EZEKIEL Chapter 30 - A Lament For Egypt

A Lament For Egypt

The 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!'

3 FOR THE DAY IS NEAR, THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR--

A DAY OF CLOUDS, A TIME FOR DOOM FOR THE NATIONS.

4 A 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.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya

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.

8 THEN 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.

11 He 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.

12 I will dry up the steams of the Nile

And sell the land to Evil men;

By the hand of Foreigners

I will 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.

14 I will lay Pathros Waste, set fore to Zoan

And Inflict Punishment on Thebes.

15 I will pour out My Wrath on Plusium,

The Stronghold of Egypt,

And cut off the hordes of Thebes.

16 I will set fire to Egypt;

Pelusium will Writhe in Agony.

Thebes will be taken by storm;

Memphis will be inconstant Distress.

17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis

Will fall by the Sword,

And the Cities themselves will go into Captivity.

18 Dark 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.

19 So I will Inflict Punishment on Egypt,

AND THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.'

20 In 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 for healing or put in a splint

So as to become strong enough to hold a Sword.

22 THEREFORE 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.

23 I will Disperse the Egyptians among the Nations

And Scatter them through the Countries.

24 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 into the hand of the king of Babylon

And he brandishes it against Egypt.

26 I will Disperse the Egyptians among the Nations

And scatter them through the Countries.

THEN THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.'

(Ezekiel 30)

God is Sovereign over His Creation and every Nation.

He uses Evil Nations to subdue other Idolatrous Nations,

According to His Plan and Purposes.