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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 Yisrael 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.”

17 At the beginning of May in the 27th year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 18 “Humanity’s child, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnetstsar 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 Egypt to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnetstsar and he will 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 Egypt as the wages for the work they did for me. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

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

30 Then Yahweh gave me another message:

2 “Humanity’s child, prophesy and say that the master Yahweh says this:

‘Wail now because the coming days won’t go well.

3 The day is near—the day is near for Yahweh.

It’ll be a day of clouds—a time of doom for nations.

4 Then an army will come against Egypt,

and there’ll be anguish in Kush when the killed people fall in Egypt—

when they take her wealth,

and when her foundations get torn apart.

5 Kush and Put, Lydia, all Arabia, and Libya, together with the people belonging to the agreement—they’ll all fall by the sword. 6 Yahweh says this: The ones who support Egypt militarily will fall, and the pride of Egypt’s strength will collapse. From Migdol to Seveneh their combined warriors will fall by the sword. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration. 7 Those allies will be appalled in the midst of the abandoned lands, and their cities will be among all the other ruined cities. 8 Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh, when I set fire to Egypt, and when all her helpers are destroyed.

9 At that time, messengers will go out from before me in ships to terrorise Kush when they think they’re secure, and there’ll be anguish among them on the day of Egypt’s doom. Yes, take notice, it’s coming. 10 The master Yahweh says this: I’ll use the Babylonian King Nebuchadnetstsar to bring the multitudes of Egypt to an end. 11 He and his army with him, the terror of nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They’ll draw out their swords against Egypt and fill the land with those they kill. 12 I’ll make the rivers into dry ground, and I’ll sell the land into the hand of wicked men. I’ll make the land and its abundant produce desolate by the hand of strangers. I, Yahweh, have spoken.

13 The master Yahweh says this: I’ll destroy idols, and I’ll bring an end to the worthless idols in Memphis (Heb. ‘Nof’). There won’t be a prince in the land of Egypt any longer, and I’ll put terror into Egypt. 14 Then I’ll make Patros region desolate and set fire to Tsoan city, and I’ll execute judgement against Thebes (Heb. ‘No’, the capital of southern Egypt). 15 I’ll pour out my fury on Egypt’s stronghold Pelusium (Heb. ‘Sin’), and cut off the crowd at Thebes. 16 Then I’ll set fire to Egypt: Pelusium will be in great agony, Thebes will be broken up, and Memphis will face enemies every day. 17 The young men of Aven and Pi-Veset cities will fall by the sword, and their populations will be taken into captivity. 18 In Egypt’s Tahfanhes, the day will hold back its light when I break Egypt’s power and control there, and the pride of her strength will be finished. There’ll be a cloud covering her, and her daughters will be taken away into captivity. 19 I’ll execute acts of judgement in Egypt, then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.’ ”

20 At the beginning of May in the eleventh year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 21 “Humanity’s child, I’ve broken the Egyptian king Far-oh’s arm. Listen, it hasn’t been put in a splint, or set to heal with a bandage, so that it’ll become strong enough again to hold a sword. 22 Therefore the master Yahweh says this, ‘Listen, I’m against the Egyptian king Far-oh and I’ll break both his strong arm and the previously broken one, and I’ll make the sword fall from his grip. 23 Then I’ll scatter Egypt among the other nations and disperse their people among the lands. 24 I’ll strengthen the Babylonian king’s arms and place my sword in his hand so that I can destroy Far-oh’s arms. He’ll groan in front of the Babylonian king with the groans of a dying man. 25 I’ll strengthen the arms of the Babylonian king, while Far-oh’s arms will fall. Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he’ll use it against Egypt. 26 I’ll scatter Egypt among the other nations and disperse their people through the lands. Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh.”

31 At the end of June in the eleventh year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 2 “Humanity’s child, ask the Egyptian king Far-oh (Pharaoh) and his multitudes around him, ‘Who else is as powerful as you and your people? 3 Listen, Assyria was like a cedar in Lebanon with beautiful branches, giving shade to the forest—extremely tall and the branches formed its treetop. 4 A deep water supply made it grow tall. Rivers flowed all around its area, because their channels stretched out to all the trees in the countryside. 5 It grew taller than any of the other trees in the countryside, and its branches grew long and thick because of having plenty of water in its shoots. 6 Every kind of bird nested in its branches, while every living thing in the countryside gave birth to its young under the foliage of that tree. All the powerful nations lived under its shade. 7 It was beautiful in its greatness and due to the length of its branches, because its roots had access to many waters. 8 Cedar trees in God’s garden couldn’t equal it. None of the cypress trees matched its branches, nor could its branches be equalled by the plane tree. There was no other tree in God’s garden could compare to its beauty.[ref] 9 I made it beautiful with its many branches and all the trees in God’s garden in Eden envied it.

10 Therefore the master Yahweh says this: Because it was so tall, and it set its treetop between its branches, and because it grew proud of its height, 11 I handed it over to a powerful nation to deal with it according to what its wickedness deserves. I’ve thrown it out 12 and foreigners who were the terror of all the nations cut it off and left it to die. Its branches fell onto the mountains and all the valleys, and lay broken in all the ravines of the land. Then all the nations on earth came out from under its shade and went away from it. 13 All the various kinds of birds rested on the trunk of the fallen tree, and every kind of animal in the countryside came to its branches. 14 That happened so that no other trees that grow by the waters will raise up their foliage to the height of the tallest trees, and that no other trees that grow beside the waters will reach up to that height. All of them have been assigned to death, to the earth below, among humanity’s children, with those that go down to the pit.

15 The master Yahweh says this: On the day when the cedar went down to the place of the dead, I brought mourning to the earth. I covered the deep waters over it, and I held back the oceans. I held back the great waters, and I brought mourning to Lebanon for it. So all the trees in the countryside mourned because of it. 16 I brought shuddering to the nations at the sound of its downfall, when I threw it down to the place of the dead, along with those who went down into the pit. So I comforted all the trees from Eden in the lowest parts of the earth. Those had been the choicest and best trees of Lebanon—the trees that drank the waters. 17 They also went down with the big tree to the place of the dead, to the ones who had been killed by the sword. Those were its strong arm—those nations who had lived in its shade.

18 Egypt, which of the trees in Eden was your equal in glory and greatness, because you’ll be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lowest parts of the earth among the uncircumcised? You’ll live there with those who were killed by the sword.’

That is the fate of Far-oh (Pharaoh) and all of his multitudes. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.”

32 At the beginning of March in the twelfth year since King Yoyakin (Jehoiachin) had been taken captive,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 2 “Humanity’s child, sing a loud mourning song about the Egyptian King Far-oh (Pharaoh) and tell him,

‘You’re like a young lion among the nations,

but you’re like the sea monster in the oceans—

you churn up the water—

you stir up the waters with your feet and muddy their waters.

3 The Lord Yahweh says this:

I’ll spread my net over you in the assembly of many peoples,

and they’ll haul you up in my net.

4 I’ll abandon you in the land.

I’ll throw you into the countryside

and cause every kind of bird to settle on you

and every kind of animal will gorge themselves on you.

5 I’ll dump your flesh on the hills,

and fill the valleys with your corpse.

6 Then I’ll drench your land with your blood across to the hills,

and the ravines will be filled with your blood.

7 Then when I eliminate you, I’ll cover the heavens and darken their stars.

I’ll cover the sun with clouds, and the moon won’t shine its light.[ref]

8 I’ll darken all the shining lights in the skies over you,

and I’ll put darkness over your land. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

9 I’ll disturb the heart of many peoples in lands that you don’t know about,

when I bring about your destruction among the nations—among lands that you haven’t known.

10 I’ll shock many peoples with what I’ll do to you.

Their kings will shudder in horror concerning you when I swing my sword towards them.

On the day of your downfall they’ll be trembling continuously because of you.

11 Yes, the master Yahweh says this to you Egypt:

The Babylonian king’s sword will come against you.

12 I’ll cause large numbers of you to fall by warriors’ swords—each warrior a terror of nations.

Those warriors will devastate the pride of Egypt and destroy all its many people.

13 I’ll destroy all the livestock from beside the plentiful waters.

No human foot will stir the waters up again,

nor will cattle hooves disturb them.

14 Then I’ll calm their waters and make their rivers run like oil.

That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

15 When I make Egypt’s territory into an abandoned place,

when the land is stripped of all its produce,

when I attack all her inhabitants they’ll know that I am Yahweh.

16 There’ll be a funeral song—the daughters of the nations will sing mournful songs about her.

They’ll sing sadly about Egypt—over all her multitudes they’ll sing dirges.

That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.’ ”

17 In the middle of that same month,[fn] Yahweh gave me a message: 18 “Humanity’s child, weep for the numerous Egyptians and bring them down to the lowest parts of the earth. Bring Egypt and the daughters of majestic nations down along with those who have already gone down to the pit. 19 Ask them: Egypt, are you really more beautiful than anyone else? Go down and lie down with the uncircumcised.

20 They’ll fall among those who were killed by the sword. The sword has been drawn. Egypt has been given over to the sword—their enemies will seize her and her multitudes. 21 The strongest of the warriors in the place of the dead will declare about Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down here. They will lie with the uncircumcised—with those who were killed by the sword.’

22 Assyria is there with all her people with her graves all around her—all of them were killed by the sword. 23 Those whose graves are set in the recesses of the pit[ref] are there, along with all her people. Her graves surround all of those who were killed by the sword—those who brought terror onto the land of the living.

24 Eylam is there with all her multitudes with her graves all around her—all of them were killed. Those who fell by the sword, who have gone down uncircumcised to the lowest parts of the earth, who brought their terrors onto the land of the living and who carry their own shame, together with the ones going down to the pit. 25 They prepared a bed for Eylam and all her multitudes among those who were slain—her graves surround her. All of them are uncircumcised, pierced by the sword, because they had brought their terrors onto the land of the living. So they carry their own shame, together with the ones going down to the pit among all those who have been killed, those who are going down to the pit. Eylam is among all those who were killed.

26 Meshek, Tuval, and all their multitudes are there with their graves all around them. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword, because they had brought their terrors onto the land of the living. 27 They don’t lie with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised who’ve gone down to the place of the dead with all their weapons of war, and with their swords placed under their heads and their iniquities over their bones, because they were the terror of warriors in the land of the living.

28 So you, Egypt, will be broken amongst the uncircumcised. You’ll lie alongside those who were pierced by the sword.

29 Edom is also there with her kings and all her leaders. Despite their strength, they’ve been placed with those killed by the sword. They lie there along with the uncircumcised—with those who’ve gone down to the pit.

30 All the northern leaders are there, along with all the Sidonians who went down with the ones who had been pierced. They were powerful and made others afraid, but now they’re there in shame—uncircumcised along with those who were pierced by the sword. They carry their own shame, together with the ones going down to the pit.

31 Far-oh (Pharaoh) will look and be comforted about all his multitudes who were pierced by the sword—Far-oh and all his army. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.

32 Yes, I put him there as my agent to terrify those in the land of the living, but Far-oh and all his multitudes will be laid down among the uncircumcised—among those pierced by the sword. That is the master Yahweh’s declaration.”