6. Then all the inhabitants of Egyptwill know that I am Yahweh,for they have been a staff made of reedto the house of Israel.
7. When Israel grasped you by the hand,you splintered, tearing all their shoulders;when they leaned on you,you shattered and made all their hips unsteady.
8. “Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I am going to bring a sword against you and wipe out man and animal from you.
9. The land of Egypt will be a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. Because you said, ‘The Nile is my own; I made it,’
10. therefore, I am against you and your Nile. I will turn the land of Egypt into ruins, a desolate waste from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.
11. No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it. It will be uninhabited for 40 years.
12. I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolate lands, and its cities will be a desolation among ruined cities for 40 years. I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them across the countries.
13. “For this is what the Lord God says: At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were dispersed.
14. I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
15. Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small they cannot rule over the nations.
16. It will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their sin of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.”
17. In the twenty-seventh year in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: