预言审判埃及
1第十年十月十二日，耶和华对我说： 2“人子啊，你要说预言斥责埃及王法老和埃及全国， 3你要告诉他，主耶和华这样说，
“‘埃及王法老啊，
你这躺卧在自己河中的大怪物，
我要与你为敌。
你说这尼罗河属于你，
是你为自己造的。
4但我要钩住你的腮，
使河中的鱼贴在你的鳞甲上，
把你连同贴在你鳞甲上的鱼一起从河中拉上来，
5丢弃在旷野。
你必暴尸野外，无人收殓。
我要让你成为野兽和飞鸟的食物。
6“‘这样，所有的埃及人就知道我是耶和华，因为你不过是一根芦苇，以色列人无法依靠你。 7当他们用手握住你的时候，你就断裂，刺伤了他们的肩；当他们倚靠你的时候，你就折断，闪了他们的腰。
8“‘因此，主耶和华说，看啊，我要使刀剑临到你，消灭你的人畜， 9使埃及一片荒凉。这样，他们就知道我是耶和华。因为你说这尼罗河属于你，是你造的。 10因此，我要攻击你和你的河流，使埃及从密夺到色弗尼，一直到古实的边界全都荒废。 11四十年之内，这里必无人居住，人兽踪迹灭绝。 12我必使埃及成为荒地中的荒地，让埃及的城邑沦为废墟中的废墟，长达四十年。我要将埃及人驱散到列国，分散到列邦。’
13“主耶和华说，‘四十年之后，我要把分散的埃及人从各国聚集起来。 14我要把被掳的埃及人带回来，使他们回到故土巴特罗，成为一个卑微的国家， 15在列国中最衰微，再也不能雄居列国之上。我要使埃及国势衰弱，再也不能统治列国。 16埃及不再是以色列人的指望，反而会使以色列人想起自己投靠埃及的罪。这样，他们便知道我是主耶和华。’”
17第二十七年一月一日，耶和华对我说： 18“人子啊，巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒派兵苦攻泰尔，以致士兵的头都秃了，肩也破了，却是徒劳无功。 19所以主耶和华说，‘我要把埃及赐给巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒，他必掳掠埃及的财富为战利品，犒赏自己的军队。 20他和他的军队为我效力，所以我把埃及赐给他作为酬劳。’这是主耶和华说的。
21“到那天，我必复兴以色列29:21 “我必复兴以色列”希伯来文是“我必使一只角从以色列兴起”。，使你以西结在他们当中开口说话，这样他们就知道我是耶和华。”
A prophecy against Egypt
Judgment on Pharaoh
1In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the Lord came to me: 2‘Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 3Speak to him and say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
‘ “I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
you great monster lying among your streams.
You say, ‘The Nile belongs to me;
I made it for myself.’
4But I will put hooks in your jaws
and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales.
I will pull you out from among your streams,
with all the fish sticking to your scales.
5I will leave you in the desert,
you and all the fish of your streams.
You will fall on the open field
and not be gathered or picked up.
I will give you as food
to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky.
6Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am the Lord.
‘ “You have been a staff of reed for the people of Israel. 7When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.29:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint and Vulgate); Hebrew and you caused their backs to stand
8‘ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill both man and beast. 9Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
‘ “Because you said, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it,’ 10therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and a desolate waste from Migdol to Aswan, as far as the border of Cush.29:10 That is, the upper Nile region 11The foot of neither man nor beast will pass through it; no-one will live there for forty years. 12I will make the land of Egypt desolate among devastated lands, and her cities will lie desolate for forty years among ruined cities. And I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries.
13‘ “Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: at the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were scattered. 14I will bring them back from captivity and return them to Upper Egypt, the land of their ancestry. There they will be a lowly kingdom. 15It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations. 16Egypt will no longer be a source of confidence for the people of Israel but will be a reminder of their sin in turning to her for help. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.” ’
Nebuchadnezzar’s reward
17In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: 18‘Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon drove his army in a hard campaign against Tyre; every head was rubbed bare and every shoulder made raw. Yet he and his army got no reward from the campaign he led against Tyre. 19Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth. He will loot and plunder the land as pay for his army. 20I have given him Egypt as a reward for his efforts because he and his army did it for me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
21‘On that day I will make a horn29:21 Horn here symbolises strength. grow for the Israelites, and I will open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
