1The prophecy concerning Egypt. Behold, Jehovah rideth upon a swift cloud, And cometh to Egypt; The gods of Egypt tremble at his presence, And the heart of Egypt melteth within her.
2“I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians; Brother shall fight against brother, And neighbor against neighbor; City against city, And kingdom against kingdom.
3The spirit of Egypt shall fail within her, And her devices I will bring to naught. Then shall they consult the idols, and the sorcerers, And the necromancers, and the wizards.
4But I will give up the Egyptians to the hands of a cruel lord, And a fierce king shall rule over them,” Saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
5Then shall the waters fail from the river, Yea, the river shall be wasted and dried up.
6The streams shall become putrid; The canals of Egypt shall be emptied and dried up; The reed and the rush shall wither.
7The meadows by the river, by the borders of the river, And all that groweth by the river, Shall wither, be blasted, and be no more.
8Then shall the fishermen mourn; All they that cast the hook into the river shall lament, And they that spread nets upon the face of the waters shall languish.
9They, also, that work in flax, And they that weave white linen, shall be confounded.
10Her pillars are broken down, And all who labor for hire are grieved in heart.
11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; The wise counsellors of Pharaoh have been stupid in their counsels. How, then, can ye say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings”?
12Where are they now, thy wise men? Let them tell thee now, so that men may know it, What Jehovah of hosts hath determined concerning Egypt!
13The princes of Zoan are become fools; The princes of Noph are deceived, Even the chiefs of her tribes have caused Egypt to err.
14Jehovah hath mingled within her a spirit of perverseness, And they have caused Egypt to err in all her works, As a drunkard staggereth in his vomit.
15There shall be nothing which can be done by Egypt, By the head, or the tail, the palm-branch, or the rush.
16In that day shall the Egyptians be like women; They shall tremble and fear On account of the shaking of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, Which he shall shake against them.
17The land of Judah shall be a terror to Egypt; Every one to whom it is mentioned shall tremble On account of the purpose of Jehovah of hosts, Which he hath determined against them.
18In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt Speaking the language of Canaan, And swearing by Jehovah of hosts; One of them shall be called the City of the Sun.
19In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, And in the border of it a pillar to Jehovah,
20Which shall be a sign and a witness For Jehovah of hosts in the land of Egypt, That they cried to Jehovah on account of their oppressors, And he sent them a saviour, and a defender, who delivered them.
21Thus shall Jehovah be made known to Egypt, And the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day, And shall offer him sacrifices and oblations; They shall make vows to Jehovah, and perform them.
22Thus Jehovah will smite Egypt; he will smite and heal her; They shall return to Jehovah; Therefore will he hear and heal them.
23In that day shall there he a highway from Egypt to Assyria, And the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, And the Egyptian into Assyria, And the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians.
24In that day shall Israel be the third In connection with Egypt and Assyria, A blessing in the midst of the earth.
25Jehovah of hosts shall bless them, and say, Blessed be Egypt, my people, And Assyria, the work of my hands, And Israel, my inheritance!