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!”
³For the day is near,^(B)
    the day of the Lord^(C) is near—
a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for the nations.
⁴A 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)

⁵Cush 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)
⁸Then 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)
¹¹He 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)
¹²I 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.
¹⁴I will lay^(AB) waste Upper Egypt,
    set fire to Zoan^(AC)
    and inflict punishment on Thebes.^(AD)
¹⁵I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
¹⁶I will set fire^(AE) to Egypt;
    Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
    Memphis^(AF) will be in constant distress.
¹⁷The young men of Heliopolis^(AG) and Bubastis
    will fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
¹⁸Dark 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)
¹⁹So I will inflict punishment^(AK) on Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

²⁰In 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. ²²Therefore 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) ²³I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.^(AR) ²⁴I 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. ²⁵I 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) ²⁶I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.^(AX)”