)23I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. (Eze 29:12)24And 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 him like a man mortally wounded. (Job 24:12; Eze 21:3; Eze 30:10)25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. (Eze 6:7; Eze 30:8)26And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”