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A Lament for Egypt

¹ Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,² “Son of man, prophesy and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!”³ For the day is near, the Day of the LORD is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations^(a).⁴ A sword will come against Egypt, and there will be anguish in Cush^(a) when the slain fall in Egypt, its wealth is taken away, and its foundations are torn down.⁵ Cush, Put, and Lud^(a), and all the various peoples, as well as Libya and the men of the covenant land, will fall by the sword along with Egypt.’⁶ For this is what the LORD says: ‘The allies of Egypt will fall, and her proud strength will collapse. From Migdol to Syene they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Lord GOD.⁷ They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.⁸ Then they will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are shattered.’⁹ On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships, to frighten Cush out of complacency. Anguish will come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom^(a). For it is indeed coming.¹⁰ This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.¹¹ He and his people with him, the most ruthless of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.¹² I will make the streams dry up and sell the land to the wicked. By the hands of foreigners I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it.’ I, the LORD, have spoken.¹³ This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. There will no longer be a prince in Egypt, and I will instill fear in that land.¹⁴ I will lay waste to Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.¹⁵ I will pour out My wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the crowds of Thebes.¹⁶ I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be split open, and Memphis will face daily distress.¹⁷ The young men of On^(a) and Pi-beseth^(a) will fall by the sword, and those cities will go into captivity.¹⁸ The day will be darkened in Tehaphnehes when I break there the yoke of Egypt and her proud strength comes to an end. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.¹⁹ So I will execute judgment on 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, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,²¹ “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. See, it has not been bound up for healing or splinted to give it strength to handle a sword.²² Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, 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 throughout the lands.²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.²⁵ I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king, but Pharaoh’s arms will fall limp. Then 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 throughout the lands, they will know that I am the LORD.’”