Study Desk

Then all the people who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord . "‘Israel tried to lean on you for help, but you were like a crutch made out of a weak stalk of grass.

No person or animal will walk through it, and no one will live in Egypt for forty years.

I will make the land of Egypt the most deserted country of all. Her cities will be the most deserted of all ruined cities for forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, spreading them among the countries.

The Israelites will never again depend on Egypt. Instead, Egypt's punishment will remind the Israelites of their sin in turning to Egypt for help. Then they will know that I am the Lord God .'"

So this is what the Lord God says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will take away Egypt's people and its wealth and its treasures as pay for his army.

I am giving Nebuchadnezzar the land of Egypt as a reward for working hard for me, says the Lord God .

So I handed it over to a mighty ruler of the nations for him to punish it. Because it was evil, I got rid of it.

I will cause many people to be shocked about you. Their kings will tremble with fear because of you when I swing my sword in front of them. They will shake every moment on the day you fall; each king will be afraid for his own life.

"This is the funeral song people will sing for Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it; they will sing a funeral song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord God ."

"Human, cry for the people of Egypt. Bring down Egypt, together with the women of the powerful nations; bring them down to the place of the dead below the earth to join those who go to the place of the dead.

A bed has been made for Elam with all those killed in war. The graves of her soldiers are all around her. All Elam's people are unclean, killed in war. They frightened people when they lived on earth, but now they must carry their shame with those who have gone down to the place of the dead. Their graves are with the rest who were killed.

"The king of Egypt and his army will see these who have been killed in war. Then he will be comforted for all his soldiers killed in war, says the Lord God .

If they hear the sound of the trumpet but do nothing, the enemy will come and kill them. They will be responsible for their own deaths.

They heard the sound of the trumpet but didn't do anything. So they are to blame for their own deaths. If they had done something, they would have saved their own lives.

But if the watchman sees the enemy coming to attack and does not blow the trumpet, the people will not be warned. Then if the enemy comes and kills any of them, they have died because of their own sin. But I will punish the watchman for their deaths.'

"You, human, are the one I have made a watchman for Israel. If you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them for me.

Suppose I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked people, you will surely die,' but you don't speak to warn the wicked to stop doing evil. Then they will die because they were sinners, but I will punish you for their deaths.

For example, they may return what somebody gave them as a promise to repay a loan, or pay back what they stole. If they live by the rules that give life and do not sin, then they will surely live, and they will not die.

They will not be punished for any of their sins. They now do what is right and fair, so they will surely live.

When the good people stop doing good and do evil, they will die for their evil.