7. The people of Israel leaned on Egypt for support, but Egypt only pierced their hands and shoulder. They leaned on you for support, but you broke and twisted their back.’”
8. So this is what the Lord GOD says: “I will bring a sword against you. I will destroy all your people and animals.
9. Egypt will be empty and destroyed. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” God said, “Why will I do these things? Because you said, ‘This is my river. I made this river.’
10. So I am against you. I am against the many branches of your Nile River. I will destroy Egypt completely. The cities will be empty from Migdol to Aswan and as far as the border of Ethiopia.
11. No person or animal will pass through Egypt. Nothing will pass through or settle there for 40 years.
12. I will destroy Egypt. The cities will be in ruins for 40 years! I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. I will make them strangers in foreign lands.”
13. This is what the Lord GOD says: “I will scatter the people of Egypt among many nations. But at the end of 40 years, I will gather those people together again.
14. I will bring back the Egyptian captives. I will bring back the Egyptians to the land of Pathros, to the land where they were born. But their kingdom will not be important.
15. It will be the least important kingdom. It will never again lift itself above the other nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.