1. The word of the Lord came to me again. He said,
2. “Son of man, speak for me. Say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “‘Cry and say, “A terrible day is coming.”
3. That day is near! Yes, the Lord’S day for judging is near. It will be a cloudy day, the time for judging the nations.
4. A sword will come against Egypt! People in Ethiopia will shake with fear, when Egypt falls. The army of Babylon will take the Egyptians as prisoners. Egypt’s foundations will be torn down.
5. “‘Many people made peace agreements with Egypt. But all those people from Ethiopia, Put, Lud, all Arabia, Libya, and the people of Israel will be destroyed!
6. “‘This is what the Lord says: Those who support Egypt will fall! The pride in her power will end. The people in Egypt will be killed in battle, all the way from Migdol to Aswan. This is what the Lord GOD said!
7. Egypt will join the other countries that were destroyed. Its cities will be among those that are in ruins.
8. I will start a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers will be destroyed. Then they will know that I am the Lord!
9. “‘At that time I will send out messengers. They will go in ships to carry the bad news to Ethiopia. Ethiopia now feels safe, but the people of Ethiopia will shake with fear when Egypt is punished. That time is coming!’”
10. This is what the Lord GOD says: “I will use the king of Babylon. I will use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the people of Egypt.
11. Nebuchadnezzar and his people are the most terrible of the nations, and I will bring them to destroy Egypt. They will pull out their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with dead bodies.
12. I will make the Nile River become dry land. Then I will sell the dry land to evil people. I will use strangers to make that land empty. I, the Lord, have spoken!”