A Sad Day for Egypt

1This is another message that came to me from the LORD: 2“Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign LORD:

“Weep and wail

for that day,

3for the terrible day is almost here—

the day of the LORD!

It is a day of clouds and gloom,

a day of despair for the nations.

4A sword will come against Egypt,

and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground.

Its wealth will be carried away

and its foundations destroyed.

The land of Ethiopiaa will be ravished.

5Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all Arabia,b

and all their other allies

will be destroyed in that war.

6“For this is what the LORD says:

All of Egypt’s allies will fall,

and the pride of her power will end.

From Migdol to Aswanc

they will be slaughtered by the sword,

says the Sovereign LORD.

7Egypt will be desolate,

surrounded by desolate nations,

and its cities will be in ruins,

surrounded by other ruined cities.

8And the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD

when I have set Egypt on fire

and destroyed all their allies.

9At that time I will send swift messengers in ships

to terrify the complacent Ethiopians.

Great panic will come upon them

on that day of Egypt’s certain destruction.

Watch for it!

It is sure to come!

10“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

By the power of King Nebuchadnezzard of Babylon,

I will destroy the hordes of Egypt.

11He and his armies—the most ruthless of all—

will be sent to demolish the land.

They will make war against Egypt

until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.

12I will dry up the Nile River

and sell the land to wicked men.

I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it

by the hands of foreigners.

I, the LORD, have spoken!

13“This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

I will smash the idolse of Egypt

and the images at Memphis.f

There will be no rulers left in Egypt;

terror will sweep the land.

14I will destroy southern Egypt,g

set fire to Zoan,

and bring judgment against Thebes.h

15I will pour out my fury on Pelusium,i

the strongest fortress of Egypt,

and I will stamp out

the hordes of Thebes.

16Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt!

Pelusium will be racked with pain;

Thebes will be torn apart;

Memphis will live in constant terror.

17The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastisj will die in battle,

and the womenk will be taken away as slaves.

18When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt,

it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too.

A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes,

and its daughters will be led away as captives.

19And so I will greatly punish Egypt,

and they will know that I am the LORD.”

The Broken Arms of Pharaoh

20On April 29,l during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the LORD: 21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword. 22Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms—the good arm along with the broken one—and I will make his sword clatter to the ground. 23I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world. 24I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain. 25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am the LORD. 26I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the earth. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”