The Father's Net Falls on Pharaoh
32 1 In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the word of our Father came to me: 2 Son of man, raise a lament over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: You thought yourself a lion among the nations, but you are like the dragon in the seas; you thrashed about in your rivers, churning the waters with your feet and fouling their streams. 1 1 v2 The "dragon in the seas" is a picture of Pharaoh as a great river-beast thrashing in the Nile — not a literal monster, but Egypt's proud and destructive power.
3 This is what the Sovereign Father says: I will spread my net over you with a host of many peoples and they will haul you up in my dragnet. 4 I will hurl you onto the land, cast you out on the open field I will make all the birds of the sky settle on you and the beasts of all the earth gorge themselves on you. 5 I will scatter your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. 6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains and the ravines will be filled with you. 7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon will not give its light. 8 I will darken all the shining lights in the heavens over you and I will bring darkness on your land, declares the Sovereign Father.
9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring news of your downfall among the nations, into lands you have not known. 10 I will leave many peoples appalled at you and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your fall they will tremble without stopping, each one for his own life. 11 For this is what the Sovereign Father says: The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you. 12 By the swords of warriors I will make your multitude fall the most ruthless of all the nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt and all its hordes will be destroyed. 13 I will wipe out all its cattle from beside the abundant waters no human foot will muddy them again nor will the hooves of cattle stir them up. 14 Then I will let their waters settle and make their rivers flow like oil, declares the Sovereign Father.
15 When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, stripping the land of all that fills it, when I strike down all who live in it then they will know that I am the Father.
16 This is a lament, and they will chant it; the daughters of the nations will chant it. Over Egypt and all its multitude they will chant it, declares the Sovereign Father.
Egypt Descends to the Pit
17 In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of our Father came to me: 18 Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send her down — her and the daughters of majestic nations — to the world below, with those who go down to the pit. 19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the uncircumcised. 20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is drawn drag her away with all her multitudes. 21 From the midst of Sheol the mighty leaders will speak of him, with his helpers: They have gone down, they lie there the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.
22 Assyria is there with all her assembly, her graves all around her, all of them slain, fallen by the sword — 23 their graves set in the deepest parts of the pit, her assembly all around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword those who once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam is there with all her multitude around her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword those who went down uncircumcised to the world below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit. 25 A bed is made for her among the slain, with all her multitude, her graves all around it all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword. Because they spread terror in the land of the living, they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit they are placed among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal are there with all their multitude, their graves around them, all of them uncircumcised, pierced by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose swords were laid beneath their heads and whose iniquities rest on their bones for the terror of these warriors had once filled the land of the living.
28 But you too will be broken among the uncircumcised and lie with those slain by the sword.
29 Edom is there, her kings and all her princes, who for all their might were laid with those slain by the sword they lie with the uncircumcised, with those who go down to the pit.
30 All the princes of the north are there and all the Sidonians, who went down in shame with the slain despite the terror their might once caused they lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
31 Pharaoh will see them and be consoled about all his multitude Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword, declares the Sovereign Father.
32 For I spread his terror in the land of the living so he will be laid among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword Pharaoh and all his multitude, declares the Sovereign Father.