| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. | 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. |
| 2“I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone 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. |
| 3The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. | 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 the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD 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. |
| 5The waters will fail from the sea, And the river will be wasted and dried up. | 5The water of the sea will be dried up, and the river will dry up and be empty. |
| 6The rivers will turn foul; The brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up; The reeds and rushes will wither. | 6The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up; the bulrushes and reeds will decay, |
| 7The papyrus reeds by the River, by the mouth of the River, And everything sown by the River, Will wither, be driven away, and 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 also will mourn; All those will lament who cast hooks into the River, And they will languish who spread nets on the waters. | 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. |
| 9Moreover those who work in fine flax And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed; | 9Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed; those who weave will turn pale. |
| 10And its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul. | 10Those who make cloth will be demoralized; all the hired workers will be depressed. |
| 11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise, The 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 are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, And let them 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; The princes of Noph are deceived; They have also deluded Egypt, Those who are the mainstay of its tribes. | 13The officials of Zoan are fools, the officials of Memphis are misled; the rulers of her tribes lead Egypt astray. |
| 14The LORD has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, 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. |
| 15Neither will there be any work for Egypt, Which the head or tail, Palm branch or bulrush, may do. | 15Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. |
| 16In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He waves over it. | 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 be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts which He has determined against it. | 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 five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one 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. |
| 20And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will 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. |
| 21Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it. | 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, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them 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 the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve 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 one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, | 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 shall bless, saying, “Blessed is 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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