1 An oracle concerning Egypt: Look, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.

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.

2 I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against his brother, each against his neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

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.

3 The spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied from within them, and I will confound their plans. They will seek idols, mediums, spirits, and fortune-tellers.

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.

4 I will hand over the Egyptians to a harsh master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord, the LORD of Hosts.

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.

5 The waters will dry up from the sea, and the river will be parched and dry.

And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

6 The rivers will stink, the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; reeds and rushes will wither.

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.

7 The meadows by the Nile, along the banks of the river, and all sown land by the Nile will wither, be blown away, and be no more.

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.

8 The fishermen will mourn, all who cast hooks into the Nile will lament, and those who spread nets on the water will grow weak.

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.

9 Those who work with combed flax and those who weave fine linen will be dismayed.

Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.

10 The pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for wages will be dejected in spirit.

And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; Pharaoh's wisest counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, 'I am a descendant of the wise, a son of ancient kings'?

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?

12 Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you and make known what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt.

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.

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. They have led Egypt astray, the cornerstone of its tribes.

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.

14 The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of confusion, and they have led Egypt astray in all that it does, like a drunkard staggering in his vomit.

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.

15 There will be no work for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, can accomplish.

Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

16 In that day, the Egyptians will be like women and will tremble with fear before the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, which He raises against them.

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.

17 The land of Judah will terrify Egypt, and everyone in Egypt who hears the mention of it will be gripped with fear because of the plan of the LORD of Hosts, which He is devising against them.

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.

18 In that day, five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of Hosts. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

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.

19 In that day, there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD on its border.

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.

20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and He will rescue them.

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.

21 So the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day, they will acknowledge the LORD. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill 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.

22 The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. Then they will turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them.

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.

23 In that day, there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria, and the Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

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.

24 In that day, Israel will join a threefold alliance with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing upon the earth.

In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:

25 The LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.'

Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.