1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms,
2 Son of man, prophesy and say: This is the word of Yah weh: Moan! Ah!
3 the day is near; the day of Yahweh is coming! It will be a day of
clouds, a time of doom for the nations.
4 The sword is brought to strike Egypt and anguish will come to Cush.
The slain will fall throughout Egypt; people will carry off its riches
and its foundations will be torn away.
5 Cush, Put and Lydia, all Ara bia, Libya and all the people of the
covenant will fall by the sword.
6 This is the word of Yahweh: ¡°Those who support Egypt will fall; her
haughty power will crumble! From Migdal to Aswan, people will be slain,
word of Yahweh.
7 They will be numbered among desolate lands, and her cities among
ruined cities.
8 They will know I am Yah weh when I set fire to Egypt and when all her
allies are crushed.
9 On that day my messengers will leave in ships to shake the people of
Cush out of their complacency and they will be in anguish on the day of
the fall of Egypt; for that day is coming.
10 Thus says Yahweh: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by means
of Nebu chadnezzar, king of Baby lon and
11 his people with him, the most feared among the nations. For I will
lead them here to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with
victims.
12 I will dry up Egypt¡¯s canals and hand over the country to the wicked.
I will use the hand of the foreigner to make the land and all it
contains a waste. I, Yahweh, have spoken.
13 This is the word of Yahweh: I will destroy the idols and wipe out the
false gods in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in the land of
Egypt and I will put fear in the land.
14 I will make a wasteland of Pathros, set fire to Zoan and inflict
punishment on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my fury on Pelusium, the fortress of Egypt, and
destroy the throngs of Thebes.
16 I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in agony. They will
enter Thebes through a breach and take her by storm.
17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bu bas tis will fall by the sword and
the women will be taken captive.
18 What a dark day it will be in Tahpanhes when I break the lead ership
of Egypt and de stroy her arrogant might! As for this city a cloud will
co ver it and her daughters will be taken cap tive.
19 I will inflict punishment on Egypt and they will know that I am
Yahweh.¡±
20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year, the word
of Yahweh came to me,
21 ¡°Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. No one
has treated it for healing or bandaged it to enable him to hold a sword.
22 That is why thus says Yahweh: See, I am against Pharaoh, king of
Egypt. I will break his arms, both the one that is strong and the
wounded one as well.
23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in
other lands.
24 I will strengthen the arm of the king of Babylon and put my sword in
his hand; but as for Pharaoh, I will break his arms, making him moan
like a mortally wounded man.
25 Yes, I will strengthen the arm of the king of Babylon but make
Pharaoh¡¯s arm limp. They will know I am Yahweh when I place my sword in
the hand of the king of Babylon.
26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in
other lands and they will know that I am Yahweh.¡±