Ezekiel 30–32

1Again 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 for that day!’

3For 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.

4A sword will come against Egypt, and there will be anguish in Cush when the slain fall in Egypt, its wealth is taken away, and its foundations are torn down.

5Cush, Put, and Lud, and all the various peoples, as well as Libya and the men of the covenant land, will fall with Egypt by the sword.

6For 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.

7They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities.

8Then they will know that I am the LORD when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are shattered.

9On 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. For it is indeed coming.

10This is what the Lord GOD says: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

11He 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.

12I 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.

13This 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.

14I will lay waste Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment on Thebes.

15I will pour out My wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the crowds of Thebes.

16I will set fire to Egypt, Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be split open, and Memphis will face daily distress.

17The young men of On and Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and those cities will go into captivity.

18The day will be darkened in Tahpanhes when I break the yoke of Egypt and her proud strength comes to an end. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.

19So I will execute judgment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD.”

20In the eleventh year, on the seventh day of the first month, 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 for strength to hold the sword.

22Therefore 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.

23I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.

24I will strengthen the arms of Babylon’s king and place My sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, who will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.

25I 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.

26I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

1In the eleventh year, on the first day of the third month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Who can be compared to your greatness?

3Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds.

4The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.

5Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant waters.

6All the birds of the air nested in its branches, and all the beasts of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.

7It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its limbs, for its roots extended to abundant waters.

8The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare with its branches, nor the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with its beauty.

9I made it beautiful with its many branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God.’

10Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Since it became great in height and set its top among the clouds, and it grew proud on account of its height,

11I delivered it into the hand of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with it according to its wickedness. I have banished it.

12Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.

13All the birds of the air nested on its fallen trunk, and all the beasts of the field lived among its boughs.

14This happened so that no other trees by the waters would become great in height and set their tops among the clouds, and no other well-watered trees would reach them in height. For they have all been consigned to death, to the depths of the earth, among the mortals who descend to the Pit.’

15This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day it was brought down to Sheol, I caused mourning. I covered the deep because of it; I held back its rivers; its abundant waters were restrained. I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it.

16I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.

17They too descended with it to Sheol, to those slain by the sword. As its allies they had lived in its shade among the nations.

18Who then is like you in glory and greatness among the trees of Eden? You also will be brought down to the depths of the earth to be with the trees of Eden. You will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Lord GOD.’”

1In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’

3This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will spread My net over you with a company of many peoples, and they will draw you up in My net.

4I will abandon you on the land and hurl you into the open field. I will cause all the birds of the air to settle upon you, and all the beasts of the earth to eat their fill of you.

5I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

6I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, all the way to the mountains— the ravines will be filled.

7When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

8All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you, and I will bring darkness upon your land,’ declares the Lord GOD.

9‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, in countries you do not know.

10I will cause many peoples to be appalled over you, and their kings will shudder in horror because of you when I brandish My sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.’

11For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you!

12I will make your hordes fall by the swords of the mighty, the most ruthless of all nations. They will ravage the pride of Egypt and all her multitudes will be destroyed.

13I will slaughter all her cattle beside the abundant waters. No human foot will muddy them again, and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

14Then I will let her waters settle and will make her rivers flow like oil,’ declares the Lord GOD.

15‘When I make the land of Egypt a desolation and empty it of all that filled it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.’

16This is the lament they will chant for her; the daughters of the nations will chant it. Over Egypt and all her multitudes they will chant it, declares the Lord GOD.”

17In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

18“Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:

19Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised!

20They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.

21Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’

22Assyria is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

23Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword— those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

24Elam is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword— those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.

25Among the slain they prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed among the slain.

26Meshech and Tubal are there with all their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in the land of the living.

27They do not lie down with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the living.

28But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.

29Edom is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.

30All the leaders of the north and all the Sidonians are there; they went down in disgrace with the slain, despite the terror of their might. They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.

31Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his multitude— Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD.

32For I will spread My terror in the land of the living, so that Pharaoh and all his multitude will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD.”