Ezekiel 30

1 Again the word [message from God, divine utterance] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came [was given, appeared] to me, saying [to speak, to command], word study 2 “Son of man [human, descendant of Adam], prophesy [speak under divine influence] and declare that this is what the Lord [Adonay, God of reverence] GOD [Yehovah] says: Wail [howl, cry out in sorrow], ‘Alas for that day [a time of judgment, a period of reckoning]!’ word study 3 For the day [of reckoning, a time of judgment] is near [at hand, approaching quickly], the Day of the LORD [Yehovah, the sovereign God] is near [close, imminent]. It will be a day [a period of time, a season] of clouds [darkness, gloom], a time [an occasion, a moment] of doom [judgment, disaster] for the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]. word study 4 A sword [cutting instrument, weapon of war] will come against Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], and there will be anguish [intense pain, terror] in Cush [Ethiopia, the region south of Egypt] when the slain [profaned, hurt, killed] fall in Egypt, its wealth [multitude, riches] is taken away [removed, seized], and its foundations [base, starting point] are torn down [overthrown, destroyed]. word study 5 Cush [Ethiopia, the region south of Egypt], Put [a son of Ham, in northern Africa], and Lud [a son of Shem, ancestor of the Lydians], and all [every kind of] the various peoples [mingled people, a mixture of nations], as well as Libya [a country near Egypt] and the men of the covenant [promised] land [a territory, region], will fall [be defeated, perish] with Egypt by the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool of war]. word study 6 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] says: The allies [supporters, those who uphold] of Egypt will fall [be defeated, come to an end], and her proud [excellent, arrogant] strength [power, might] will collapse [come down, be brought low]. From Migdol [the tower, a fortified city] to Syene [a town in Upper Egypt] they will fall [be killed, defeated] by the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool of war] within her, declares the Lord GOD [Adonay, the supreme ruler]. word study 7 They will be desolate [left empty and destroyed, devastated] among desolate [barren and uninhabited] lands, and their cities [towns, populated areas] will lie among ruined [wasted, laid waste] cities [urban centers, communities]. word study 8 Then they will know [be certain, have assurance] that I [the Lord] am the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah] when I set [give, put] fire [burning, flame] to Egypt [the land, a country in northeastern Africa] and all [everything, every helper] her helpers [those who aid, assist] are shattered [broken, destroyed, ruptured]. word study 9 On that day [at the appointed time, in the day of the Lord] messengers [an ambassador, an envoy] will go out from Me [as My emissaries, on My behalf] in ships [vessels, boats] to frighten [terrify, cause to tremble] Cush [Ethiopia, the region south of Egypt] out of complacency [a false sense of security, careless confidence]. Anguish [intense pain, terror] will come upon them [overtake, befall] on the day of Egypt’s doom [destruction, judgment]. For it is indeed coming [certainly, surely, behold]. word study 10 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] says: I will put an end [bring to a complete stop, cause to cease] to the hordes [multitude, large crowds] of Egypt by the hand [power, direction] of Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful king, ruler of Babylon] king of Babylon [a city of confusion, a major empire]. word study 11 He [the ruler, leader] and his people [nation, Amaw] with him, the most [extremely] ruthless [fearsome, terrible] of the nations [Gentile, non-Hebrew], will be brought in [to enter, come] to destroy [ruin, corrupt] the land [earth, country]. They will draw [unsheathe, pull out] their swords [cutting instruments, knives] against Egypt [the Egyptian land, northeastern Africa] and fill [make full, complete] the land [earth, territory] with the slain [killed, profaned]. word study 12 I [the Lord] will make the streams [rivers, watercourses] dry up and sell the land [country, territory] to the wicked [bad, evil men]. By the hands [power, direction] of foreigners [strangers, non-natives] I will bring desolation [devastation, waste] upon the land [earth, ground] and everything [fullness, abundance] in it. I, the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], have spoken [communicated, declared]. word study 13 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign ruler] GOD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] says: I will destroy [completely annihilate, bring to an end] the idols [false gods, worthless objects of worship] and put an end [cause to cease, abolish] to the images [vain things, representations of false gods] in Memphis [Noph, the capital city of Egypt]. There will no longer [not again, never again] be a prince [leader, ruler] in Egypt [the land of the Nile, a country in northeastern Africa], and I will instill [put, place] fear [reverence, awe] in that land [the earth, the territory of Egypt]. word study 14 I will lay waste [make desolate, destroy] Pathros [a region in southern Egypt], set fire [kindle a flame, ignite] to Zoan [an ancient city in Egypt, also known as Tanis], and execute [carry out, administer] judgment [a sentence or act of justice] on Thebes [the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, also known as No]. word study 15 I will pour out [shed, unleash] My wrath [intense anger, rage] on Pelusium [Sin], the stronghold [fortress, place of security] of Egypt, and cut off [destroy, eliminate] the crowds [multitude, large group] of Thebes [No, the ancient capital]. word study 16 I will set fire [burning, flame] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], Pelusium [Sin, an Egyptian town] will writhe [twist and whirl] in anguish [great pain, sorrow], Thebes [No, the ancient capital of Upper Egypt] will be split open [broken up, rent asunder], and Memphis [Noph, the capital city of Egypt] will face daily [by day, every day] distress [trouble, narrow and hard circumstances]. word study 17 The young men [youth, chosen ones] of On [Aven, a place of idol worship] and Pi-beseth [mouth of loathing, a city in Egypt] will fall [be defeated, die] by the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool of war], and those cities [towns, communities] will go into captivity [be taken away, exiled, into a state of bondage]. word study 18 The day [of judgment, a time of reckoning] will be darkened [withdraw its light, become gloomy] in Tahpanhes [a city in Egypt, filled with pity] when I break [shatter, destroy] the yoke [bar, burden] of Egypt [a nation in northeastern Africa] and her proud [excellent, arrogant] strength [power, might] comes to an end [ceases, stops]. A cloud [a sign of judgment] will cover [hide, conceal] her, and her daughters [female children, villages] will go into captivity [exile, bondage, a state of being taken away]. word study 19 So I [as the sovereign Lord] will execute [carry out, bring to pass] judgment [sentence, act of justice] on Egypt [the land and its people], and they will know [perceive, understand, be certain] that I [the Lord] am the LORD [the one true God, Yehovah].” word study 20 In the eleventh [almost eleven years after we had been taken to Babylon] year, on the seventh day of the first [primary, initial] month, the word [a message or declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came to me, saying [to speak or command], word study 21 “Son [a descendant] of man [adam, the first human], I have broken [shattered, ruptured] the arm [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power] of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] king of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. See, it has not been bound up [tied, wrapped] for healing [remedy, restoration], or splinted [put in a bandage] for strength [to strengthen, to seize] to hold [to capture, to seize] the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool for battle]. word study 22 Therefore [in this manner, thus] this is what the Lord [Adonay, the supreme Ruler] GOD [Yehovah] says: Behold [look, see], I am against [opposed to, an enemy of] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful ruler] king of Egypt [a nation in northeastern Africa]. I will break [shatter, destroy] his arms [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power], both the strong one [capable, powerful] and the one already broken [fractured, weakened], and will make the sword [a cutting instrument] fall from his hand [a sign of defeat, loss of control]. word study 23 I will disperse [scatter, send in flight] the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a nation in northeastern Africa] among the nations [Gentile countries, non-Hebrew lands] and scatter [toss about, winnow] them throughout the lands [countries, territories, regions]. word study 24 I will strengthen [empower, make courageous] the arms [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power] of Babylon’s king [ruler, monarch] and place [put, set] My sword [cutting instrument] in his hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share], but I will break [shatter, rupture] the arms [strength, force] of Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader], who will groan [express deep sadness, sigh] before him like [in the manner of] a mortally wounded man [one who is slain, pierced]. word study 25 I will strengthen [empower, make courageous] the arms [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power] of Babylon’s king [ruler, monarch], but Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] arms [strength, force] will fall [be defeated, fail] limp [weak, useless]. Then they will know [understand, recognize] that I am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], when I place [give, put] My sword [cutting instrument] in the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of Babylon’s king, and he wields [stretches out, uses] it against [toward, directed at] the land [territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 26 I will disperse [scatter, send in flight] the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a nation in northeastern Africa] among the nations [Gentile countries, non-Hebrew lands] and scatter [diffuse, winnow] them throughout the lands [countries, territories, regions]. Then they will know [ascertain, perceive, learn] that I am [exist as, am present] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study