| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Here is a message about Egypt: Look, the LORD rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage. | 1This message came to me concerning Egypt: Look! The LORD is advancing against Egypt, riding on a swift cloud. The idols of Egypt tremble. The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear. |
| 2"I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, brothers will fight with each other, as will neighbors, cities, and kingdoms. | 2“I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian— brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, province against province. |
| 3The Egyptians will panic, and I will confuse their strategy. They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead, from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. | 3The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will confuse their plans. They will plead with their idols for wisdom and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead. |
| 4I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a powerful king will rule over them," says the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies. | 4I will hand Egypt over to a hard, cruel master. A fierce king will rule them,” says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 5The water of the sea will be dried up, and the river will dry up and be empty. | 5The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields. The riverbed will be parched and dry. |
| 6The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up; the bulrushes and reeds will decay, | 6The canals of the Nile will dry up, and the streams of Egypt will stink with rotting reeds and rushes. |
| 7along with the plants by the mouth of the river. All the cultivated land near the river will turn to dust and be blown away. | 7All the greenery along the riverbank and all the crops along the river will dry up and blow away. |
| 8The fishermen will mourn and lament, all those who cast a fishhook into the river, and those who spread out a net on the water's surface will grieve. | 8The fishermen will lament for lack of work. Those who cast hooks into the Nile will groan, and those who use nets will lose heart. |
| 9Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed; those who weave will turn pale. | 9There will be no flax for the harvesters, no thread for the weavers. |
| 10Those who make cloth will be demoralized; all the hired workers will be depressed. | 10They will be in despair, and all the workers will be sick at heart. |
| 11The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh's wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh, "I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?" | 11What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors? |
| 12But where, oh where, are your wise men? Let them tell you, let them find out what the LORD who commands armies has planned for Egypt. | 12Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt. |
| 13The officials of Zoan are fools, the officials of Memphis are misled; the rulers of her tribes lead Egypt astray. | 13The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray. |
| 14The LORD has made them undiscerning; they lead Egypt astray in all she does, so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. | 14The LORD has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit. |
| 15Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. | 15There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless— the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed. |
| 16At that time the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because the LORD who commands armies brandishes his fist against them. | 16In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. |
| 17The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the LORD who commands armies is planning to do to them. | 17Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorize them, for the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has laid out his plans against them. |
| 18At that time five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun. | 18In that day five of Egypt’s cities will follow the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun. |
| 19At that time there will be an altar for the LORD in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar dedicated to the LORD at its border. | 19In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border. |
| 20It will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of the LORD who commands armies. When they cry out to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender who will rescue them. | 20It will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them. |
| 21The LORD will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they will acknowledge the LORD's authority at that time. They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. | 21The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it. |
| 22The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the LORD and he will listen to their prayers and heal them. | 22The LORD will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them. |
| 23At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. | 23In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. |
| 24At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing in the earth. | 24In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth. |
| 25The LORD who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying, "Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, Israel!" | 25For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!” |
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