Ezekiel 29

Prophecy Against Egypt

1 It was the tenth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:2 “Human, look toward the king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and all Egypt.

3 Say: ‘This is what the Lord God says:
I am against you, king of Egypt. You are like a great crocodile that lies in the Nile River.
You say, “The Nile is mine; I made it for myself.”

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of the Nile stick to your sides.
I will pull you up out of your rivers, with all the fish sticking to your sides.

5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish from your rivers.
You will fall onto the ground; you will not be picked up or buried.
I have given you to the wild animals and to the birds of the sky for food.

6 Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
“ ‘Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass.

7 When their hands grabbed you, you splintered and tore open their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke and made all their backs twist.
8 “ ‘So this is what the Lord God says: I will cause an enemy to attack you and kill your people and animals.

9 Egypt will become an empty desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
“ ‘Because you said, “The Nile River is mine, and I have made it,”10 I am against you and your rivers. I will destroy the land of Egypt and make it an empty desert from Migdol in the north to Aswan in the south, all the way to the border of Cush.11 No person or animal will walk through it, and no one will live in Egypt for forty years.

12 I will make the land of Egypt the most deserted country of all. Her cities will be the most deserted of all ruined cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries.
13 “ ‘This is what the Lord God says: After forty years I will gather Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered.14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives and make them return to southern Egypt, to the land they came from. They will become a weak kingdom there.15 It will be the weakest kingdom, and it will never again rule other nations. I will make it so weak it will never again rule over the nations.

16 The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. Instead, Egypt’s punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord God.’ ”

Egypt Is Given to Babylon

17 It was the twenty-seventh year of our captivity, in the first month, on the first day of the month. The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:18 “Human, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier’s head was rubbed bare, and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But Nebuchadnezzar and his army gained nothing from fighting Tyre.19 So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will take away Egypt’s people and its wealth and its treasures as pay for his army.

20 I am giving Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt as a reward for working hard for me, says the Lord God.
21 “At that time I will make Israel grow strong again, and I will let you, Ezekiel, speak to them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel 29

A Prophecy Against Egypt

1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month,t the word of the Lord came to me:2 “Son of man, turn towardt Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 Tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am againstt you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monstert lying in the midst of its waterways,
who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.”s

4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales.
I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways,
and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your waterways;
you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected.s
I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.

6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord
because they were a reed staffs for the house of Israel;

7 when they grasped you with their hand,t you broke and toret their shoulders,
and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady.t
8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will killt every person and every animal.

9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,”10 I am againstt you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdols to Syene,s as far as the border with Ethiopia.11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years.

12 I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for forty years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.
13 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty yearss I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered.14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and will bring them backs to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom.15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.

16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help.t Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month,s the word of the Lord came to me:18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzart of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre.ss Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it.19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages.20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyret, because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord.

21 On that day I will make Israel powerful,t and I will give you the right to be heardt among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”