the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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New Century Version
Ezekiel 30
Egypt Will Be Punished
1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 2 "Human, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
Cry and say,
"The terrible day is coming."
3 The day is near;
the Lord's day of judging is near.
It is a cloudy day
and a time when the nations will be judged.
4 An enemy will attack Egypt,
and Cush will tremble with fear.
When the killing begins in Egypt,
her wealth will be taken away,
and her foundations will be torn down.
5 Cush, Put, Lydia, Arabia, Libya, and some of my people who had made an agreement with Egypt will fall dead in war.
6 "‘This is what the Lord says:
Those who fight on Egypt's side will fall.
The power she is proud of will be lost.
The people in Egypt will fall dead in war
from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south,
says the Lord God.
7 They will be the most deserted lands.
Egypt's cities will be the worst of cities that lie in ruins.
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I set fire to Egypt
and when all those nations on her side are crushed.
9 "‘At that time I will send messengers in ships to frighten Cush, which now feels safe. The people of Cush will tremble with fear when Egypt is punished. And that time is sure to come.
10 "‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy great numbers of people in Egypt
through the power of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
11 Nebuchadnezzar and his army,
the cruelest army of any nation,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will pull out their swords against Egypt
and will fill the land with those they kill.
12 I will make the streams of the Nile River become dry land,
and then I will sell the land to evil people.
I will destroy the land and everything in it
through the power of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Egypt's Idols Are Destroyed
13 "‘This is what the Lord God says:
I will destroy the idols
and take away the statues of gods from the city of Memphis.
There will no longer be a leader in Egypt,
and I will spread fear through the land of Egypt.
14 I will make southern Egypt empty
and start a fire in Zoan
and punish Thebes.
15 And I will pour out my anger against Pelusium,
the strong place of Egypt.
I will destroy great numbers of people in Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt.
Pelusium will be in great pain.
The walls of Thebes will be broken open,
and Memphis will have troubles every day.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
will fall dead in war,
and the people will be taken away as captives.
18 In Tahpanhes the day will be dark
when I break Egypt's power.
Then she will no longer be proud of her power.
A cloud will cover Egypt,
and her villages will be captured and taken away.
19 So I will punish Egypt,
and they will know I am the Lord.'"
Egypt Becomes Weak
20 It was in the eleventh year of our captivity, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: 21 "Human, I have broken the powerful arm of the king of Egypt. It has not been tied up, so it will not get well. It has not been wrapped with a bandage, so it will not be strong enough to hold a sword in war. 22 So this is what the Lord God says: I am against the king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong arm and the broken arm, and I will make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. 24 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of the king of Egypt. Then when he faces the king of Babylon, he will cry out in pain like a dying person. 25 So I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong, but the arms of the king of Egypt will fall. Then people will know that I am the Lord when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he uses it in war against Egypt. 26 Then I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord."
New Century Version
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
