1 T he mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) 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 hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.

The burden of Egypt. Lo, Jehovah is riding on a swift thick cloud, And He hath entered Egypt, And moved have been the idols of Egypt at His presence, And the heart of Egypt melteth in its midst.

2 A nd I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, every one against his brother and every one against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

And I armed Egyptians against Egyptians, And they fought, each against his brother, And each against his neighbour, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.

3 A nd the spirit of the Egyptians within them will become exhausted and emptied out and will fail, and I will destroy their counsel and confound their plans; and they will seek counsel from the idols and the sorcerers, and from those having familiar spirits (the mediums) and the wizards.

And emptied out hath been in its midst the spirit of Egypt. And its counsel I swallow up, And they have sought unto the idols, And unto the charmers, And unto those having familiar spirits, And unto the wizards.

4 A nd I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard and cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

And I have delivered the Egyptians Into the hand of a hard lord, And a strong king doth rule over them, An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

5 A nd the waters shall fail from the Nile, and the river shall be wasted and become dry.

And failed have waters from the sea, And a river is wasted and dried up.

6 A nd the rivers shall become foul, the streams and canals of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up, the reeds and the rushes shall wither and rot away.

And they have turned away the flowings, Weak and dried up have been brooks of the bulwark, Reed and flag have withered.

7 T he meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile shall become dry, be blown away, and be no more.

Exposed things by the brook, by the edge of the brook, And every sown thing of the brook, hath withered, It hath been driven away, and is not.

8 T he fishermen will lament, and all who cast a hook into the Nile will mourn; and they who spread nets upon the waters will languish.

And lamented have the fishers, And mourned have all casting angle into a brook, And those spreading nets on the face of the waters have languished.

9 M oreover, they who work with combed flax and they who weave white cloth will be confounded and in despair.

And ashamed have been makers of fine flax, And weavers of net-works.

10 t he pillars and foundations of Egypt will be crushed, and all those who work for hire or who build dams will be grieved.

And its foundations have been smitten, All making wages afflicted in soul.

11 T he princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become witless (stupid). How can you say to Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?

Only, fools the princes of Zoan, The counsel of the wise ones of the counsellors of Pharaoh hath become brutish. How say ye unto Pharaoh, `A son of the wise am I, a son of kings of antiquity?'

12 W here then are your wise men? Let them tell you now, and let them make known what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.

Where they now, thy wise ones? Yea, let them tell to thee, I pray thee, And they know what Jehovah of Hosts hath counselled against Egypt!

13 T he princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are confused and deceived; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray.

Foolish have been princes of Zoan, Lifted up have been princes of Noph, And they have caused Egypt to err, The chief of her tribes.

14 T he Lord has mingled a spirit of perverseness, error, and confusion within her; have caused Egypt to stagger in all her doings, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

Jehovah hath mingled in her midst A spirit of perverseness, And they have caused Egypt to err in all its work, As a drunkard erreth in his vomit.

15 N either can any work accomplish anything for Egypt, whether by head or tail, palm branch or rush.

And there is no work to Egypt, That head or tail, branch or reed, may do.

16 I n that day will the Egyptians be like women; and they will tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of hosts which He shakes over them.

In that day is Egypt like women, And it hath mourned, and been afraid, Because of the waving of the hand of Jehovah of Hosts, That He is waving over it.

17 A nd the land of Judah shall become a terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom mention of it is made will be afraid and everyone who mentions it—to him will they turn in fear, because of the purpose of the Lord of hosts which He purposes against Egypt.

And the land of Judah hath been to Egypt for a cause of staggering, Every one who doth mention it, for himself feareth, Because of the counsel of Jehovah of Hosts, That He is counselling against it.

18 I n 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 them will be called the City of the Sun or Destruction.

In that day there are five cities in the land of Egypt, Speaking the lip of Canaan, And swearing to Jehovah of Hosts, `The city of destruction,' is said of one.

19 I n 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.

In that day there is an altar to Jehovah In the midst of the land of Egypt, And a standing pillar near its border to Jehovah,

20 A nd it will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a savior, even a mighty one, and he will deliver them.

And it hath been for a sign and for a testimony, To Jehovah of Hosts in the land of Egypt, For they cry unto Jehovah from the face of oppressors, And He sendeth to them a saviour, Even a great one, and hath delivered them.

21 A nd the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know (have knowledge of, be acquainted with, give heed to, and cherish) the Lord in that day and will worship with sacrifices of animal and vegetable offerings; they will vow a vow to the Lord and perform it.

And known hath been Jehovah to Egypt, And the Egyptians have known Jehovah in that day, And done sacrifice and present, And vowed a vow to Jehovah, and completed.

22 A nd the Lord shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing it; and they will return to the Lord, and He will listen to their entreaties and heal them.

And Jehovah hath smitten Egypt, smiting and healing, And they have turned back unto Jehovah, And He hath been entreated of them, And hath healed them.

23 I n that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

In that day is a highway out of Egypt to Asshur, And come in have the Assyrians to Egypt, And the Egyptians into Asshur, And the Egyptians have served with the Assyrians.

24 I n that day Israel shall be the third, with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,

In that day is Israel third, After Egypt, and after Asshur, A blessing in the heart of the earth.

25 W hom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands and Israel My heritage.

In that Jehovah of Hosts did bless it, saying, `Blessed My people -- Egypt, And the work of My hands -- Asshur, And Mine inheritance -- Israel!'