29 At the beginning of January in the twelfth year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive, Yahweh gave me a message:[ref] 2 “Humanity’s child, stand firmly against Egypt’s king Far-oh (Pharaoh). Prophesy against him and against all of Egypt 3 telling them that the master Yahweh says this: Listen, I’m against you, Far-oh, king of Egypt—you, the great sea monster that lurks in the middle of the river, who then 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 fish of the river 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 nor lifted up, but rather I’ll give you as food to the birds and wild animals. 6 Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh, because they’ve been like a brittle reed to the kingdom of Yisrael.[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—both animals and people will be cut down. 9 and Egypt will become desolate and a ruin. Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.

Because the sea monster had said, “The river is mine, because I made it,” 10 then listen: I’m against you and against your river, so I will give Egypt over to desolation and waste, and you’ll become a wasteland from the Migdol to Seveen and the borders of Kush. 11 No person or domestic animal will pass through it and it won’t be inhabited for forty years. 12 I’ll make Egypt 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 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 Egypt from the peoples that they were scattered among, 14 and I’ll restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the region of Patros, to the land of their origin. Then they’ll become a lowly kingdom there. 15 It’ll be the lowliest of the kingdoms, 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 Egypt will no longer be a reason for the kingdom of Israel to be confident, instead, Egypt will be a reminder of Yisrael’s disobedience when they turned to Egypt for help. Then they’ll know that I am the master Yahweh.’ ”