Ezekiel 30

1The word of Yahweh came to me:

2“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what Lord Yahweh says: Wail, “Alas for the day!”

3For the day is near, the day of Yahweh is near. It will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

4A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come on Cush, when the slain fall in Egypt, when her wealth is carried off and her foundations are torn down.

5Cush and Put and Lud, all the mixed peoples, Cub, and the people of the land of the covenant will fall by the sword along with them.

6This is what Yahweh says: Those who support Egypt will fall, and her proud strength will come down. From Migdol to Syene they will fall within her by the sword, declares Lord Yahweh.

7They will be desolate among desolate countries, and her cities will lie among ruined cities.

8Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.

9On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to terrify unsuspecting Cush. Anguish will come on them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is certainly coming.

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

11He and his army 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 dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land into the hands of evil men. By the hands of foreigners I will make the land and everything in it desolate. I, Yahweh, have spoken.

13This is what Lord Yahweh says: I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt, and I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

14I will make Pathros desolate, set fire to Zoan, and carry out judgments on Thebes.

15I will pour out my fury on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the wealth of Thebes.

16I will set fire to Egypt. Pelusium will writhe in anguish; Thebes will be breached; Memphis will face enemies in broad daylight.

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

18At Tahpanhes the day will grow dark when I break the yoke of Egypt there and her proud strength comes to an end in her. A cloud will cover her, and her daughter towns will go into captivity.

19So I will carry out judgments on Egypt, and they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

20In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me:

21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to heal, nor has a bandage been put on to bind it and make it strong enough to hold a sword.

22Therefore this is what Lord Yahweh says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and make the sword fall from his hand.

23I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.

24I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.

25I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will drop. Then they will know that I am Yahweh, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.

26I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”