1 Jehovah continued to speak his word to me:

2 »Son of man, prophesy. Say, ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »Cry for that day!

3 »‘The day is near. The Day of Jehovah is near. It will be a gloomy day, a time of trouble for the nations.

4 »‘There will be war in Egypt and anguish in Ethiopia. Many Egyptians will fall dead. People will take away Egypt's wealth, and its foundations will be torn down.

5 »‘Sudan, Put, Lud, all the Arabs, the Libyans, and people from the promised land will die in battle.’«

6 »This is what Jehovah says: ‘All Egypt's allies will die. Egypt's strength will disappear. People will die in war from Migdol to Syene, declares the Lord Jehovah!’

7 »‘Egypt will become the most desolate country in the world! Egypt's cities will lie in ruins. They will be ruined more than other cities.

8 »‘Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will set fire to Egypt and all her defenders will be killed.

9 »‘On that day I will send messengers in ships to terrify those who live in safety in Sudan. The people of Sudan will be in anguish when Egypt is in trouble. That day is coming!’

10 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I will use King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to bring an end to Egypt.

11 »He and his troops, the most ruthless troops among the nations, will be brought to destroy the land. They will draw their swords to attack Egypt and fill the land with dead bodies.

12 »I will dry up the Nile River and sell the land to wicked people. I will have foreigners destroy the land and everything in it. I, Jehovah, have spoken.’

13 »This is what the Lord Jehovah says: ‘I will destroy the statues and put an end to the idols in Memphis. A prince will never rise again in Egypt. I will spread fear throughout Egypt.

14 »‘I will destroy Pathros, set fire to Zoan and bring punishment on Thebes.

15 »‘I will pour out my fury on Sin, Egypt's fortress, and I will kill many people in Thebes.

16 »‘I will set fire to Egypt. Sin will be in much pain. Thebes will be broken into pieces, and Memphis will be in trouble every day.

17 »‘The young men from Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and people from these cities will go into exile.

18 »‘At Tahpanhes the day will turn dark when I break Egypt's power. Egypt's strong army will be defeated. Clouds will cover Egypt, and people from its villages will go into exile.’«

19 »‘Then they will know that I am Jehovah, because I will bring punishment on Egypt.

20 On the seventh day of the first month in the eleventh year, Jehovah spoke his word to me:

21 »Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. His arm is not bandaged, so it cannot heal and be strong enough to hold a sword.«

22 »The Lord Jehovah says: ‘I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong and the broken. I will make the sword fall from his hand.

23 ‘»I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands.

24 ‘»For I will strengthen the arms the power of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand. I will break the arms of Pharaoh. He will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man.

25 ‘»I will strengthen the arms the power of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am Jehovah, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.

26 ‘»When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«