16. I will ignite a fire in Egypt; Syene will writhe in agony, Thebes will be broken down,and Memphis will face enemies every day.
17. The young men of On and of Pi-beseth will die by the sword;and the cities will go into captivity.
18. In Tahpanhes the day will be darkwhen I break the yoke of Egypt there. Her confident pride will cease within her;a cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.
19. I will execute judgments on Egypt.Then they will know that I am the Lord.ββ
20. In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:
21. βSon of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Look, it has not been bandaged for healing or set with a dressing so that it might become strong enough to grasp a sword.
22. Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and I will break his arms, the strong arm and the broken one, and I will make the sword drop from his hand.
23. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among foreign countries.
24. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will place my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan like the fatally wounded before the king of Babylon.
25. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord when I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon and he extends it against the land of Egypt.
26. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.β