Study Desk

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the LORD came to me:

"Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: " 'You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams.

" '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.

I will throw you on the land and hurl you on the open field. I will let all the birds of the air settle on you and all the beasts of the earth gorge themselves on you.

I will spread your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains, and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.

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.

All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign LORD .

I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among ^(F83) lands you have not known.

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 before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.

" 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.

I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men- the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown.

I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hoofs of cattle.

Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign LORD .

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 .'

"This is the lament 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 ."