| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1Here is a message about Egypt: Look, the LORD rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage. |
| 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; | 2"I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, brothers will fight with each other, as will neighbors, cities, and kingdoms. |
| 3and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; | 3The Egyptians will panic, and I will confuse their strategy. They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead, from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. |
| 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. | 4I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a powerful king will rule over them," says the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies. |
| 5And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, | 5The water of the sea will be dried up, and the river will dry up and be empty. |
| 6and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. | 6The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up; the bulrushes and reeds will decay, |
| 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. | 7along with the plants by the mouth of the river. All the cultivated land near the river will turn to dust and be blown away. |
| 8The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water. | 8The fishermen will mourn and lament, all those who cast a fishhook into the river, and those who spread out a net on the water's surface will grieve. |
| 9The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. | 9Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed; those who weave will turn pale. |
| 10Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. | 10Those who make cloth will be demoralized; all the hired workers will be depressed. |
| 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”? | 11The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh's wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?" |
| 12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt. | 12But where, oh where, are your wise men? Let them tell you, let them find out what the LORD who commands armies has planned for Egypt. |
| 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. | 13The officials of Zoan are fools, the officials of Memphis are misled; the rulers of her tribes lead Egypt astray. |
| 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. | 14The LORD has made them undiscerning; they lead Egypt astray in all she does, so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. |
| 15And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. | 15Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. |
| 16In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. | 16At that time the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because the LORD who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. |
| 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. | 17The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the LORD who commands armies is planning to do to 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. | 18At that time five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. |
| 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. | 19At that time there will be an altar for the LORD in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar dedicated to the LORD at its border. |
| 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. | 20It will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of the LORD who commands armies. When they cry out to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender who will rescue them. |
| 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. | 21The LORD will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they will acknowledge the LORD's authority at that time. They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. |
| 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. | 22The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the LORD and he will listen to their prayers and heal them. |
| 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. | 23At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. |
| 24In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, | 24At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing in the earth. |
| 25whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” | 25The LORD who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, "Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, Israel!" |
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