Egypt

"Human being, raise a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt; say to him, 'You compared yourself to a lion among the nations; In fact, you are more like a crocodile in the lakes. You burst out of your streams, churn the water with your feet and foul their streams.'

With the swords of the warriors I will cause your hordes to fall. They are all the most barbarous of the nations, and they will shatter the glory of Egypt - all its hordes will be destroyed.

'When I make the land of Egypt a ruined waste, a land stripped of all that filled it; when I strike all those who live there; they will know that I am ADONAI.

This is the lament that they will raise; the daughters of the nations will use it to mourn; they will chant it for Egypt and all its hordes,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

"Human being, wail for the hordes of Egypt; send them with the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld, with those who descend to the pit.

"Now, Adonai our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, thereby winning renown for yourself, as is the case today - we sinned, we acted wickedly.

He will also carry off as booty to Egypt their gods, their cast metal images and their valuable gold and silver vessels. Then for some years, he will refrain from attacking the king of the north.

He will reach out his hand to seize other countries too. The land of Egypt will not escape -

he will control the treasures of gold and silver, as well as everything else in Egypt of value. Put and Ethiopia will be subject to him.

I will give her her vineyards from there and the Akhor Valley as a gateway to hope. She will respond there as she did when young, as she did when she came up from Egypt.

Efrayim behaves like a silly, foolish dove - going to Egypt, then to Ashur for help.

They return, but not upward; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will die by the sword because of their angry talk. They will become a laughingstock in the land of Egypt.

They offer me sacrifices of flesh and eat them, but ADONAI does not accept them. Now he will recall their crimes and punish their sins - they will return to Egypt.

They won't remain in the land of ADONAI; instead, Efrayim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Ashur.

For suppose they escape the destruction - Egypt will round them up, Memphis will bury them. And their precious treasures of silver? Nettles will possess them, thorns will be in their tents.

"When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son.

He will not return to the land of Egypt, but Ashur will be his king, because they refused to repent.

They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt, like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur; and I will resettle them in their own houses, says ADONAI.

Efrayim is chasing the wind, pursuing the wind from the east. All day he piles up lies and desolation they make a covenant with Ashur, while sending olive oil to Egypt.

"But I am ADONAI your God, from the land of Egypt. Again I will make you live in tents, as in the days of the established festival.

By a prophet ADONAI brought Isra'el up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was protected.

Still, I am ADONAI your God, from the land of Egypt; and you don't know any God but me or, other than me, any Savior.

But Egypt will be desolate and Edom a desert waste, because of the violence done to the people of Y'hudah, because they shed innocent blood in their land.

More than that, I brought you up from Egypt, led you forty years in the desert, so that you could have the Emori's land.

"Listen to this word which ADONAI has spoken against you, people of Isra'el, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: