Study Desk

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also destroy the idols And make the images cease from Memphis. And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt; And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

"Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches, And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it.

'Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Because it is tall in stature and has put its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness,

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused mourning; I closed the deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it.

"To which among the trees of Eden are you so alike in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those who were killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his hordes!"' declares the Lord GOD."

This is what the Lord GOD says: "Now I will spread My net over you With a contingent of many peoples, And they will lift you up in My net.

"All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you And will set darkness on your land," Declares the Lord GOD.

For the Lord GOD says this: "The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

"Then I will make their waters settle, And make their rivers run like oil," Declares the Lord GOD.

"This is a song of mourning, and they shall sing it. The daughters of the nations shall sing it. Over Egypt and over all her hordes they shall sing it," declares the Lord GOD.

"These Pharaoh will see, and he will find consolation regarding all his hordes killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army," declares the Lord GOD.

"Though I inflicted the terror of him on the land of the living, yet he will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised along with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes," declares the Lord GOD.

"Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then should you die, house of Israel?'

"Therefore say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "You eat meat with the blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land?

"You shall say this to them: 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "As I live, those who are in the places of ruins certainly will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the animals to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of plague.

"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not feed the flock?

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "certainly, because My flock has become plunder, and My flock has become food for all the animals of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock,

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them stop tending sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will save My sheep from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'"

For the Lord GOD says this: "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them.