Open English Translation EZEK Chapter 29

29 At the beginning of January in the twelfth year since King Yehoyakin had been taken captive, Yahweh gave me a message: 2 “Son of humanity, stand firmly against Mitsrayim’s (Egypt) king Par’oh (Pharaoh).[ref] Prophesy against him and against all of Mitsrayim, 3 telling them that the master Yahweh says this: Listen, I’m against you, Par’oh, king of Mitsrayim—you, the great sea monster that lurks in the middle of the river, who says, “My river is my own. I’ve made it for myself.” 4 I’ll put hooks into your jaw, and the fish from your streams will cling to the scales on your side. I’ll lift you up from the middle of your river, along with all the river’s fish that cling to your scales. 5 I’ll fling you into the wilderness—you and all the fish from your river. You’ll fall on the open countryside—your corpse won’t be taken or moved, but rather I’ll give you as food to the birds and wild animals. 6 Then all of Mitsrayim’s inhabitants will know that I am Yahweh, because they’ve been like a brittle reed to the kingdom of Yisrael (Israel).[ref] 7 When Yisrael grabbed you, you broke and tore open their shoulder, and when they leaned on you, you broke and made their legs unsteady. 8 Therefore the master Yahweh says this: Listen, I’ll send an army against you that will cut short both people’s and animals’ lives, 9 and Mitsrayim will become a desolate ruin. Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.

Because the sea monster said, “The river is mine, because I made it,” 10 listen: I’m against you and against your river, so I’ll give Mitsrayim over to desolation and waste, and you’ll become a wasteland from the Migdol to Seveneh and the borders of Kush (Ethiopia). 11 No person or domestic animal will pass through it, and it won’t be inhabited for forty years. 12 I’ll make Mitsrayim a desolation in the middle of uninhabited lands, and its cities will become a desolation in the middle of wasted cities for forty years, then I’ll scatter the Mitsri (Egyptian) people among the nations, and I’ll disperse them through the lands.

13 But the master Yahweh says this: At the end of forty years I’ll gather Mitsrayim from the people groups they were scattered among, 14 and I’ll restore Mitsrayim’s fortunes and bring them back to the region of Patros, to their native land. Then they’ll become an insignificant kingdom there. 15 It’ll be the least significant kingdom, and it won’t become prominent again among the nations. I’ll diminish them so that they’ll no longer dominate other nations. 16 Requesting help from Mitsrayim will no longer be a reason for the kingdom of Yisrael (Israel) to be confident, instead, Mitsrayim will be a reminder of Yisrael’s disobedience when they turned to Mitsrayim for help. Then they’ll know that I am the master Yahweh.”

17 At the beginning of May in the 27th year since King Yehoyakin had been taken captive,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 18 “Son of humanity, the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) stationed his army to do hard work against the fortified island city of Tsor (Tyre). Every head was rubbed until it was made bald, and every shoulder was made raw. Yet he and his army received no payment from Tsor for the hard work that he carried out against it, 19 therefore the master Yahweh says this, ‘Listen, I’m giving Mitsrayim (Egypt) to the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar and he’ll take away its wealth, plunder its possessions, and carry off everything he finds there—that will be his army’s wages. 20 I’ve given him the land of Mitsrayim as the wages for the work they did for me. That’s the master Yahweh’s declaration.

21 On that day I’ll make power sprout up for the kingdom of Yisrael (Israel), and I’ll put you among them to speak out so they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’ ”