17. There they will cry, ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a big windbag.He has missed his chance.’
18. “As I live,” declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies,“someone who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains will come.Someone who is like Mount Carmel by the sea will come.
19. Pack your bags, inhabitants of Egypt,because you will be taken away as captives.Memphis will become a dreary wasteland,a pile of rubble where no one lives.
20. “Egypt is like a beautiful cow,but a horsefly from the north will attack it.
21. Egypt’s hired soldiers are like fattened calves.They will turn and run away together.They won’t stand their ground.The day of destruction is coming.At that time they will be punished.
22. Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away.Its enemies will come with full force.They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.
23. They will cut down the forest,” declares the Lord,“since Egypt can’t be found.They are more numerous than locusts; they can’t be counted.
24. The people of Egypt will be put to shame.They will be handed over to the people from the north.”
25. The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says,“I’m going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes.I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings,and whoever trusts Pharaoh.
26. I’ll hand them over to those who want to kill them,to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers.Afterward, they will live in peace as they did long ago,”declares the Lord.