A Lament Over Egypt

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Wail and say,

“Alas for that day!”

3For the day is near,

the day of the Lord is near—

a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

4A sword will come against Egypt,

and anguish will come upon Cush.

When the slain fall in Egypt,

her wealth will be carried away

and her foundations torn down.

5Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6“ ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘The allies of Egypt will fall

and her proud strength will fail.

From Migdol to Aswan

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.

8Then they will know that I am the Lord,

when I set fire to Egypt

and all her helpers are crushed.

9“ ‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.

10“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt

by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

11He and his army—the most ruthless of nations—

will be brought in to destroy the land.

They will draw their swords against Egypt

and fill the land with the slain.

12I will dry up the waters of the Nile

and sell the land to an evil nation;

by the hand of foreigners

I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

I the Lord have spoken.

13“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I will destroy the idols

and put an end to the images in Memphis.

No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,

and I will spread fear throughout the land.

14I will lay waste Upper Egypt,

set fire to Zoan

and inflict punishment on Thebes.

15I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,

the stronghold of Egypt,

and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.

16I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium will writhe in agony.

Thebes will be taken by storm;

Memphis will be in constant distress.

17The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis

will fall by the sword,

and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

18Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes

when I break the yoke of Egypt;

there her proud strength will come to an end.

She will be covered with clouds,

and her villages will go into captivity.

19So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,

and they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Pharaoh’s Arms Are Broken

20In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me: 21“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. 23I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 24I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. 25I 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 into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. 26I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Judgment on Pharaoh

1In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3Speak to him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,

you great monster lying among your streams.

You say, “The Nile belongs to me;

I made it for myself.”

4But I will put hooks in your jaws

and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.

I will pull you out from among your streams,

with all the fish sticking to your scales.

5I will leave you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your streams.

You will fall on the open field

and not be gathered or picked up.

I will give you as food

to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.

6Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.

“ ‘You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. 7When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.

8“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast. 9Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

“ ‘Because you said, “The Nile is mine; I made it,” 10therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush. 11The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no one will live there for forty years. 12I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.

13“ ‘Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reward

17In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: 18“Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. 20I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

21“On that day I will make a horn grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘In the pride of your heart

you say, “I am a god;

I sit on the throne of a god

in the heart of the seas.”

But you are a mere mortal and not a god,

though you think you are as wise as a god.

3Are you wiser than Daniel?

Is no secret hidden from you?

4By your wisdom and understanding

you have gained wealth for yourself

and amassed gold and silver

in your treasuries.

5By your great skill in trading

you have increased your wealth,

and because of your wealth

your heart has grown proud.

6“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Because you think you are wise,

as wise as a god,

7I am going to bring foreigners against you,

the most ruthless of nations;

they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom

and pierce your shining splendor.

8They will bring you down to the pit,

and you will die a violent death

in the heart of the seas.

9Will you then say, “I am a god,”

in the presence of those who kill you?

You will be but a mortal, not a god,

in the hands of those who slay you.

10You will die the death of the uncircumcised

at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

11The word of the Lord came to me: 12“Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘You were the seal of perfection,

full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13You were in Eden,

the garden of God;

every precious stone adorned you:

carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,

topaz, onyx and jasper,

lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.

Your settings and mountings were made of gold;

on the day you were created they were prepared.

14You were anointed as a guardian cherub,

for so I ordained you.

You were on the holy mount of God;

you walked among the fiery stones.

15You were blameless in your ways

from the day you were created

till wickedness was found in you.

16Through your widespread trade

you were filled with violence,

and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,

and I expelled you, guardian cherub,

from among the fiery stones.

17Your heart became proud

on account of your beauty,

and you corrupted your wisdom

because of your splendor.

So I threw you to the earth;

I made a spectacle of you before kings.

18By your many sins and dishonest trade

you have desecrated your sanctuaries.

So I made a fire come out from you,

and it consumed you,

and I reduced you to ashes on the ground

in the sight of all who were watching.

19All the nations who knew you

are appalled at you;

you have come to a horrible end

and will be no more.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Sidon

20The word of the Lord came to me: 21“Son of man, set your face against Sidon; prophesy against her 22and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘I am against you, Sidon,

and among you I will display my glory.

You will know that I am the Lord,

when I inflict punishment on you

and within you am proved to be holy.

23I will send a plague upon you

and make blood flow in your streets.

The slain will fall within you,

with the sword against you on every side.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

24“ ‘No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

25“ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. 26They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’ ”

A Lament Over Tyre

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. 3Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘You say, Tyre,

“I am perfect in beauty.”

4Your domain was on the high seas;

your builders brought your beauty to perfection.

5They made all your timbers

of juniper from Senir;

they took a cedar from Lebanon

to make a mast for you.

6Of oaks from Bashan

they made your oars;

of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus

they made your deck, adorned with ivory.

7Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail

and served as your banner;

your awnings were of blue and purple

from the coasts of Elishah.

8Men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;

your skilled men, Tyre, were aboard as your sailors.

9Veteran craftsmen of Byblos were on board

as shipwrights to caulk your seams.

All the ships of the sea and their sailors

came alongside to trade for your wares.

10“ ‘Men of Persia, Lydia and Put

served as soldiers in your army.

They hung their shields and helmets on your walls,

bringing you splendor.

11Men of Arvad and Helek

guarded your walls on every side;

men of Gammad

were in your towers.

They hung their shields around your walls;

they brought your beauty to perfection.

12“ ‘Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.

13“ ‘Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you; they traded human beings and articles of bronze for your wares.

14“ ‘Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.

15“ ‘The men of Rhodes traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

16“ ‘Aram did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.

17“ ‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections, honey, olive oil and balm for your wares.

18“ ‘Damascus did business with you because of your many products and great wealth of goods. They offered wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar 19and casks of wine from Izal in exchange for your wares: wrought iron, cassia and calamus.

20“ ‘Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you.

21“ ‘Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.

22“ ‘The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices and precious stones, and gold.

23“ ‘Harran, Kanneh and Eden and merchants of Sheba, Ashur and Kilmad traded with you. 24In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.

25“ ‘The ships of Tarshish serve

as carriers for your wares.

You are filled with heavy cargo

as you sail the sea.

26Your oarsmen take you

out to the high seas.

But the east wind will break you to pieces

far out at sea.

27Your wealth, merchandise and wares,

your mariners, sailors and shipwrights,

your merchants and all your soldiers,

and everyone else on board

will sink into the heart of the sea

on the day of your shipwreck.

28The shore lands will quake

when your sailors cry out.

29All who handle the oars

will abandon their ships;

the mariners and all the sailors

will stand on the shore.

30They will raise their voice

and cry bitterly over you;

they will sprinkle dust on their heads

and roll in ashes.

31They will shave their heads because of you

and will put on sackcloth.

They will weep over you with anguish of soul

and with bitter mourning.

32As they wail and mourn over you,

they will take up a lament concerning you:

“Who was ever silenced like Tyre,

surrounded by the sea?”

33When your merchandise went out on the seas,

you satisfied many nations;

with your great wealth and your wares

you enriched the kings of the earth.

34Now you are shattered by the sea

in the depths of the waters;

your wares and all your company

have gone down with you.

35All who live in the coastlands

are appalled at you;

their kings shudder with horror

and their faces are distorted with fear.

36The merchants among the nations scoff at you;

you have come to a horrible end

and will be no more.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Tyre

1In the eleventh month of the twelfth year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,’ 3therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. 4They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. 5Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations, 6and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

7“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. 8He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. 9He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons. 10His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust. Your walls will tremble at the noise of the warhorses, wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls have been broken through. 11The hooves of his horses will trample all your streets; he will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will fall to the ground. 12They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea. 13I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more. 14I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.

15“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you? 16Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you. 17Then they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you:

“ ‘How you are destroyed, city of renown,

peopled by men of the sea!

You were a power on the seas,

you and your citizens;

you put your terror

on all who lived there.

18Now the coastlands tremble

on the day of your fall;

the islands in the sea

are terrified at your collapse.’

19“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you, 20then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living. 21I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

A Prophecy Against Ammon

1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them. 3Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, 4therefore I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession. They will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 5I will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel, 7therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Moab

8“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” 9therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim—the glory of that land. 10I will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the nations; 11and I will inflict punishment on Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Edom

12“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, 13therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill both man and beast. I will lay it waste, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. 14I will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath; they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

A Prophecy Against Philistia

15“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, 16therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will wipe out the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast. 17I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.’ ”

Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot

1In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Put on the cooking pot; put it on

and pour water into it.

4Put into it the pieces of meat,

all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder.

Fill it with the best of these bones;

5take the pick of the flock.

Pile wood beneath it for the bones;

bring it to a boil

and cook the bones in it.

6“ ‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed,

to the pot now encrusted,

whose deposit will not go away!

Take the meat out piece by piece

in whatever order it comes.

7“ ‘For the blood she shed is in her midst:

She poured it on the bare rock;

she did not pour it on the ground,

where the dust would cover it.

8To stir up wrath and take revenge

I put her blood on the bare rock,

so that it would not be covered.

9“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“ ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed!

I, too, will pile the wood high.

10So heap on the wood

and kindle the fire.

Cook the meat well,

mixing in the spices;

and let the bones be charred.

11Then set the empty pot on the coals

till it becomes hot and its copper glows,

so that its impurities may be melted

and its deposit burned away.

12It has frustrated all efforts;

its heavy deposit has not been removed,

not even by fire.

13“ ‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.

14“ ‘I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

15The word of the Lord came to me: 16“Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”

18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?”

20So I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me: 21Say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. 22And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners. 23You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. 24Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’

25“And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart’s desire, and their sons and daughters as well— 26on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. 27At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”