1. Behold! Jehovah riding on a light cloud, and He comes to Egypt,
and the idols of Egypt move at His presence, and the heart of Egypt
melts within him. 2. And I will excite Egypt against Egypt, and they
shall fight, a man with his brother, and a man with his fellow, city
with city, kingdom with kingdom. 3. And the spirit of Egypt shall be
emptied out in the midst thereof, and the counsel thereof I will
swallow up, and they will seek to the idols, and to the mutterers,
and to the familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 4. And I will shut
up Egypt in the hands of a hard master, and a strong king shall rule
over them, saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts.
5. And the waters shall be dried up from the sea, and the river shall
fail and be dried up. 6. And the rivers shall stink, the streams of
Egypt are emptied and dried up, reed and rush sicken. 7. And meadows
by the river, by the mouth of the river, and all the sown ground of
the river, shall wither being driven away, and it is not. 8. And the
fisherman shall mourn, and they shall lament, all the throwers of a
hook into the river, and the spreaders of a net upon the surface of
the water, languish. 9. And ashamed are the workers of combed flax,
and the weavers of white (stuffs). 10. And her pillars are broken
down, all labourers for hire are grieved at heart.
11. Entirely foolish are the princes of Zoan, the sages of the
counsellors of Pharaoh, (their) counsel is become brutish. How can ye
say to Pharaoh, I am the son of wise (fathers), I am the son of kings
of old? 12. Where (are) they? Where (are) thy wise men? Pray let them
tell thee, and (if that is too much) let them (at least) know, what
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed concerning Egypt. 13. Infatuated are
the chiefs of Zoan, deceived are the chiefs of Noph, and they have
misled Egypt, the corner-stone of her tribes. 14. Jehovah hath
mingled in the midst of her a spirit of confusion, and they have
misled Egypt in all its work, like the misleading of a drunkard in
his vomit. 15. And there shall not be in Egypt a work which head and
tail, branch and rush, may do.
16. In that day shall Egypt be like women, and shall fear and tremble
from before the shaking of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, which He is
shaking over it. 17. And the land of Judah shall be for a terror unto
Egypt, every person to whom one mentions it shall fear before the
purpose of Jehovah of hosts, which He is purposing against it.
18. In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt
speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah of hosts.
The city of destruction shall one be called. 19. In that day there
shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land, and a pillar
near the border to Jehovah. 20. And it shall be for a sign and a
testimony to Jehovah of hosts in the land of Egypt, that they shall
cry to Jehovah from the presence of oppressors, and He will send them
a deliverer and a mighty one, and save them. 21. And Jehovah shall be
known to Egypt, and Egypt shall know Jehovah in that day, and shall
serve with sacrifice and offering, and shall vow a vow to Jehovah,
and perform it.
22. And Jehovah shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing, and they
shall return unto Jehovah, and He shall be entreated of them, and
shall heal them. 23. In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt
to Assyria, and Assyria shall come into Egypt and Egypt into Assyria,
and Egypt shall serve with Assyria. 24. In that day shall Israel be a
third with respect to Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of
the earth, 25. which Jehovah has blessed, saying, Blessed be My
people Egypt, and the work of My hands Assyria, and My heritage
Israel.