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Ezekiel 30-32
New English Translation
Ezekiel 30-32
New English Translation
A Lament Over Egypt
30 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Wail, “Alas, the day is here!”[a]
3 For the day is near,
the day of the Lord is near;
it will be a day of storm clouds,[b]
it will be a time of judgment[c] for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt
and panic will overtake Ethiopia
when the slain fall in Egypt
and they carry away her wealth
and dismantle her foundations.
5 Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all the foreigners,[d] Libya, and the people[e] of the covenant land[f] will die by the sword along with them.
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
Egypt’s supporters will fall;
her confident pride will crumble.[g]
From Migdol to Syene[h] they will die by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
7 They will be desolate among desolate lands,
and their cities will be among ruined cities.
8 They will know that I am the Lord
when I ignite a fire in Egypt
and all her allies are defeated.[i]
9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten overconfident Ethiopia; panic will overtake them on the day of Egypt’s doom;[j] for beware—it is coming!
10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt,
by the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar[k] of Babylon.
11 He and his people with him,
the most terrifying of the nations,[l]
will be brought there to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt,
and fill the land with corpses.
12 I will dry up the waterways
and hand the land over to[m] evil men.
I will make the land and everything in it desolate by the hand of foreigners.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I will destroy the idols,
and put an end to the gods of Memphis.
There will no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt;
so I will make the land of Egypt fearful.[n]
14 I will desolate Pathros,
I will ignite a fire in Zoan,
and I will execute judgments on Thebes.
15 I will pour out my anger upon Pelusium,[o]
the stronghold of Egypt;
I will cut off[p] the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will ignite a fire in Egypt;
Syene[q] will writhe in agony,
Thebes will be broken down,
and Memphis will face enemies every day.
17 The young men of On and of Pi Beseth[r] will die by the sword;
and the cities will go[s] into captivity.
18 In Tahpanhes the day will be dark[t]
when I break the yoke of Egypt there.
Her confident pride will cease within her;
a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.
19 I will execute judgments on Egypt.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month,[u] the Lord’s message came to me: 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm[v] of Pharaoh king of Egypt.[w] Look, it has not been bandaged for healing or set with a dressing so that it might become strong enough to grasp a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look,[x] I am against[y] Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong arm and the broken one, and I will make the sword drop from his hand. 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will place my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan like the fatally wounded before the king of Babylon.[z] 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon and he extends it against the land of Egypt. 26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
A Cedar in Lebanon
31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month,[aa] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and his hordes:
“‘Who are you like in your greatness?
3 Consider Assyria,[ab] a cedar in Lebanon,[ac]
with beautiful branches, like a forest giving shade,
and extremely tall;
its top reached into the clouds.
4 The water made it grow;
underground springs made it grow tall.
Rivers flowed all around the place it was planted,
while smaller channels watered all the trees of the field.[ad]
5 Therefore it grew taller than all the trees of the field;
its boughs grew large and its branches grew long,
because of the plentiful water in its shoots.[ae]
6 All the birds of the sky nested in its boughs;
under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth;
in its shade all the great[af] nations lived.
7 It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches;
for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God could not eclipse it,
nor could the fir trees[ag] match its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing compared to its branches;
no tree in the garden of God could rival its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful with its many branches;
all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied it.
10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because it was tall in stature, and its top reached into the clouds, and it was proud of its height, 11 I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly,[ah] as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out. 12 Foreigners from the most terrifying nations have cut it down and left it to lie there on the mountains. In all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its boughs lie broken in the ravines of the land. All the peoples of the land[ai] have departed[aj] from its shade and left it. 13 On its ruins all the birds of the sky will live, and all the wild animals[ak] will walk[al] on its branches. 14 For this reason no watered trees will grow so tall; their tops will not reach into the clouds, nor will the well-watered ones grow that high.[am] For all of them have been appointed to die in the lower parts of the earth;[an] they will be among mere mortals,[ao] with those who descend to the Pit.
15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it[ap] went down to Sheol I caused observers to lament.[aq] I covered it with the deep and held back its rivers; its plentiful water was restrained. I clothed Lebanon in black for it, and all the trees of the field wilted because of it. 16 I made the nations shake at the sound of its fall, when I threw it down to Sheol, along with those who descend to the Pit.[ar] Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and the best of Lebanon, all that were well-watered, were comforted in the earth below. 17 Those who lived in its shade, its allies[as] among the nations, also went down with it to Sheol, to those killed by the sword. 18 Which of the trees of Eden was like you in majesty and loftiness? You will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the earth; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword! This is what will happen to Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt
32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month,[at] the Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, sing a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him:
“‘You were like a lion[au] among the nations,
but you are a monster in the seas;
you thrash about in your streams,
stir up the water with your feet,
and muddy your[av] streams.
3 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will throw my net over you[aw] in the assembly of many peoples;
and they will haul you up in my dragnet.
4 I will leave you on the ground,
I will fling you on the open field,
I will allow[ax] all the birds of the sky to settle[ay] on you,
and I will permit[az] all the wild animals[ba] to gorge themselves on you.
5 I will put your flesh on the mountains,
and fill the valleys with your maggot-infested carcass.[bb]
6 I will drench the land with the flow
of your blood up to the mountains,
and the ravines will be full of your blood.[bc]
7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky;
I will darken its stars.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not shine.[bd]
8 I will darken all the lights in the sky over you,
and I will darken your land,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 I will disturb[be] many peoples,
when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
among countries you do not know.
10 I will shock many peoples with you,
and their kings will shiver with horror because of you.
When I brandish my sword before them,
every moment each one will tremble for his life, on the day of your fall.
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘The sword of the king of Babylon[bf] will attack[bg] you.
12 By the swords of the mighty warriors I will cause your hordes to fall—
all of them are the most terrifying among the nations.
They will devastate the pride of Egypt,
and all its hordes will be destroyed.
13 I will destroy all its cattle beside the plentiful waters;
and no human foot will disturb[bh] the waters[bi] again,
nor will the hooves of cattle disturb them.
14 Then I will make their waters calm,[bj]
and will make their streams flow like olive oil, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I turn the land of Egypt into desolation
and the land is destitute of everything that fills it,
when I strike all those who live in it,
then they will know that I am the Lord.’
16 This is a lament; they will chant it.
The daughters of the nations will chant it.
They will chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes,
declares the Sovereign Lord.”
17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month,[bk] the Lord’s message came to me: 18 “Son of man, wail[bl] over the horde of Egypt. Bring it down;[bm] bring[bn] her[bo] and the daughters of powerful nations down to the lower parts of the earth, along with those who descend to the Pit. 19 Say to them,[bp] ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?[bq] Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!’ 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; they carry her and all her hordes away. 21 The bravest of the warriors will speak to him from the midst of Sheol along with his allies, saying: ‘The uncircumcised have come down; they lie still, killed by the sword.’
22 “Assyria is there with all her assembly around her grave,[br] all of them struck down by the sword.[bs] 23 Their[bt] graves are located in the remote slopes of the Pit.[bu] Her assembly is around her grave, all of them struck down by the sword, those who spread terror in the land of the living.
24 “Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave; all of them struck down by the sword. They went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, those who spread terror in the land of the living. Now they will bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit. 25 Among the dead they have made a bed for her, along with all her hordes around her grave.[bv] All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword, for their terror had spread in the land of the living. They bear their shame along with those who descend to the Pit; they are placed among the dead.
26 “Meshech Tubal is there, along with all her hordes around her grave.[bw] All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword, for they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ancient times,[bx] who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, having their swords placed under their heads and their shields on their bones,[by] when the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living.
28 “But as for you, in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken, and you will lie with those killed by the sword.
29 “Edom is there with her kings and all her princes. Despite their might they are laid with those killed by the sword; they lie with the uncircumcised and those who descend to the Pit.
30 “All the leaders of the north are there, along with all the Sidonians; despite their might they have gone down in shameful terror with the dead. They lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, and bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.
31 “Pharaoh will see them and be consoled over all his hordes who were killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army, declares the Sovereign Lord. 32 Indeed, I terrified him in the land of the living, yet he will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 30:2 tn Heb “Alas for the day.”
- Ezekiel 30:3 tn Heb “a day of clouds.” The expression occurs also in Joel 2:2 and Zeph 1:15; it recalls the appearance of God at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:9, 16, 18).
- Ezekiel 30:3 tn Heb “a time.” The words “of judgment” have been added in the translation for clarification (see the following verses).
- Ezekiel 30:5 tn The same expression appears in Exod 12:38; Jer 25:20; 50:37; Neh 13:3. It may refer to foreign mercenaries serving in the armies of the nations listed here.
- Ezekiel 30:5 tn Heb “sons.”
- Ezekiel 30:5 tn The expression “sons of the covenant land” possibly refers to Jews living in Egypt (Jer 44).
- Ezekiel 30:6 tn Heb “come down.”
- Ezekiel 30:6 sn Syene is known as Aswan today.
- Ezekiel 30:8 tn Heb “all who aid her are broken.”
- Ezekiel 30:9 tn Heb “in the day of Egypt.” The word “doom” has been added in the translation to clarify the nature of this day.
- Ezekiel 30:10 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more exact spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-uṣur has an “r” rather than an “n.”
- Ezekiel 30:11 tn The Babylonians were known for their cruelty (2 Kgs 25:7).
- Ezekiel 30:12 tn Heb “and I will sell the land into the hand of.”
- Ezekiel 30:13 tn Heb “I will put fear in the land of Egypt.”
- Ezekiel 30:15 tn Heb “Sin” (so KJV, NASB), a city commonly identified with Pelusium, a fortress on Egypt’s northeastern frontier.
- Ezekiel 30:15 tn Or “kill.”
- Ezekiel 30:16 tc The LXX reads “Syene,” which is Aswan in the south. The MT reads Sin, which has already been mentioned in v. 15.
- Ezekiel 30:17 sn On and Pi Beseth are generally identified with the Egyptian cities of Heliopolis and Bubastis.
- Ezekiel 30:17 tn Heb “they will go.” The pronoun and verb are feminine plural, indicating that the cities just mentioned are the antecedent of the pronoun and the subject of the verb. The translation makes this clear by stating the subject as “the cities.”
- Ezekiel 30:18 sn In Zeph 1:15 darkness is associated with the day of the Lord.
- Ezekiel 30:20 tn April 29, 587 b.c.
- Ezekiel 30:21 sn The expression “breaking the arm” indicates the removal of power (Pss 10:15; 37:17; Job 38:15; Jer 48:25).
- Ezekiel 30:21 sn This may refer to the event recorded in Jer 37:5.
- Ezekiel 30:22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
- Ezekiel 30:22 tn Or “I challenge.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
- Ezekiel 30:24 tn Heb “him”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Ezekiel 31:1 sn June 21, 587 b.c.
- Ezekiel 31:3 sn Either Egypt or the Lord compares Egypt to Assyria, which is described in vv. 3-17 through the metaphor of a majestic tree. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:185. Like Egypt, Assyria had been a great world power, but in time God brought the Assyrians down. Egypt should learn from history the lesson that no nation, no matter how powerful, can withstand the judgment of God. Rather than following the text here, some prefer to emend the proper name Assyria to a similar sounding common noun meaning “boxwood” (see Ezek 27:6), which would make a fitting parallel to “cedar of Lebanon” in the following line. In this case vv. 3-18 in their entirety refer to Egypt, not Assyria. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:121-27.
- Ezekiel 31:3 sn Lebanon was known for its cedar trees (Judg 9:15; 1 Kgs 4:33; 5:6; 2 Kgs 14:9; Ezra 3:7; Pss 29:5; 92:12; 104:16).
- Ezekiel 31:4 tn Heb “Waters made it grow; the deep made it grow tall. It [the deep] was flowing with its rivers around the place it [the tree] was planted. It [the deep] sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.”
- Ezekiel 31:5 tn Heb “when it sends forth.” Repointing the consonants of the Masoretic text would render the proposed reading of “shoots” (cf. NRSV).
- Ezekiel 31:6 tn Or “many.”
- Ezekiel 31:8 tn Or “cypress trees” (cf. NASB, NLT); NIV “pine trees.”
- Ezekiel 31:11 tn Heb “acting he has acted with regard to it.” The infinitive absolute precedes the main verb to emphasize the certainty and decisiveness of the action depicted.
- Ezekiel 31:12 tn Or “earth” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Ezekiel 31:12 tn Heb “gone down.”
- Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “the beasts of the field,” referring to wild as opposed to domesticated animals.
- Ezekiel 31:13 tn Heb “be.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “and they will not stand to them in their height, all the drinkers of water.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “for death, to the lower earth.”
- Ezekiel 31:14 tn Heb “the sons of men.”
- Ezekiel 31:15 tn Or “he.”
- Ezekiel 31:15 tn Heb “I caused lamentation.” D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:194-95) proposes an alternative root that would give the meaning: “I gated back the waters,” i.e., shut off the water supply.
- Ezekiel 31:16 sn For the expression “going down to the Pit,” see Ezek 26:20 and 32:18, 24, 29.
- Ezekiel 31:17 tn Heb “its arm.”
- Ezekiel 32:1 sn This would be March 3, 585 b.c.
- Ezekiel 32:2 tn The lion was a figure of royalty (Ezek 19:1-9).
- Ezekiel 32:2 tc The Hebrew reads, “their streams”; the LXX reads, “your streams.”
- Ezekiel 32:3 tn The expression “throw my net” is common in Ezekiel (12:13; 17:20; 19:8).
- Ezekiel 32:4 tn Or “cause.”
- Ezekiel 32:4 tn Heb “live.”
- Ezekiel 32:4 tn Or “cause.”
- Ezekiel 32:4 tn Heb “the beasts of the field,” referring to wild as opposed to domesticated animals.
- Ezekiel 32:5 tc The Hebrew text is difficult here, apparently meaning “your height.” Following Symmachus and the Syriac, it is preferable to emend the text to read “your maggots.” See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:203.
- Ezekiel 32:6 tn Heb “from you.”
- Ezekiel 32:7 tn Heb “will not shine its light.” For similar features of cosmic eschatology, see Joel 2:10; 3:15; Amos 5:18-20; Zeph 1:5.
- Ezekiel 32:9 tn Heb “I will provoke the heart of.”
- Ezekiel 32:11 sn The king of Babylon referred to here was Nebuchadnezzar (Ezek 21:19).
- Ezekiel 32:11 tn Heb “approach.”
- Ezekiel 32:13 tn Heb “muddy.”
- Ezekiel 32:13 tn Heb “them,” that is, the waters mentioned in the previous line. The translation clarifies the referent.
- Ezekiel 32:14 tn Heb “sink,” that is, to settle and become clear, not muddied.
- Ezekiel 32:17 tn March 17, 585 b.c. The LXX adds “first month.”
- Ezekiel 32:18 tn The Hebrew verb is used as a response to death (Jer 9:17-19; Amos 5:16).
- Ezekiel 32:18 sn Through this prophetic lament given by God himself, the prophet activates the judgment described therein. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:217, and L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:136-37.
- Ezekiel 32:18 tn Heb “Bring him down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the earth below.” The verb “bring down” appears in the Hebrew text only once. Because the verb takes several objects here, the repetition of the verb in the translation improves the English style.
- Ezekiel 32:18 tn This apparently refers to personified Egypt.
- Ezekiel 32:19 tc The LXX places this verse after v. 21.tn The words “say to them” are added in the translation for clarity to indicate the shift in addressee from the prophet to Egypt.
- Ezekiel 32:19 tn Heb “pleasantness.”
- Ezekiel 32:22 tn Heb “around him his graves.” The masculine pronominal suffixes are problematic; the expression is best emended to correspond to the phrase “around her grave” in v. 23. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:219.
- Ezekiel 32:22 tn Heb “all of them slain, the ones felled by the sword.” See as well vv. 23-24.
- Ezekiel 32:23 tn Heb “whose.”
- Ezekiel 32:23 tn The only other occurrence of the phrase “remote slopes of the Pit” is in Isa 14:15.
- Ezekiel 32:25 tn Heb “around him her graves,” but the expression is best emended to read “around her grave” (see vv. 23-24).
- Ezekiel 32:26 tn Heb “around him her graves,” but the expression is best emended to read “around her grave” (see vv. 23-24).
- Ezekiel 32:27 tc Heb “of the uncircumcised.” The LXX reads, probably correctly, “from of old” rather than “of the uncircumcised.” The phrases are very similar in spelling. The warriors of Meshech Tubal are described as uncircumcised, so it would be odd for them to not be buried with the uncircumcised. Verse 28 specifically says that they would lie with the uncircumcised.
- Ezekiel 32:27 tc Heb “and their iniquities were over their bones.” The meaning of this statement is unclear. In light of the parallelism (see “swords”) it is preferable to emend עֲוֹנֹתָם (ʿavonotam; “their iniquities”) to צִנּוֹתָם or צִנָּתָם (tsinnotam or tsinnatam; “their shields” or “their shield”) See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:135.
Ezekiel 30-32
New International Version
Ezekiel 30-32
New International Version
A Lament Over Egypt
30 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Wail(A) and say,
“Alas for that day!”
3 For the day is near,(B)
the day of the Lord(C) is near—
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
4 A sword will come against Egypt,(D)
and anguish will come upon Cush.[a](E)
When the slain fall in Egypt,
her wealth will be carried away
and her foundations torn down.(F)
5 Cush and Libya,(G) Lydia and all Arabia,(H) Kub and the people(I) of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.(J)
6 “‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan(K)
they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
7 “‘They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities.(L)
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I set fire(M) to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.(N)
9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush(O) out of her complacency. Anguish(P) will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.(Q)
10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar(R) king of Babylon.(S)
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations(T)—
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.(U)
12 I will dry up(V) the waters of the Nile(W)
and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste(X) the land and everything in it.
I the Lord have spoken.
13 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘I will destroy the idols(Y)
and put an end to the images in Memphis.(Z)
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,(AA)
and I will spread fear throughout the land.
14 I will lay(AB) waste Upper Egypt,
set fire to Zoan(AC)
and inflict punishment on Thebes.(AD)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
16 I will set fire(AE) to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis(AF) will be in constant distress.
17 The young men of Heliopolis(AG) and Bubastis
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
18 Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes(AH)
when I break the yoke of Egypt;(AI)
there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
and her villages will go into captivity.(AJ)
19 So I will inflict punishment(AK) on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken
20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AL) 21 “Son of man, I have broken the arm(AM) of Pharaoh(AN) king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed(AO) or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt.(AP) I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand.(AQ) 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(AR) 24 I will strengthen(AS) the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword(AT) in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan(AU) before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword(AV) into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt.(AW) 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(AX)”
Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon
31 In the eleventh year,(AY) in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(AZ) 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:
“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?
3 Consider Assyria,(BA) once a cedar in Lebanon,(BB)
with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
its top above the thick foliage.(BC)
4 The waters(BD) nourished it,
deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
all around its base
and sent their channels
to all the trees of the field.(BE)
5 So it towered higher(BF)
than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
and its branches grew long,
spreading because of abundant waters.(BG)
6 All the birds of the sky
nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
gave birth(BH) under its branches;
all the great nations
lived in its shade.(BI)
7 It was majestic in beauty,
with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
to abundant waters.(BJ)
8 The cedars(BK) in the garden of God
could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees(BL)
compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
could match its beauty.(BM)
9 I made it beautiful
with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden(BN)
in the garden of God.(BO)
10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud(BP) of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,(BQ) 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations(BR) cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys;(BS) its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.(BT) 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.(BU) 14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined(BV) for death,(BW) for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.(BX)
15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away.(BY) 16 I made the nations tremble(BZ) at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees(CA) of Eden,(CB) the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled(CC) in the earth below.(CD) 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword,(CE) along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.
18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised,(CF) with those killed by the sword.
“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
A Lament Over Pharaoh
32 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me:(CG) 2 “Son of man, take up a lament(CH) concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
“‘You are like a lion(CI) among the nations;
you are like a monster(CJ) in the seas(CK)
thrashing about in your streams,
churning the water with your feet
and muddying the streams.(CL)
3 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘With a great throng of people
I will cast my net over you,
and they will haul you up in my net.(CM)
4 I will throw you on the land
and hurl you on the open field.
I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you
and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you.(CN)
5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains
and fill the valleys(CO) with your remains.
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood(CP)
all the way to the mountains,
and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.(CQ)
7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not give its light.(CR)
8 All the shining lights in the heavens
I will darken(CS) over you;
I will bring darkness over your land,(CT)
declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
among[b] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
and their kings will shudder with horror because of you
when I brandish my sword(CU) before them.
On the day(CV) of your downfall
each of them will tremble
every moment for his life.(CW)
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘The sword(CX) of the king of Babylon(CY)
will come against you.(CZ)
12 I will cause your hordes to fall
by the swords of mighty men—
the most ruthless of all nations.(DA)
They will shatter the pride of Egypt,
and all her hordes will be overthrown.(DB)
13 I will destroy all her cattle
from beside abundant waters
no longer to be stirred by the foot of man
or muddied by the hooves of cattle.(DC)
14 Then I will let her waters settle
and make her streams flow like oil,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 When I make Egypt desolate
and strip the land of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
then they will know that I am the Lord.(DD)’
16 “This is the lament(DE) they will chant for her. The daughters of the nations will chant it; for Egypt and all her hordes they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
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:(DF) 18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and consign(DG) to the earth below both her and the daughters of mighty nations, along with those who go down to the pit.(DH) 19 Say to them, ‘Are you more favored than others? Go down and be laid among the uncircumcised.’(DI) 20 They will fall among those killed by the sword. The sword is drawn; let her be dragged(DJ) off with all her hordes.(DK) 21 From within the realm of the dead(DL) the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, ‘They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised,(DM) 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(DN) and her army lies around her grave.(DO) All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword.
24 “Elam(DP) is there, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.(DQ) All who had spread terror in the land of the living(DR) went down uncircumcised to the earth below. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(DS) 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her hordes around her grave. All of them are uncircumcised,(DT) 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(DU) 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,[c](DV) who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields[d] 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(DW) 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.(DX)
30 “All the princes of the north(DY) and all the Sidonians(DZ) are there; they went down with the slain in disgrace despite the terror caused by their power. They lie uncircumcised(EA) with those killed by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.(EB)
31 “Pharaoh—he and all his army—will see them and he will be consoled(EC) 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(ED) and all his hordes will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, declares the Sovereign Lord.”(EE)
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 30:4 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verses 5 and 9
- Ezekiel 32:9 Hebrew; Septuagint bring you into captivity among the nations, / to
- Ezekiel 32:27 Septuagint; Hebrew warriors who were uncircumcised
- Ezekiel 32:27 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text punishment
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