| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. | 1A pronouncement concerning Egypt: Look, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's idols will tremble before him, and Egypt will lose heart. |
| 2And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; | 2I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians; each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. |
| 3and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; | 3Egypt's spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate its plans. Then they will inquire of idols, ghosts, and spiritists. |
| 4and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord GOD of hosts. | 4I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. This is the declaration of the Lord GOD of Armies. |
| 5And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, | 5The water of the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. |
| 6and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. | 6The channels will stink; they will dwindle, and Egypt's canals will be parched. Reed and rush will wilt. |
| 7There 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. | 7The reeds by the Nile, by the mouth of the river, and all the cultivated areas of the Nile will wither, blow away, and vanish. |
| 8The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water. | 8Then the fishermen will mourn. All those who cast hooks into the Nile will lament, and those who spread nets on the water will give up. |
| 9The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. | 9Those who work with flax will be dismayed; those combing it and weaving linen will turn pale. |
| 10Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. | 10Egypt's weavers will be dejected; all her wage earners will be demoralized. |
| 11The princes of Zoan 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”? | 11The princes of Zoan are complete fools; Pharaoh's wisest advisers give stupid advice! How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the wise, a student of eastern kings"? |
| 12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt. | 12Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you and reveal what the LORD of Armies has planned against Egypt. |
| 13The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger. | 13The princes of Zoan have been fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. Her tribal chieftains have led Egypt astray. |
| 14The LORD has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. | 14The LORD has mixed within her a spirit of confusion. The leaders have made Egypt stagger in all she does, as a drunkard staggers in his vomit. |
| 15And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. | 15No head or tail, palm or reed, will be able to do anything for Egypt. |
| 16In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. | 16On that day Egypt will be like women and will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of the LORD of Armies when he raises it against them. |
| 17And 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. | 17The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what the LORD of Armies has planned against it. |
| 18In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction. | 18On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear loyalty to the LORD of Armies. One of the cities will be called the City of the Sun. |
| 19In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. | 19On that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the LORD near her border. |
| 20It 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, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. | 20It will be a sign and witness to the LORD of Armies in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them. |
| 21And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. | 21The LORD will make himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the LORD on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. |
| 22And 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. | 22The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will turn to the LORD and he will be receptive to their prayers and heal them. |
| 23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. | 23On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria. |
| 24In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, | 24On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria--a blessing within the land. |
| 25whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” | 25The LORD of Armies will bless them, saying, "Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance are blessed." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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