An Oracle Concerning Egypt
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An 1oracle concerning 2Egypt. Behold, the LORD 3 is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and 4the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will 5melt within them.
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And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, 6and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
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and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confounda their 7counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and 8the mediums and the necromancers;
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and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of 9a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
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And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,
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and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.
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There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.
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The 10fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water.
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The workers in 11combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton.
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Those who are the 12pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who 13work for pay will be grieved.
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The princes of 14Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"?
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Where then are your 15wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
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The princes of 16Zoan have become fools, and the princes of 17Memphis are deluded; those who are the 18cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger.
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The LORD has mingled within her 19a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, 20as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
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And there will be nothing for Egypt that 21head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed
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In that day the Egyptians will be 22like women, and 23tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.
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And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the LORD of hosts has purposed against them.
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24In that day there will be 25five cities in the land of Egypt that 26speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.b
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In that day there will be an 27altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a 28pillar to the LORD at its border.
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29It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, 30he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them.
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31And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day 32and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them.
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33And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.
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34In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, 35and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
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In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, 36a blessing in the midst of the earth,
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)