> [[ezekiel-29|← Previous]] | [[ezekiel-00|TOC]] | [[ezekiel-31|Next →]] --- # Ezekiel, Chapter 30 ## Chapter 30 **The Day of the Lord Against Egypt.** 1 The word of the LORD came to me: ^ezekiel-30-1 2 Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord G OD: ^ezekiel-30-2 Wail: “Alas the day!” 3 Yes, a day approaches, ^ezekiel-30-3 a day of the Lord approaches: A day of dark cloud, a time appointed for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, ^ezekiel-30-4 there will be anguish in Ethiopia, When the slain fall in Egypt when its hordes are seized, its foundations razed. 5 Ethiopia, Put, and Lud, ^ezekiel-30-5 all the mixed rabble and Kub, and the people of allied lands shall fall by the sword with them. 6 Thus says the LORD: ^ezekiel-30-6 The pillars of Egypt shall fall, and its proud strength sink; From Migdol to Syene, its people will fall by the sword— oracle of the Lord G OD. 7 It shall be the most desolate ^ezekiel-30-7 among desolate lands, Its cities the most ruined among ruined cities. 8 They shall know that I am the LORD, ^ezekiel-30-8 when I set fire to Egypt, and all its allies are shattered. 9 On that day, messengers from me ^ezekiel-30-9 will go forth in ships to terrorize confident Ethiopia. Anguish will be among them on Egypt’s day—it is certainly coming! 10 Thus says the Lord G OD: ^ezekiel-30-10 I will put an end to Egypt’s hordes by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: 11 He and his army with him, ^ezekiel-30-11 the most ruthless of nations, will be brought in to devastate the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain. 12 Then I will dry up the streams of the Nile, ^ezekiel-30-12 and sell the land into evil hands; By the hand of foreigners I will devastate the land and everything in it. I, the LORD, have spoken. 13 Thus says the Lord G OD: ^ezekiel-30-13 I will destroy idols, and put an end to images in Memphis. There will never again be a prince over the land of Egypt. Instead, I will spread fear throughout the land of Egypt. 14 I will devastate Pathros, ^ezekiel-30-14 set fire to Zoan, and execute judgment against Thebes. 15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, ^ezekiel-30-15 the fortress of Egypt, and cut off the troops of Thebes. 16 I will set fire to Egypt; ^ezekiel-30-16 Pelusium will writhe in anguish, Thebes will be breached, and Memphis besieged in daylight. 17 The warriors of On and Pi-beseth ^ezekiel-30-17 will fall by the sword, the cities taken captive. 18 In Tahpanhes, the day will turn dark ^ezekiel-30-18 when I break the scepter of Egypt there and put an end to its proud strength. Dark clouds will cover it, and its women will go into captivity. 19 I will execute judgment against Egypt ^ezekiel-30-19 that they may know that I am the LORD. **Pharaoh’s Broken Arm.** 20 On the seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year, the word of the LORD came to me: ^ezekiel-30-20 21 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. See! It has not been immobilized for healing, nor set with a splint to make it strong enough to grasp a sword. ^ezekiel-30-21 22 Therefore thus says the Lord G OD: See! I am coming against Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the strong one and the broken one, making the sword fall from his hand. ^ezekiel-30-22 23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout other lands. ^ezekiel-30-23 24 I will, however, strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand so he can bring it against Egypt for plunder and pillage. ^ezekiel-30-24 25 When I strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh collapse, they shall know that I am the LORD, because I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon to wield against the land of Egypt. ^ezekiel-30-25 26 When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout other lands, they shall know that I am the LORD. ^ezekiel-30-26 \* (30:5) Mixed rabble: mercenaries. \* (30:9) God spreads panic throughout Ethiopia, ancient Cush, by sending messengers with news of Egypt’s fall. Rivers at its borders insulated Ethiopia and made it inaccessible except by boat. \* (30:13] – [19) The prophet enumerates a list of major Egyptian cities that shall each bear the judgment proclaimed in the previous oracle, vv. [1] – [12]. \* (30:20) The seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year: April 29, 587 B.C. \* (30:21] – [26) This oracle was delivered more than a year into the siege of Jerusalem ([24:1]). When Pharaoh Hophra came to help Jerusalem, the Babylonians temporarily lifted the siege; cf. [Jer 34:21]; [37:6] – [7]. In Ezekiel’s eyes, Hophra was interfering with the punishment God intended the Babylonians to inflict on Judah. The Babylonians routed the Egyptians, who could not offer Jerusalem any more help; cf. chap. [31]. a. (30:3) cf. ([[ezekiel-07|Ez 7]]:7]; [[isaiah-13|Is 13]]:6. b. (30:4) [Jer 25:19] – [20]. c. (30:6) cf. [Ez 29:10]. d. (30:8) [Jer 49:27]. e. (30:12) [[isaiah-19|Is 19]]:6. f. (30:13) [[isaiah-19|Is 19]]:13. g. (30:14) [[isaiah-19|Is 19]]:11, [13]; [Jer 46:25]. h. (30:18) [Jer 43:4] – [7]. i. (30:21) [Jer 37:10]; [44:30]; [48:25]. j. (30:24) cf. [[ezekiel-21|Ez 21]]:14. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[ezekiel-29|← Previous]] | [[ezekiel-00|TOC]] | [[ezekiel-31|Next →]]