A prophecyagainst Egypt:
See, theLordrides on a swift cloudand is coming to Egypt.The idols of Egypt tremble before him,and the hearts of the Egyptians meltwith fear.
2I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptianbrother will fight against brother,neighbor against neighbor,city against city,kingdom against kingdom.3The Egyptians will lose heart,and I will bring their plansto nothing;they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,the mediums and the spiritists.4I will hand the Egyptians overto the power of a cruel master,and a fierce kingwill rule over them,declares the Lord, theLordAlmighty.
5The waters of the river will dry up,and the riverbed will be parched and dry.6The canals will stink;the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.The reedsand rushes will wither,7also the plantsalong the Nile,at the mouth of the river.Every sown fieldalong the Nilewill become parched, will blow away and be no more.8The fishermenwill groan and lament,all who cast hooksinto the Nile;those who throw nets on the waterwill pine away.9Those who work with combed flaxwill despair,the weavers of fine linenwill lose hope.10The workers in cloth will be dejected,and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
11The officials of Zoanare nothing but fools;the wise counselorsof Pharaoh give senseless advice.How can you say to Pharaoh,I am one of the wise men,a disciple of the ancient kings?
12Where are your wise mennow?Let them show you and make knownwhat theLordAlmightyhas plannedagainst Egypt.13The officials of Zoanhave become fools,the leaders of Memphisare deceived;the cornerstonesof her peopleshave led Egypt astray.14TheLordhas poured into thema spirit of dizziness;they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,as a drunkard staggersaround in his vomit.15There is nothing Egypt can dohead or tail, palm branch or reed.
16In that daythe Egyptians will become weaklings.They will shudder with fearat the uplifted handthat theLordAlmighty raises against them.17And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,because of what theLordAlmighty is planningagainst them.
18In that dayfive citiesin Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegianceto theLordAlmighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a]
19In that daythere will be an altarto theLordin the heart of Egypt,and a monumentto theLordat its border.20It will be a sign and witnessto theLordAlmighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to theLordbecause of their oppressors, he will send them a saviorand defender, and he will rescuethem.21So theLordwill make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledgetheLord. They will worshipwith sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to theLordand keep them.22TheLordwill strikeEgypt with a plague;he will strike them and heal them. They will turnto theLord, and he will respond to their pleas and healthem.
23In that daythere will be a highwayfrom Egypt to Assyria.The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worshiptogether.24In that dayIsrael will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,a blessing[b]on the earth.25TheLordAlmighty will blessthem, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people,Assyria my handiwork,and Israel my inheritance.Watch at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMOiZ9KdGDs
