Ezekiel 32

A Lament for Pharaoh

Pharaoh Brought Down

1 In the twelfth year, twelfth month, first day, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 “Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: You thought you were like a young lion among the nations, but you were really like a monster in the seas. You burst out with your rivers, muddied the waters with your feet, and stirred up their streams.

3 This is what the Lord GOD says: I will spread My net over you with a crowd of many peoples, and they will haul you up in My net.

4 I will throw you on the land and hurl you onto the open field. I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you and let the beasts of the whole earth feed on you.

5 I will put your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your remains.

6 I will drench the land with what flows from you, even to the mountains, and the ravines will be full of you.

7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

8 I will darken all the shining lights in the sky over you and bring darkness on your land, declares the Lord GOD.

9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring news of your destruction among the nations, into lands you have not known.

10 I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings will shudder in horror because of you when I brandish My sword before them. They will tremble every moment, each one fearing for his own life, on the day of your fall.

11 For this is what the Lord GOD says: The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.

12 By the swords of mighty men, the most ruthless of nations, I will make your hordes fall. They will all destroy the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be wiped out.

13 I will destroy all her cattle from beside many waters, and no human foot will muddy them again, nor will animal hooves stir them up.

14 Then I will make their waters settle and make their rivers flow like oil, declares the Lord GOD.

15 When I make the land of Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.

16 This is a lament, and it will be used as a lament. The daughters of the nations will chant it; they will chant it over Egypt and over all her hordes, declares the Lord GOD.

Egypt’s Descent to the Grave

17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

18 “Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring them down, her and the daughters of mighty nations, to the earth below, with those who go down to the pit.

19 ‘Whom do you surpass in beauty, Go down and lie with the uncircumcised.’

20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is given, draw her away with all her hordes.

21 The mighty chiefs will speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol: ‘They have come down; they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’

22 Assyria is there with all her company, her graves all around her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword.

23 Their graves are set in the depths of the pit, and her company is all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, those who once spread terror in the land of the living.

24 Elam is there with all her hordes around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, though they spread terror in the land of the living; they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

25 They set her a bed among the slain with all her hordes, her graves all around her, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because their terror spread in the land of the living. They bear their shame with those who go down to the pit; they are placed among the slain.

26 Meshech and Tubal are there with all their hordes, their graves all around them, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in the land of the living.

27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of old who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads and whose shields are on their bones, because the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living.

28 But you will be broken among the uncircumcised and lie with those slain by the sword.

29 Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who in spite of their power are placed with those slain by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.

30 All the princes of the north are there, all the Sidonians, who have gone down in shame with the slain, despite the terror caused by their might. They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.

31 Pharaoh will see them and be comforted over all his hordes, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD.

32 For I spread terror in the land of the living; so Pharaoh and all his hordes will lie among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword, declares the Lord GOD.