Ezekiel 32

¹ In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month,[*a] the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

² ‘Son of man, raise the dirge for Pharaoh king of Egypt. Say to him, “Young lion of nations, you have been wiped out. You were like a crocodile in the water; you snorted through your nostrils, you churned the water with your feet, you muddied its streams.

³ “The Lord Yahweh says this: I am going to throw my net over you in a great concourse of nations; they will drag you ashore in my net.

⁴ I mean to leave you on land, drop you on the ground; make all the birds settle on you, glut all the beasts of the earth with you,

⁵ lay your carcase on the mountainside, fill the valleys with your offal.

⁶ I intend to water the country with what flows from you, with your blood, on the mountainsides, and the ravines will be full of it.

⁷ When I extinguish you I will cover the skies, and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with clouds and the moon will not give its light.

⁸ I will dim every luminary in heaven for you, and cover your country in darkness – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.

⁹ I shall grieve the heart of many peoples when I lead your captives among the nations, into countries unknown to you.

¹⁰ I shall stun many peoples with shock at your fate; their kings will be panic-stricken at your fate, when I brandish my sword before their eyes. On the day of your fall, each will tremble continuously for his life.

¹¹ For the Lord Yahweh says this: The sword of the king of Babylon will follow you.

¹² ‘I shall make your throngs of subjects fall at the swords of my warriors, who are the most barbarous of the nations. They will annihilate the pride of Egypt, and her whole population will be destroyed.

¹³ I shall make all her cattle perish too on the banks of the deep waters. The feet of men will not muddy them again, the feet of animals will not muddy them again.

¹⁴ Then I shall calm her waters; I shall make her rivers glide like oil – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.

¹⁵ When I reduce Egypt to desert and the country is stripped of its contents, when I strike all those who live there, they will learn that I am Yahweh.

¹⁶ Such is the dirge that the daughters of the nations will raise. They will raise it over Egypt and her huge population. This is the dirge they will raise – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.”‘

¹⁷ In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

¹⁸ ‘Son of man, raise the dirge over the huge population of Egypt; send them down, her and the daughters of the nations in their majesty, to the regions underground, with those who go down to the pit.

²⁰ ‘With those who have fallen by the sword they too will fall; her strength shall be totally extinguished.

¹⁹ “Do you excel anyone in beauty now?

²² ‘Assyria is there with all her warriors round her tomb; all killed, all victims of the sword;

²³ their graves have been made in the deepest part of the pit, with her army round her tomb, all killed, all victims of the sword, yet she once spread terror throughout the land of the living.

²⁴ ‘Elam is there, with all her troops round her tomb; all killed, all victims of the sword, they have gone down uncircumcised to the regions underground, yet she once spread terror throughout the land of the living. They endure the disgrace of those who go down to the pit.

²⁵ In the middle of the slaughtered a bed has been made for her, with all her troops round her tomb, all of them uncircumcised, put to the sword, yet she once spread terror throughout the land of the living. They endure the disgrace of those who go down to the pit. They have been put among the slaughtered.

²⁶ ‘Meshech is there, and Tubal, with all her troops round her tomb, all of them uncircumcised, put to the sword for having spread terror throughout the land of the living.

²⁷ They do not lie with the heroes who fell long ago, those who went fully armed down to Sheol, who had their swords laid under their heads and their shields put under their bones, since the heroes inspired the land of the living with terror.

²⁸ Instead, you shall lie with the uncircumcised, with those who have fallen to the sword.

²⁹ ‘Edom is there, her kings and all her princes who, despite their valour, have been laid with those who have fallen by the sword. They lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.

³⁰ ‘All the princes of the North and all the Sidonians are there, having gone down with the slaughtered, in spite of the terror their power inspired. Uncircumcised they lie with those who were victims of the sword. They endure the disgrace of those who go down to the pit.

³¹ Pharaoh will see them and take comfort at the sight of such a host put to the sword, Pharaoh and his whole army – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.

³² He who once spread terror throughout the land of the living now lies with the uncircumcised, with those who were victims of the sword, Pharaoh and his whole army. It is the Lord Yahweh who speaks.