The burden of Egypt
. Behold, the LORD
rideth
upon a swift
cloud
, and shall come
into Egypt
: and the idols
of Egypt
shall be moved
at his presence
, and the heart
of Egypt
shall melt
in the midst
of it.
And I will set the Egyptians
against the Egyptians
: and they shall fight
every one
against his brother
, and every one
against his neighbour
; city
against city
, and kingdom
against kingdom
.
And the spirit of Egypt
shall fail
in the midst
thereof; and I will destroy
the counsel
thereof: and they shall seek
to the idols
, and to the charmers
, and to them that have familiar spirits
, and to the wizards
.
And the Egyptians
will I give over
into the hand
of a cruel
lord
; and a fierce
king
shall rule
over them, saith
the Lord
, the LORD
of hosts
.
And the waters shall fail
from the sea
, and the river
shall be wasted
and dried up
.
And they shall turn the rivers
far away
; and the brooks
of defence
shall be emptied
and dried up
: the reeds
and flags
shall wither
.
The paper reeds by the brooks
, by the mouth
of the brooks
, and every thing sown
by the brooks
, shall wither
, be driven away
, and be no more .
The fishers also shall mourn
, and all they that cast
angle
into the brooks
shall lament
, and they that spread
nets
upon
the waters
shall languish
.
Moreover they that work in fine
flax
, and they that weave
networks
, shall be confounded
.
And they shall be broken in the purposes
thereof, all that make
sluices
and ponds
for fish
.
Surely the princes of Zoan
are fools
, the counsel
of the wise
counsellors
of Pharaoh
is become brutish
: how say
ye unto Pharaoh
, I am the son
of the wise
, the son
of ancient
kings
?
Where are they? where
are thy wise
men ? and let them tell
thee now, and let them know
what the LORD
of hosts
hath purposed
upon Egypt
.
The princes of Zoan
are become fools
, the princes
of Noph
are deceived
; they have also seduced
Egypt
, even they that are the stay
of the tribes
thereof.
The LORD hath mingled
a perverse
spirit
in the midst
thereof: and they have caused Egypt
to err
in every work
thereof, as a drunken
man staggereth
in his vomit
.
Neither shall there be any work for Egypt
, which the head
or tail
, branch
or rush
, may do
.
In that day shall Egypt
be like unto women
: and it shall be afraid
and fear
because
of the shaking
of the hand
of the LORD
of hosts
, which he shaketh
over it.
And the land of Judah
shall be a terror
unto Egypt
, every one that maketh mention
thereof shall be afraid
in himself, because
of the counsel
of the LORD
of hosts
, which he hath determined
against it.
In that day shall five
cities
in the land
of Egypt
speak
the language
of Canaan
, and swear
to the LORD
of hosts
; one
shall be called
, The city
of destruction
.
In that day shall there be an altar
to the LORD
in the midst
of the land
of Egypt
, and a pillar
at
the border
thereof to the LORD
.
And it shall be for a sign and for a witness
unto the LORD
of hosts
in the land
of Egypt
: for they shall cry
unto the LORD
because
of the oppressors
, and he shall send
them a saviour
, and a great one
, and he shall deliver
them.
And the LORD shall be known
to Egypt
, and the Egyptians
shall know
the LORD
in that day
, and shall do
sacrifice
and oblation
; yea, they shall vow
a vow
unto the LORD
, and perform
it .
And the LORD shall smite
Egypt
: he shall smite
and heal
it : and they shall return
even to the LORD
, and he shall be intreated
of them, and shall heal
them.
In that day shall there be a highway
out of Egypt
to Assyria
, and the Assyrian
shall come
into Egypt
, and the Egyptian
into Assyria
, and the Egyptians
shall serve
with the Assyrians
.
In that day shall Israel
be the third
with Egypt
and with Assyria
, even a blessing
in the midst
of the land
:
Whom the LORD of hosts
shall bless
, saying
, Blessed
be Egypt
my people
, and Assyria
the work
of my hands
, and Israel
mine inheritance
.