13 This is the word the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt:(A)

14 Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol!(B)
Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes!
Say, “Take positions! Prepare yourself,
for the sword devours all around you.”(C)
15 Why have your strong ones been swept away?
Each has not stood,
for the Lord has thrust him down.
16 He continues to stumble.(D)
Indeed, each falls over the other.
They say, “Get up! Let’s return to our people
and to our native land,
away from the oppressor’s sword.”(E)
17 There they will cry out,
“Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise;
he let the opportune moment pass.”
18 As I live—
this is the King’s declaration;
the Lord of Armies is his name(F)
the king of Babylon[a] will come like Tabor among the mountains
and like Carmel by the sea.
19 Get your bags ready for exile,
inhabitant of Daughter Egypt!(G)
For Memphis will become a desolation,
uninhabited ruins.
20 Egypt is a beautiful young cow,(H)
but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.[b](I)
21 Even her mercenaries among her
are like stall-fed calves.
They too will turn back;
together they will flee;
they will not take their stand,
for the day of their calamity is coming on them,
the time of their punishment.(J)
22 Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake,[c]
for the enemy will come with an army;
with axes they will come against her
like those who cut trees.(K)
23 They will cut down her forest—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
though it is dense,
for they are more numerous than locusts;
they cannot be counted.(L)
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
handed over to a northern people.(M)

25 The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes,(N) along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those trusting in him. 26 I will hand them over to those who intend to take their lives(O)—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers. But after this,(P) Egypt[d] will be inhabited again as in ancient times.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

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Footnotes

  1. 46:18 Lit He
  2. 46:20 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read is coming, coming
  3. 46:22 Lit Her sound is like a snake as it goes
  4. 46:26 Lit it

A Prophecy of Egypt’s Ruin

29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, face Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all of Egypt.(A) Speak to him and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Look, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monster[a](B) lying in the middle of his Nile,
who says, “My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself.”
I will put hooks in your jaws(C)
and make the fish of your streams
cling to your scales.
I will haul you up
from the middle of your Nile,
and all the fish of your streams
will cling to your scales.
I will leave you in the desert,(D)
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open ground
and will not be taken away
or gathered for burial.(E)
I have given you
to the wild creatures of the earth
and the birds of the sky as food.(F)

“‘Then all the inhabitants of Egypt
will know that I am the Lord,
for they[b] have been a staff made of reed
to the house of Israel.

When Israel grasped you by the hand,
you splintered,(G) tearing all their shoulders;
when they leaned on you,
you shattered and made all their hips unsteady.[c]

“‘Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to bring a sword(H) against you and cut off both people and animals from you. The land of Egypt will be a desolate ruin.(I) Then they will know that I am the Lord. Because you[d] said, “The Nile is my own; I made it,” 10 therefore, I am against you and your Nile. I will turn the land of Egypt into ruins, a desolate waste from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush. 11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it.(J) It will be uninhabited for forty years. 12 I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among[e] desolate lands, and its cities will be a desolation among[f] ruined cities(K) for forty years. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.(L)

13 “‘For this is what the Lord God says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were dispersed.(M) 14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15 Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small they cannot rule over the nations. 16 It will never again be an object of trust(N) for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their iniquity of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.’”

Babylon Receives Egypt as Compensation

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army labor strenuously against Tyre.(O) Every head was made bald and every shoulder chafed, but he and his army received no compensation from Tyre for the labor he expended against it. 19 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: I am going to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,(P) and he will carry off its wealth, seizing its spoil and taking its plunder. This will be his army’s compensation. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt as the pay he labored for, since they worked for me.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. 21 “In that day I will cause a horn to sprout(Q) for the house of Israel, and I will enable you to speak out(R) among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Egypt’s Doom

30 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:

Wail,(S) “Woe because of that day!”
For a day is near;
a day belonging to the Lord is near.(T)
It will be a day of clouds,(U)
a time of doom[g] for the nations.
A sword will come against Egypt,
and there will be anguish in Cush
when the slain fall in Egypt,
and its wealth is taken away,
and its foundations are demolished.
Cush, Put, and Lud,(V)
and all the various foreign troops,[h]
plus Libya[i] and the men of the covenant land
will fall by the sword along with them.
This is what the Lord says:
Those who support Egypt will fall,
and its proud strength will collapse.
From Migdol to Syene
they will fall within it by the sword.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
They will be desolate
among[j] desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined[k] cities.(W)
They will know that I am the Lord
when I set fire to Egypt(X)
and all its allies are shattered.

On that day, messengers will go out from me in ships(Y) to terrify confident Cush. Anguish will come over them on the day of Egypt’s doom.[l] For indeed it is coming.

10 “‘This is what the Lord God says:

I will put an end to the hordes[m] of Egypt
by the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
11 He along with his people,
ruthless men from the nations,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.(Z)
12 I will make the streams dry
and sell the land to evil men.(AA)
I will bring desolation
on the land and everything in it
by the hands of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken.

13 “‘This is what the Lord God says:

I will destroy the worthless idols
and put an end to the false gods in Memphis.(AB)
There will no longer be
a prince from the land of Egypt.
And I will instill fear in that land.
14 I will make Pathros(AC) desolate,
set fire to Zoan,
and execute judgments on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and will wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in anguish,
Thebes will be breached,
and Memphis will face foes in broad daylight.[n]
17 The young men of On[o] and Pi-beseth
will fall by the sword,
and those cities[p] will go into captivity.
18 The day will be dark[q] in Tehaphnehes,
when I break the yoke of Egypt there
and its proud strength
comes to an end in the city.
A cloud(AD) will cover Tehaphnehes,[r]
and its surrounding villages will go into captivity.
19 So I will execute judgments against Egypt,
and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Pharaoh’s Power Broken

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(AE) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged—no medicine has been applied and no splint put on to bandage it so that it can grow strong enough to handle a sword. 22 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Look! I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries.(AF) 24 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place my sword(AG) in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him as a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king, but Pharaoh’s arms will fall. They will know that I am the Lord when I place my sword in the hand of Babylon’s king and he wields it against the land of Egypt. 26 When I disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them among the countries, they will know that I am the Lord.”

Downfall of Egypt and Assyria

31 In the eleventh year,(AH) in the third month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes,

‘Who are you like in your greatness?

Footnotes

  1. 29:3 Or crocodile
  2. 29:6 LXX, Syr, Vg read you
  3. 29:7 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads and you caused their hips to stand
  4. 29:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads he
  5. 29:12 Or Egypt the most desolate of
  6. 29:12 Or be the most desolate of
  7. 30:3 of doom supplied for clarity
  8. 30:5 Or all Arabia
  9. 30:5 Lit Cub; Hb obscure
  10. 30:7 Or be the most desolate of
  11. 30:7 Or will be the most ruined of
  12. 30:9 Lit of Egypt
  13. 30:10 Or pomp, or wealth, also in v. 15
  14. 30:16 Or foes daily
  15. 30:17 LXX, Vg; MT reads iniquity
  16. 30:17 Or and the women; lit and they
  17. 30:18 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read will withhold
  18. 30:18 Or Egypt

18 “‘Who then are you like in glory and greatness among Eden’s trees? You also will be brought down to the underworld to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised with those slain by the sword.(A) This is Pharaoh and all his hordes. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

A Lament for Pharaoh

32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, lament(B) for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him,

‘You compare yourself to a lion of the nations,
but[a] you are like a monster[b](C) in the seas.
You thrash about in your rivers,
churn up the waters with your feet,
and muddy the[c] rivers.

“‘This is what the Lord God says:

I will spread my net over you(D)
with an assembly of many peoples,
and they[d] will haul you up in my net.
I will abandon you on the land
and throw you onto the open field.
I will cause all the birds of the sky
to settle on you
and let the wild creatures of the entire earth
eat their fill of you.(E)
I will put your flesh on the mountains(F)
and fill the valleys with your carcass.
I will drench the land
with the flow of your blood,
even to the mountains;
the ravines will be filled with your gore.
“‘When I snuff you out,
I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,(G)
and the moon will not give its light.
I will darken all the shining lights
in the heavens over you,
and will bring darkness on your land.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
“‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,
when I bring about your destruction
among the nations,
in countries you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
and their kings will shudder with fear because of you(H)
when I brandish my sword in front of them.
On the day of your downfall
each of them will tremble
every moment(I) for his life.

11 “‘For this is what the Lord God says:

The sword of Babylon’s king
will come against you!
12 I will make your hordes fall
by the swords of warriors,
all of them ruthless men from the nations.(J)
They will ravage Egypt’s pride,
and all its hordes will be destroyed.
13 I will slaughter all its cattle
that are beside many waters.
No human foot will churn them again,
and no cattle hooves will disturb them.(K)
14 Then I will let their waters settle
and will make their rivers flow like oil.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
15 When I make the land of Egypt a desolation,
so that it is emptied of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
then they will know that I am the Lord.(L)

16 “‘The daughters of the nations will chant that lament.(M) They will chant it over Egypt and all its hordes. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’”

Egypt in Sheol

17 In the twelfth year,[e] on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld,[f] to be with those who descend to the Pit:(N)

19 Who do you surpass in loveliness?
Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword.
A sword is appointed!(O)
They drag her and all her hordes away.
21 Warrior leaders will speak
from the middle of Sheol
about him[g] and his allies:
‘They have come down;
the uncircumcised lie
slain by the sword.’(P)

22 “Assyria is there with her whole assembly;
her graves are all around her.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit,
and her assembly is all around her burial place.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who once spread terror
in the land of the living.

24 “Elam(Q) is there
with all her hordes around her grave.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who went down to the underworld uncircumcised,
who once spread their terror
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain
they prepare a bed for Elam
with all her hordes.
Her graves are all around her.
All of them are uncircumcised,
slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
They are placed among the slain.

26 “Meshech and Tubal[h](R) are there,
with all their hordes.
Their graves are all around them.
All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down
with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised,[i]
who went down to Sheol
with their weapons of war,
whose swords were placed under their heads[j]
and their shields[k]
rested on their bones,
although the terror of these warriors
was once in the land of the living.
28 But you will be shattered
and will lie down among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.(S)

29 “Edom(T) is there, her kings and all her princes,
who, despite their strength, have been placed
among those slain by the sword.
They lie down with the uncircumcised,
with those who descend to the Pit.
30 All the leaders of the north(U)
and all the Sidonians(V) are there.
They went down in shame with the slain,
despite the terror their strength inspired.
They lie down uncircumcised
with those slain by the sword.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.

31 “Pharaoh will see them
and be comforted(W) over all his hordes—
Pharaoh and his whole army,
slain by the sword.”

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

32 “For I will spread my[l] terror
in the land of the living,
so Pharaoh and all his hordes
will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.”

This is the declaration of the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. 32:2 Or ‘Lion of the nations, you are destroyed;
  2. 32:2 Or crocodile
  3. 32:2 Lit their
  4. 32:3 LXX, Vg read I
  5. 32:17 LXX reads year, in the first month,
  6. 32:18 Lit the lower parts of the earth, also in v. 24
  7. 32:21 Either Pharaoh or Egypt
  8. 32:26 Lit Meshech-tubal
  9. 32:27 LXX reads of antiquity
  10. 32:27 Or Do they not... heads?
  11. 32:27 Emended; MT reads iniquities
  12. 32:32 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Syr read his

19 Egypt will become desolate,
and Edom a desert wasteland,
because of the violence done to the people of Judah(A)
in whose land they shed innocent blood.

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