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Ezekiel 30
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ezekiel 30
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 30
The Day of the Lord Against Egypt. 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God:
Wail: “Alas the day!”
3 Yes, a day approaches,
a day of the Lord approaches:
A day of dark cloud,
a time appointed for the nations.(A)
4 A sword will come against Egypt,
there will be anguish in Ethiopia,
When the slain fall in Egypt
when its hordes are seized,
its foundations razed.(B)
5 Ethiopia, Put, and Lud,
all the mixed rabble[a] and Kub,
and the people of allied lands
shall fall by the sword with them.
6 Thus says the Lord:
The pillars of Egypt shall fall,
and its proud strength sink;
From Migdol to Syene,
its people will fall by the sword—
oracle of the Lord God.(C)
7 It shall be the most desolate
among desolate lands,
Its cities the most ruined
among ruined cities.
8 They shall know that I am the Lord,
when I set fire to Egypt,
and all its allies are shattered.(D)
9 On that day, messengers from me
will go forth in ships
to terrorize confident Ethiopia.
Anguish will be among them
on Egypt’s day—it is certainly coming![b]
10 Thus says the Lord God:
I will put an end to Egypt’s hordes
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon:
11 He and his army with him,
the most ruthless of nations,
will be brought in to devastate the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.
12 Then I will dry up the streams of the Nile,
and sell the land into evil hands;
By the hand of foreigners I will devastate
the land and everything in it.
I, the Lord, have spoken.(E)
13 [c]Thus says the Lord God:
I will destroy idols,
and put an end to images in Memphis.
There will never again be a prince
over the land of Egypt.
Instead, I will spread fear
throughout the land of Egypt.(F)
14 I will devastate Pathros,
set fire to Zoan,
and execute judgment against Thebes.(G)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the fortress of Egypt,
and cut off the troops of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in anguish,
Thebes will be breached,
and Memphis besieged in daylight.
17 The warriors of On and Pi-beseth
will fall by the sword,
the cities taken captive.
18 In Tahpanhes, the day will turn dark
when I break the scepter of Egypt there
and put an end to its proud strength.
Dark clouds will cover it,
and its women will go into captivity.(H)
19 I will execute judgment against Egypt
that they may know that I am the Lord.
Pharaoh’s Broken Arm. 20 On the seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year,[d] the word of the Lord came to me: 21 [e]Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. See! It has not been immobilized for healing, nor set with a splint to make it strong enough to grasp a sword.(I) 22 Therefore thus says the Lord God: See! I am coming against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the strong one and the broken one, making the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout other lands. 24 I will, however, strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand so he can bring it against Egypt for plunder and pillage.(J) 25 When I strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh collapse, they shall know that I am the Lord, because I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon to wield against the land of Egypt. 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout other lands, they shall know that I am the Lord.
Footnotes
- 30:5 Mixed rabble: mercenaries.
- 30:9 God spreads panic throughout Ethiopia, ancient Cush, by sending messengers with news of Egypt’s fall. Rivers at its borders insulated Ethiopia and made it inaccessible except by boat.
- 30:13–19 The prophet enumerates a list of major Egyptian cities that shall each bear the judgment proclaimed in the previous oracle, vv. 1–12.
- 30:20 The seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year: April 29, 587 B.C.
- 30:21–26 This oracle was delivered more than a year into the siege of Jerusalem (24:1). When Pharaoh Hophra came to help Jerusalem, the Babylonians temporarily lifted the siege; cf. Jer 34:21; 37:6–7. In Ezekiel’s eyes, Hophra was interfering with the punishment God intended the Babylonians to inflict on Judah. The Babylonians routed the Egyptians, who could not offer Jerusalem any more help; cf. chap. 31.
Ezekiel 30
New International Version
Ezekiel 30
New International Version
A Lament Over Egypt
30 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Wail(A) and say,
“Alas for that day!”
3 For the day is near,(B)
the day of the Lord(C) is near—
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt,(D)
and anguish will come upon Cush.[a](E)
When the slain fall in Egypt,
her wealth will be carried away
and her foundations torn down.(F)
5 Cush and Libya,(G) Lydia and all Arabia,(H) Kub and the people(I) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.(J)
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan(K)
they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
7 “‘They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities.(L)
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I set fire(M) to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.(N)
9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush(O) out of her complacency. Anguish(P) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.(Q)
10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar(R) king of Babylon.(S)
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations(T)—
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.(U)
12 I will dry up(V) the waters of the Nile(W)
and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste(X) the land and everything in it.
I the Lord have spoken.
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will destroy the idols(Y)
and put an end to the images in Memphis.(Z)
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,(AA)
and I will spread fear throughout the land.
14 I will lay(AB) waste Upper Egypt,
set fire to Zoan(AC)
and inflict punishment on Thebes.(AD)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire(AE) to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis(AF) will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis(AG) and Bubastis
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes(AH)
when I break the yoke of Egypt;(AI)
there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity.(AJ)
19 So I will inflict punishment(AK) on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AL) 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(AM) of Pharaoh(AN) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed(AO) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.(AP) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.(AQ) 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(AR) 24 I will strengthen(AS) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword(AT) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan(AU) before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I 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(AV) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.(AW) 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(AX)”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and 9
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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