Jezekiel 29

1 In the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, set your face against Pharao king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against the whole of Egypt:

“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 and say, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I am against Pharao, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, that says, The rivers are mine, and I made them.

Speak and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the middle of his rivers, that has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’

4 And I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your river to stick to your sides, and I will bring you up out of the midst of your river:

I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales. I will bring you up out of the middle of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.

5 and I will quickly cast down you and all the fish of your river: you shall fall on the face of the plain, and shall by no means be gathered, and shall not be brought together: I have given you for food to the wild beasts of the earth and to the fowls of the sky.

I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You will fall on the open field. You will not be brought together or gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

6 And all the dwellers in Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

“‘“All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

7 When they took hold of you with their hand, you did break: and when every hand was clapped against them, and when they leaned on you, you were utterly broken, and did crush the loins of them all.

When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke and tore all their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and paralyzed all of their thighs.”

8 Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I [will] bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast;

“‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.

9 and the land of Egypt shall be ruined and desert; and they shall know that I am the Lord; because you say, The rivers are mine, and I made them.

The land of Egypt will be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD. “‘“Because he has said, ‘The river is mine, and I have made it,’

10 Therefore, behold, I am against you, and against all your rivers, and I will give up the land of Egypt to desolation, and the sword, and destruction, from Magdol and Syene even to the borders of the Ethiopians.

therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers. I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.

11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it, and it shall not be inhabited for forty years.

No foot of man will pass through it, nor will any animal foot pass through it. It will not be inhabited for forty years.

12 And I will cause her land to be utterly destroyed in the midst of a land that is desolate, and her cities shall be [desolate] forty years in the midst of cities that are desolate: and I will disperse Egypt amongst the nations, and will utterly scatter them into the countries.

I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the middle of the countries that are desolate. Her cities among the cities that are laid waste will be a desolation forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.”

13 Thus says the Lord; After forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations amongst whom they have been scattered;

“‘For the Lord GOD says: “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered.

14 and I will turn the captivity of the Egyptians, and will cause them to dwell in the land of Phathore, in the land whence they were taken;

I will reverse the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth. There they will be a lowly kingdom.

15 and it shall be a base kingdom beyond all [other] kingdoms; it shall not any more be exalted over the nations; and I will make them few in number, that they may not be [great] amongst the nations.

It will be the lowest of the kingdoms. It will not lift itself up above the nations any more. I will diminish them so that they will no longer rule over the nations.

16 And they shall no more be to the house of Israel a confidence bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they follow after them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

It will no longer be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.”’”

17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

It came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre; every head was bald, and every shoulder peeled; yet there was no reward to him or to his army [serving] against Tyre, nor for the service wherewith they served against it.

“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet he had no wages, nor did his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

19 Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I [will] give to Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon the land of Egypt, and he shall take the plunder thereof, and seize the spoils thereof; and [it] shall be a reward for his army.

Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will carry off her multitude, take her plunder, and take her prey. That will be the wages for his army.

20 In return for his service wherewith he served against Tyre, I have given him the land of Egypt; thus says the Lord God:

I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he served, because they worked for me,’ says the Lord GOD.

21 In that day shall a horn spring forth for all the house of Israel, and I will give you an open mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

“In that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”