1 Prophesy Against Egypt In the tenth year, in the tenthmonth, on the twelfth of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
3 Speak and say, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh,“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,The great 29:3Lit tannim monster that lies in the midst of his canals of the Nile,That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have madeit.’
4 “I will put hooks in your jawsAnd make the fish of your canals of the Nile cling to your scales.And I will bring you up out of the midst of your canals of the Nile,And all the fish of your canals of the Nile will cling to your scales.
5 “I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your canals of the Nile;You will fall on the 29:5Lit faces of the field open field; you will not be brought together or 29:5Targum and several mss buried gathered.I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
6 “Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am YahwehBecause they have beenonlya staffmadeof reed to the house of Israel.
7 “When they seized you with the hand,You tore and split open all their 29:7 Some ancient versions hands shoulders;And when they leaned on you,You broke and made all their loins 29:7 Lit stand quake.”
8 ‘Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will bring upon you a sword, and I will cut off from you man and beast.
9 The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.Because 29:9Lit he you said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I have madeit,’
10 therefore, behold, I am against you and against your canals of the Nile, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from MigdoltoSyene and even to the border of 29:10Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6 Ethiopia.
11 A man’s foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years.
12 So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.”
13 ‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples 29:13Lit where among whom they were scattered.
14 I will return the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom.
15 It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not have dominion over the nations.
16 And it will never again be the security of the house of Israel, bringing to remembrance the iniquity of their having turnedto goafter Egypt. Then they will know that I am Lord Yahweh.” ’ ”
17 Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the firstmonth, on the first of the month, the word of Yahweh came to me saying,
18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his military force 29:18Or a great slavery; lit a great service labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his military force had no wages from Tyre for the 29:18Or slavery; lit service labor that he had 29:18Or slaved; lit served labored against it.”
19 Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her 29:19Or multitude abundance and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his military force.
20 I have given him the land of Egyptforhis work which he 29:20Or slaved; lit served labored because they acted for Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
21 “On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will 29:21Lit give you an opening of the mouth open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”