A Lament for Pharaoh
1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, lament(A) for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:
3 This is what the Lord God says:
4
4
I will abandon you on the land
and hurl you on the open field.
I will cause all the birds of the sky
to settle on you
and let the beasts of the entire earth
eat their fill of you.(D)
5
6 and hurl you on the open field.
I will cause all the birds of the sky
to settle on you
and let the beasts of the entire earth
eat their fill of you.(D)
I will drench the land
with the flow of your blood,
even to the mountains;
the ravines will be filled with your gore.
with the flow of your blood,
even to the mountains;
the ravines will be filled with your gore.
7
When I snuff you out,
I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,(F)
and the moon will not give its light.
8 I will cover the heavens
and darken their stars.
I will cover the sun with a cloud,(F)
and the moon will not give its light.
I will darken all the shining lights
in the heavens over you,
and will bring darkness on your land.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
in the heavens over you,
and will bring darkness on your land.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
9
I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,
when I bring about your destruction
among the nations,
in countries you do not know.
10
when I bring about your destruction
among the nations,
in countries you do not know.
11 For this is what the Lord God says:
The sword of Babylon’s king
will come against you!
12 will come against you!
I will make your hordes fall
by the swords of warriors,
all of them ruthless men from the nations.(I)
They will ravage Egypt’s pride,
and all its hordes will be destroyed.
13 by the swords of warriors,
all of them ruthless men from the nations.(I)
They will ravage Egypt’s pride,
and all its hordes will be destroyed.
I will slaughter all its cattle
that are beside many waters.
No human foot will churn them again,
and no cattle hooves will disturb them.(J)
14 that are beside many waters.
No human foot will churn them again,
and no cattle hooves will disturb them.(J)
Then I will let their waters settle
and will make their rivers flow like oil.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
15 and will make their rivers flow like oil.
This is the declaration of the Lord God.
When I make the land of Egypt a desolation,
so that it is emptied of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
then they will know that I am Yahweh.(K)
so that it is emptied of everything in it,
when I strike down all who live there,
then they will know that I am Yahweh.(K)
16 “This is a lament that will be chanted;(L) the women of the nations will chant it. They will chant it over Egypt and all its hordes.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
Egypt in Sheol
17 In the twelfth year,(d) on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
18 “Son of man, wail over the hordes of Egypt and bring Egypt and the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld,(e) to be with those who descend to the Pit:(M)
19
Who do you surpass in loveliness?
Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!
20 Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised!
They will fall among those slain by the sword.
A sword is appointed!(N)
They drag her and all her hordes away.
21 A sword is appointed!(N)
They drag her and all her hordes away.
Warrior leaders will speak
from the middle of Sheol
about him(f) and his allies:
They have come down;
the uncircumcised lie
slain by the sword.(O)
from the middle of Sheol
about him(f) and his allies:
They have come down;
the uncircumcised lie
slain by the sword.(O)
22
Assyria is there with all her company;
her graves are all around her.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23 her graves are all around her.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
Her graves are set in the deepest regions of the Pit,
and her company is all around her burial place.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who once spread terror
in the land of the living.
and her company is all around her burial place.
All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—
those who once spread terror
in the land of the living.
24
25
Among the slain
they prepare a resting place for Elam
with all her hordes.
Her graves are all around her.
All of them are uncircumcised,
slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
They are placed among the slain.
they prepare a resting place for Elam
with all her hordes.
Her graves are all around her.
All of them are uncircumcised,
slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread
in the land of the living.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
They are placed among the slain.
26
27
28
But you will be shattered
and will lie down among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.(R)
and will lie down among the uncircumcised,
with those slain by the sword.(R)
29
Edom(S) is there, her kings and all her princes,
who, despite their strength, have been placed
among those slain by the sword.
They lie down with the uncircumcised,
with those who descend to the Pit.
30 who, despite their strength, have been placed
among those slain by the sword.
They lie down with the uncircumcised,
with those who descend to the Pit.
All the leaders of the north(T)
and all the Sidonians(U) are there.
They went down in shame with the slain,
despite the terror their strength inspired.
They lie down uncircumcised
with those slain by the sword.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
and all the Sidonians(U) are there.
They went down in shame with the slain,
despite the terror their strength inspired.
They lie down uncircumcised
with those slain by the sword.
They bear their disgrace
with those who descend to the Pit.
Footnotes:
a.
Ezekiel 32:2: Or Lion of the nations, you are destroyed;
b.
Ezekiel 32:2: Lit their
c.
Ezekiel 32:3: LXX, Vg read I
d.
Ezekiel 32:17: LXX reads year, in the first month,
e.
Ezekiel 32:18: Lit the lower parts of the earth
f.
Ezekiel 32:21: Either Pharaoh or Egypt
g.
Ezekiel 32:24: Lit the lower parts of the earth
h.
Ezekiel 32:26: Lit Meshech-tubal
i.
Ezekiel 32:27: LXX reads of antiquity
j.
Ezekiel 32:27: Or Do they not . . . heads?
k.
Ezekiel 32:32: Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Syr read his