Ezekiel 28; Ezekiel 29; Ezekiel 30

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: In your arrogance you say, "I'm a god. I sit on God's throne in the sea." But you're only human and not a god, although you think you are a god.

3 You think that you are wiser than Daniel and that no secret can be hidden from you.

4 Because you are wise and understanding, you've made yourself rich. You saved gold and silver in your treasuries.

5 Because of your great skill in trading, you've made yourself very wealthy. You have become arrogant because of your wealth.

6 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You think you are wise like God.

7 That is why I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless foreigners among the nations. They will draw their swords against your fine wisdom and dishonor your greatness.

8 They will throw you into a pit, and you will die a violent death in the sea.

9 You will no longer say that you are a god when you face those who kill you. You will be a human, not a god, in the hands of those who kill you.

10 You will die at the hands of foreigners like a godless person. I have spoken,'" declares the LORD.

11 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

12 "Son of man, sing a funeral song for the ruler of Tyre. Tell him, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: You were the perfect example, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, God's garden. You were covered with every kind of precious stone: red quartz, topaz, crystal, beryl, onyx, gray quartz, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your settings and your sockets were made of gold when you were created.

14 I appointed an angel to guard you. You were on God's holy mountain. You walked among fiery stones.

15 Your behavior was perfect from the time you were created, until evil was found in you.

16 You traded far and wide. You learned to be violent, and you sinned. So I threw you down from God's mountain in disgrace. The guardian angel forced you out from the fiery stones.

17 You became too proud because of your beauty. You wasted your wisdom because of your greatness. So I threw you to the ground and left you in front of the kings so that they could see you.

18 You dishonored your own holy places because of your many sins and dishonest trade. So I set fire to you to burn you up. I turned you into ashes on the ground in the presence of all who saw you.

19 All the nations who knew you are horrified because of you. You have come to a terrible end, and you will never exist again.'"

20 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

21 "Son of man, turn to Sidon and prophesy against it.

22 Tell it, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against you, Sidon. I will show my greatness through you. Then people will know that I am the LORD, because I will punish you and show you how holy I am.

23 I will send a plague against you and make blood flow in your streets. Your people will fall dead. People with swords will attack you from every side. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

24 The nation of Israel will no longer be hurt by prickly thorns or sharp briars from everyone around them. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD.

25 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they were scattered, I will show that I am holy as the nations watch. The people of Israel will live in their own land, the land I gave to my servant Jacob.

26 They will live there in safety. They will build homes and plant vineyards. They will live in safety when I punish all the surrounding people who treat them with scorn. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.'"

1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month in the tenth year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, turn to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

3 Tell him, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. You are like a monster crocodile lying in the Nile River. You say, "The Nile River is mine. I made it for myself."

4 "'I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish in the Nile River stick to your scales. I will pull you out of your river with all the fish in the Nile sticking to your scales.

5 I will leave you in the desert, you and all the fish from the Nile. You will fall in an open field. No one will pick you up or bury you. I will feed you to wild animals and birds.

6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the LORD. Egypt, you have become like a [broken] walking stick to the nation of Israel.

7 When Israel grabbed you, you splintered and tore up their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you broke, and they wrenched their backs.

8 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am going to attack you with a sword. I will kill people and animals.

9 Egypt will become a wasteland and a pile of rubble. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You said, "The Nile River is mine. I made it."

10 That is why I'm against you and the Nile River. I will turn Egypt into a pile of rubble. It will become a wasteland, from Migdol to Syene, all the way to the border of Sudan.

11 No human or animal will walk through it, and no one will live there for 40 years.

12 I will make Egypt the most desolate country in the world. For 40 years Egypt's cities will lie in ruins. They will be ruined more than any other city. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and force them into other countries.

13 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: After 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they have been scattered.

14 I will bring back the Egyptian captives and return them to Pathros, the land they came from. There they will be a weak kingdom.

15 They will be the weakest kingdom, and they will never rule the nations again. I will make them so weak that they will never rule the nations again.

16 The nation of Israel will never trust Egypt again. The people of Israel will remember how wrong they were whenever they turned to Egypt [for help]. Then they will know that I am the Almighty LORD.'"

17 On the first day of the first month in the twenty-seventh year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

18 "Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his army fight hard against Tyre. Every soldier's head was worn bald, and every soldier's shoulder was rubbed raw. Yet, he and his army got no reward for their hard-fought battle against Tyre.

19 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm going to give Egypt to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, take its prized possessions, and loot it. That will be the pay for his army.

20 I have given him Egypt as pay for what he has done. Nebuchadnezzar and his army worked for me, declares the Almighty LORD.

21 "On that day I will make the people of Israel strong again, and I will give you, Ezekiel, something to say among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

1 The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

2 "Son of man, prophesy. Say, 'This is what the Almighty LORD says: Cry for that day!

3 The day is near. The day of the LORD is near. It will be a gloomy day, a time of trouble for the nations.

4 There will be war in Egypt and anguish in Ethiopia. Many Egyptians will fall dead. People will take away Egypt's wealth, and its foundations will be torn down.

5 Sudan, Put, Lud, all the Arabs, the Libyans, and people from the promised land will die in battle.

6 "'This is what the LORD says: All Egypt's allies will die. Egypt's strength will disappear. People will die in war from Migdol to Syene, declares the Almighty LORD.

7 "'Egypt will become the most desolate country in the world, and Egypt's cities will lie in ruins. They will be ruined more than other cities.

8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, because I will set fire to Egypt and all her defenders will be killed.

9 On that day I will send messengers in ships to terrify those who live in safety in Sudan. The people of Sudan will be in anguish when Egypt is in trouble. That day is coming!

10 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to bring an end to Egypt.

11 He and his troops, the most ruthless troops among the nations, will be brought to destroy the land. They will draw their swords to attack Egypt and fill the land with dead bodies.

12 I will dry up the Nile River and sell the land to wicked people. I will have foreigners destroy the land and everything in it. I, the LORD, have spoken.

13 "'This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will destroy the statues and put an end to the idols in Memphis. A prince will never rise again in Egypt. I will spread fear throughout Egypt.

14 I will destroy Pathros, set fire to Zoan, and bring punishment on Thebes.

15 I will pour out my fury on Sin, Egypt's fortress, and I will kill many people in Thebes.

16 I will set fire to Egypt. Sin will be in much pain. Thebes will be broken into pieces, and Memphis will be in trouble every day.

17 The young men from Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and people from these cities will go into exile.

18 At Tahpanhes the day will turn dark when I break Egypt's power. Egypt's strong army will be defeated. Clouds will cover Egypt, and people from its villages will go into exile.

19 Then they will know that I am the LORD, because I will bring punishment on Egypt.'"

20 On the seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year, the LORD spoke his word to me. He said,

21 "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. His arm isn't bandaged, so it can't heal and be strong enough to hold a sword.

22 "This is what the Almighty LORD says: I'm against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the healthy one and the broken one. I will make the sword fall from his hand.

23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and force them into other countries.

24 I will make the arms of the king of Babylon strong. I will put my sword in his hand, but I will break Pharaoh's arms. Pharaoh will groan like a person who is dying.

25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but Pharaoh's arms will fall. Then they will know that I am the LORD, because I will put my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. He will strike Egypt with it.

26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and force them into other countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD."