Ezekiel 30

The LORD will punish Egypt

1The LORD spoke again. 2‘Son of man’, he said. ‘Prophesy to the people. Tell them what I, the LORD God, say. You must shout these words,

“A day is coming that will frighten you all!”

3That day will be very soon. It is the day when the LORD will do this.

He will bring clouds and trouble to the nations.

4Enemies will come to fight with Egypt.

The people in Cush will be sad.

Many men in Egypt will die

and enemies will carry away their valuable things.

They will break its cities into pieces.

5Soldiers who fight for Egypt will die, too. They came from Cush, Lydia, Libya, Put and the Arab nations. Some men even came from my own people.’

6The LORD says, ‘Enemies will kill all the people who fight for Egypt. All the people will die. They will die from the north to the south. They will die from Migdol to Aswan. Enemies will destroy all the army of Egypt.’ I, the LORD God, say this.

7‘Egypt will have more desert than any other country. Enemies will break all its cities into pieces. 8I will cause them to burn Egypt and those who fight for Egypt. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

9On the day that I destroy Egypt, I will send messengers to Cush. I will send them on ships. The people there think that they are safe. The news from Egypt will make them very afraid. That day is coming soon!

10I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to kill all the people in Egypt. He and his army will take away all Egypt’s good things. 11They will come to destroy the country. They will attack Egypt’s people with swords. They will fill the country with dead bodies. 12I will cause the river Nile to become dry. Evil men will rule Egypt. Foreign men will destroy the whole country.’ This is what I, the LORD, say.

13The LORD God says, ‘I will destroy the idols and false gods in Memphis. Egypt will no longer have its own ruler. Everyone will be very afraid.

14I will make Pathros a desert and I will burn Zoan with fire.

I will punish the great city called Thebes.

15Pelusium is the strongest city in Egypt.

I will show it that I am very angry.

Enemies will take away all the valuable things from Thebes.

16I will make fire burn the country of Egypt.

The pain of Pelusium will be very great.

Enemies will come like a storm and they will take Thebes.

The people in Memphis will always have trouble.

17Soldiers will kill the young men in Heliopolis and Bubastis.

They will make all the other people their prisoners.

18I will take away Egypt’s power.

Then the people in Tahpanhes will feel that they are in a dark place.

A cloud will cover Egypt.

Enemies will take away the people from the villages.

19This is how I will punish Egypt.

Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

20The LORD spoke to me on the seventh (7th) day. It was the first month of the eleventh (11th) year.

21‘Son of man’, he said. ‘I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. He will never again have great power. He will always be weak. 22So this is what the LORD God says, “Pharaoh king of Egypt is my enemy. But I will make him like a man with two broken arms. He will drop his sword. He will not be able to fight again. 23I will send his people away to many other countries. 24I will make the king of Babylon strong. I will give him power over Pharaoh. The king of Egypt will cry out like a man who is dying. 25I will make the king of Babylon strong. But the king of Egypt will have no power. Then they will know that I am the LORD. They will see that I gave Babylon the power to win the fight. 26I will send the people in Egypt to many different countries. They will live among the nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”’