5. The waters of the sea will dry up;the river will be parched and bare.
6. The rivers will stink;the streams will shrink and dry;reeds and rushes will decay.
7. Grass around the Nile, the grass at the mouth of the Nile,and all the sown land of the Nilewill dry up, blow away, and be no more.
8. Those who fish will lament;all who cast fishhooks in the Nile will mourn,and those who spread nets on the water will pine away.
9. Workers with flax will be dismayed;carders and weavers will grow pale.
10. Makers of cloth will be crushed;all who earn money will become distressed.
11. The officials of Tanis are fools;the wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors give stupid advice.How can you say to Pharaoh,"I’m a wise person,one of the ancient kings"?
12. Where now are your wise ones?Let them tell you,let them inform you what the Lord of heavenly forces has planned concerning Egypt.
13. The officials of Tanis have become fools;the princes of Memphis are deluded;the tribal chiefs have led Egypt astray.
14. The Lord has poured into them a spirit of confusion.They will make Egypt stumble in everything it does,just as a drunk stumbles in his vomit.
15. Neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reedwill be able to do anything for Egypt.
16. On that day, the Egyptians will be like women and will tremble with terror before the hand that the Lord of heavenly forces will raise against them.