A Lament for Pharaoh King of Egypt

1In the twelfth year, on the first day of the twelfth month, the word of the LORD {YHWH} came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh (great house) king of Egypt (land of bondage) and say to him:

‘You are like a lion among the nations;

you are like a monster in the seas.

You thrash about in your rivers,

churning up the waters with your feet

and muddying the streams.’

3This is what the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH} says:

‘I will spread My net over you

with a company of many peoples,

and they will draw you up in My net.

4I will abandon you on the land

and hurl you into the open field.

I will cause all the birds of the air

to settle upon you,

and all the beasts of the earth

to eat their fill of you.

5I will put your flesh on the mountains

and fill the valleys with your remains (your lofty stature).a

6I will drench the land

with the flow of your blood,

all the way to the mountains—

the ravines will be filled.

7When I extinguish you,

I will cover the heavens

and darken their stars.

I will cover the sun with a cloud,

and the moon will not give its light.

8All the shining lights in the heavens

I will darken over you,

and I will bring darkness

upon your land,’

declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH}.

9‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples,

when I bring about your destruction among the nations,

in countriesb you do not know.

10I will cause many peoples

to be appalled over you,

and their kings will shudder in horror because of you

when I brandish My sword before them.

On the day of your downfall

each of them will tremble

every moment for his life.’

11For this is what the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH} says:

‘The sword of the king of Babylon (confusion by mixing)

will come against you!

12I will make your hordes fall

by the swords of the mighty,

the most ruthless of all nations.

They will ravage the pride of Egypt (land of bondage)

and all her multitudes will be destroyed.

13I will slaughter all her cattle

beside the abundant waters.

No human foot will muddy them again,

and no cattle hooves will disturb them.

14Then I will let her waters settle

and will make her rivers flow like oil,’

declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH}.

15‘When I make the land of Egypt (land of bondage) a desolation

and empty it of all that filled it,

when I strike down all who live there,

then they will know that I am the LORD {YHWH}.’

16This is the lament they will chant for her; the daughters of the nations will chant it. Over Egypt (land of bondage) and all her multitudes they will chant it, declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH}.”

Egypt Cast into the Pit

17In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month,c the word of the LORD {YHWH} came to me, saying, 18“Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt (land of bondage), and consign her and the daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those who descend to the Pit:

19Whom do you surpass in beauty?

Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised!

20They will fall among those slain by the sword.

The sword is appointed!

Let them drag her away

along with all her multitudes.

21Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol

about Egypt and her allies:

‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword.’

22Assyria (a step) is there with her whole company;

her graves are all around her.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword.

23Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit,

and her company is all around her grave.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword—

those who once spread terror

in the land of the living.

24Elam (eternity) is there

with all her multitudes around her grave.

All of them are slain,

fallen by the sword—

those who went down uncircumcised

to the earth below,

who once spread their terror

in the land of the living.

They bear their disgrace

with those who descend to the Pit.

25Among the slain they prepare

a resting place for Elam

with all her hordes,

with her graves all around her.

All of them are uncircumcised,

slain by the sword,

although their terror was once spread

in the land of the living.

They bear their disgrace

with those who descend to the Pit.

They are placed among the slain.

26Meshech (drawing out) and Tubal (brought) are there

with all their multitudes,

with their graves all around them.

All of them are uncircumcised,

slain by the sword,

because they spread their terror

in the land of the living.

27They do not lie down

with the fallen warriors of old [warriors of the uncircumcised],d

who went down to Sheol

with their weapons of war,

whose swords were placed under their heads,

whose shields [iniquities]e rested on their bones,

although the terror of the mighty

was once in the land of the living.

28But you too will be shattered

and lie down among the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword.

29Edom (red) is there,

and all her kings and princes,

who despite their might

are laid among those slain by the sword.

They lie down with the uncircumcised,

with those who descend to the Pit.

30All the leaders of the north

and all the Sidonians are there;

they went down in disgrace with the slain,

despite the terror of their might.

They lie uncircumcised

with those slain by the sword

and bear their shame

with those who descend to the Pit.

31Pharaoh (great house) will see them

and be comforted over all his multitude—

Pharaoh and all his army,

slain by the sword,

declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH}.

32For I will spread My terror

in the land of the living,

so that Pharaoh (great house) and all his multitude

will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised,

with those slain by the sword,

declares the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH}.”