1. A message came to me from the Lord. He said,
2. "Son of man, prophesy. Say, 'The Lord and King says, " ' "Cry out, 'A terrible day is coming!'
3. The day is near. The day of the Lord is coming. It will be a cloudy day. The nations have been sentenced to die.
4. I will send Nebuchadnezzar's sword against Egypt. Cush will suffer terribly. Many will die in Egypt. Then its wealth will be carried away. Its foundations will be torn down.
5. The people of Cush, Put, Lydia, Libya and the whole land of Arabia will be killed with swords. So will the Jews who live in Egypt. They went there from the covenant land of Israel. And the Egyptians will die too." ' "
6. The Lord says, "Those who were going to help Egypt will die. The strength Egypt was so proud of will fail. Its people will be killed with swords from Migdol all the way to Aswan," announces the Lord and King.
7. "Egypt will be more empty than any other land. Its cities will be completely destroyed.
8. I will set Egypt on fire. All those who came to help it will be crushed. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
9. "At that time I will send messengers out in ships. They will terrify the people of Cush who are so contented. Cush will suffer greatly when Egypt falls. And you can be sure it will fall."
10. The Lord and King says, "I will put an end to the huge armies of Egypt. I will use Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, to do it.
11. He and his armies will attack the land and destroy it. They will not show its people any pity at all. They will use their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with dead bodies.