English Standard Version ESV
Common English Bible CEB
1 An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
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An oracle about Egypt. Look! The LORD is riding upon a swift cloud, and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's idols will tremble before God; the Egyptians' hearts will melt within them.
2 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
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I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian, and they will fight, one against another, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers;
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Egypt's spirit will fail from within; I will frustrate their plans. They will consult the idols and spirits and ghosts and fortune-tellers.
4 and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
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I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a strong king will rule them, says the LORD God of heavenly forces.
5 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,
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The waters of the sea will dry up; the river will be parched and bare.
6 and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.
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The rivers will stink; the streams will shrink and dry; reeds and rushes will decay.
7 There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.
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Grass around the Nile, the grass at the mouth of the Nile, and all the sown land of the Nile will dry up, blow away, and be no more.
8 The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water.
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Those who fish will lament; all who cast fishhooks in the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the water will pine away.
9 The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton.
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Workers with flax will be dismayed; carders and weavers will grow pale.
10 Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved.
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Makers of cloth will be crushed; all who earn money will become distressed.
11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"?
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The officials of Tanis are fools; the wisest of Pharaoh's counselors give stupid advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I'm a wise person, one of the ancient kings"?
12 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
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Where now are your wise ones? Let them tell you, let them inform you what the LORD of heavenly forces has planned concerning Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger.
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The officials of Tanis have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deluded; the tribal chiefs have led Egypt astray.
14 The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
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The LORD has poured into them a spirit of confusion. They will make Egypt stumble in everything it does, just as a drunk stumbles in his vomit.
15 And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
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Neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reed will be able to do anything for Egypt.
16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.
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On that day, the Egyptians will be like women and will tremble with terror before the hand that the LORD of heavenly forces will raise against them.
17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them.
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Judah's land will become what the Egyptians dread; whenever anyone mentions it, they will be terrified because of the plans that the LORD of heavenly forces is making against them.
18 In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.
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On that day, there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear loyalty to the LORD of heavenly forces. One of them will be called "the city of the sun."
19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.
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On that day, there will be an altar to the LORD within the land of Egypt, and a standing stone for the LORD at its border.
20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.
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It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of heavenly forces in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of oppressors, God will send them a savior and defender to rescue them.
21 And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them.
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The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians; the Egyptians will know the LORD on that day. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings, making solemn promises to the LORD and fulfilling them.
22 And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.
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The LORD will strike Egypt; striking and then healing. They will return to the LORD, who will hear their pleas and heal them.
23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
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On that day, there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,
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On that day, Israel will be the third along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing at the center of the world.
25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance."
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The LORD of heavenly forces will pronounce this blessing: Bless Egypt my people, and Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible