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Ezekiel 30
Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel 30
Contemporary English Version
Egypt Will Be a Barren Desert
30 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Egypt that I am saying:
Cry out in despair,
3 because you will soon
be punished!
That will be a time
of darkness and doom
for all nations.
4 Your own nation of Egypt
will be attacked,
and Ethiopia[a] will suffer.
You will be killed in battle,
and your land will be robbed
and left in ruins.
5 Soldiers hired from Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, Arabia, Kub, as well as from Israel,[b] will die in that battle. 6 All of your allies will be killed, and your proud strength will crumble. People will die from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south. I, the Lord, have spoken.
7 Your nation of Egypt will be the most deserted place on earth, and its cities will lie in complete ruin. 8 I will set fire to your land, and anyone who defended your nation will die. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9 On the same day I destroy Egypt, I will send messengers to the Ethiopians to announce their coming destruction. They think they are safe, but they will be terrified.
10 Your Egyptian army is very strong, but I will send King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia to completely defeat that army. 11 He and his cruel troops will invade and destroy your land and leave your dead bodies piled everywhere.
12 I will dry up the Nile River, then sell the land to evil buyers. I will send foreigners to turn your entire nation into a barren desert. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt's Proud Cities Will Lie in Ruins
The Lord said to the people of Egypt:
13 All the idols and images you Egyptians worship in the city of Memphis[c] will be smashed. No one will be left to rule your nation, and terror will fill the land. 14 The city of Pathros will be left in ruins, and Zoan will be burned to the ground. Thebes,[d] your capital city, will also be destroyed! 15 The fortress city of Pelusium will feel my fierce anger, and all the troops stationed at Thebes will be slaughtered.
16 I will set fire to your nation of Egypt! The city of Pelusium will be in anguish. Thebes will fall, and the people of Memphis will live in constant fear.[e] 17 The young soldiers in the cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis[f] will die in battle, and the rest of the people will be taken prisoner. 18 You were so proud of your nation's power, but when I crush that power and kill that pride, darkness will fall over the city of Tahpanhes. A dark, gloomy cloud will cover the land as you are being led away into captivity. 19 When I'm through punishing Egypt, you will know that I am the Lord.
Egypt's King Is Powerless
20 Eleven years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the seventh day of the first month.[g] He said:
21 Ezekiel, son of man, I, the Lord, have defeated the king of Egypt! I broke his arm, and no one has wrapped it or put it in a sling, so that it could heal and get strong enough to hold a sword. 22 So tell him that I am now his worst enemy. I will break both his arms—the good one and the broken one! His sword will drop from his hand forever, 23 and I will scatter the Egyptians all over the world.
24-25 I will strengthen the power of Babylonia's king and give him my sword to use against Egypt. I will also make the wounded king of Egypt powerless, and he will moan in pain and die in front of the Babylonian king. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the Lord. 26 I will force the Egyptians to live as prisoners in foreign nations, and they will know that I, the Lord, have punished them.
Footnotes
- 30.4 Ethiopia: See the note at 29.10.
- 30.5 as well as from Israel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 30.13 Memphis: Hebrew “Noph.”
- 30.14 Thebes: Hebrew “No.”
- 30.16 the people of Memphis … constant fear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 30.17 Heliopolis and Bubastis: Hebrew “On and Pi-Beseth.”
- 30.20 Eleven years … first month: Probably March of 587 b.c.
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
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