2. “Mortal man,” he said, “give a solemn warning to the king of Egypt. Give him this message from me: you act like a lion among the nations, but you are more like a crocodile splashing through a river. You muddy the water with your feet and pollute the rivers.
3. When many nations gather, I will catch you in my net and let them drag the net ashore.
4. I will throw you out on the ground and bring all the birds and animals of the world to feed on you.
5. I will cover mountains and valleys with your rotting corpse.
6. I will pour out your blood until it spreads over the mountains and fills the streams.
7. When I destroy you, I will cover the sky and blot out the stars. The sun will hide behind the clouds, and the moon will give no light.
8. I will put out all the lights of heaven and plunge your world into darkness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
9. “Many nations will be troubled when I spread the news of your destruction through countries you never heard of.
10. What I do to you will shock many nations. When I swing my sword, kings will shudder with fright. On the day you fall, all of them will tremble in fear for their own lives.”
11. The Sovereign Lord says to the king of Egypt, “You will face the sword of the king of Babylonia.
12. I will let soldiers from cruel nations draw their swords and kill all your people. All your people and everything else that you are proud of will be destroyed.
13. I will slaughter your cattle at every water hole. There will be no people or cattle to muddy the water any more.
14. I will let your waters settle and become clear and let your rivers run calm. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
15. When I make Egypt a desolate waste and destroy all who live there, they will know that I am the Lord.
16. This solemn warning will become a funeral song. The women of the nations will sing it to mourn for Egypt and all its people. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
17. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the twelfth year of our exile, the Lord spoke to me.
18. “Mortal man,” he said, “mourn for all the many people of Egypt. Send them down with the other powerful nations to the world of the dead.