17 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

18 Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit.

19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.

20 They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword: she is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.

21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.

22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:

23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

24 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain.

26 There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

29 There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

30 There be the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord God.

32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.

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Egypt’s Descent Into the Realm of the Dead

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:(A) 18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign(B) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.(C) 19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’(D) 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged(E) off with all her hordes.(F) 21 From within the realm of the dead(G) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,(H) with those killed by the sword.’

22 “Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. 23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit(I) and her army lies around her grave.(J) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.

24 “Elam(K) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.(L) All who had spread terror in the land of the living(M) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(N) 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,(O) killed by the sword. Because their terror had spread in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are laid among the slain.

26 “Meshek and Tubal(P) are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old,[a](Q) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields[b] resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.

28 “You too, Pharaoh, will be broken and will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

29 “Edom(R) is there, her kings and all her princes; despite their power, they are laid with those killed by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.(S)

30 “All the princes of the north(T) and all the Sidonians(U) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised(V) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(W)

31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled(X) for all his hordes that were killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord. 32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the living, Pharaoh(Y) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
  2. Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment