The Day No One Saw Coming.

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of the Lord came to me:

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנָּבֵא֙ וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה הֵילִ֖ילוּ הָ֥הּ לַיּֽוֹם׃

[2] “Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God : “Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’

כִּֽי־קָר֣וֹב י֔וֹם וְקָר֥וֹב י֖וֹם לַֽיהוָ֑ה י֣וֹם עָנָ֔ן עֵ֥ת גּוֹיִ֖ם יִֽהְיֶֽה׃

[3] For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

וּבָאָ֥ה חֶ֙רֶב֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְהָיְתָ֤ה חַלְחָלָה֙ בְּכ֔וּשׁ בִּנְפֹ֥ל חָלָ֖ל בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְלָקְח֣וּ הֲמוֹנָ֔הּ וְנֶהֶרְס֖וּ יְסוֹדֹתֶֽיהָ׃

[4] A sword shall come upon Egypt, and anguish shall be in Cush, when the slain fall in Egypt, and her wealth is carried away, and her foundations are torn down.

כּ֣וּשׁ וּפ֤וּט וְלוּד֙ וְכָל־הָעֶ֣רֶב וְכ֔וּב וּבְנֵ֖י אֶ֣רֶץ הַבְּרִ֑ית אִתָּ֖ם בַּחֶ֥רֶב יִפֹּֽלוּ׃ פ

[5] Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya, and the people of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וְנָֽפְלוּ֙ סֹמְכֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָרַ֖ד גְּא֣וֹן עֻזָּ֑הּ מִמִּגְדֹּ֣ל סְוֵנֵ֗ה בַּחֶ֙רֶב֙ יִפְּלוּ־בָ֔הּ נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃

[6] “Thus says the Lord : Those who support Egypt shall fall, and her proud might shall come down; from Migdol to Syene they shall fall within her by the sword, declares the Lord God .

וְנָשַׁ֕מּוּ בְּת֖וֹךְ אֲרָצ֣וֹת נְשַׁמּ֑וֹת וְעָרָ֕יו בְּתוֹךְ־עָרִ֥ים נַחֲרָב֖וֹת תִּֽהְיֶֽינָה׃

[7] And they shall be desolated in the midst of desolated countries, and their cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste.

וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּתִתִּי־אֵ֣שׁ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְנִשְׁבְּר֖וּ כָּל־עֹזְרֶֽיהָ׃

[8] Then they will know that I am the Lord , when I have set fire to Egypt, and all her helpers are broken.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יֵצְא֨וּ מַלְאָכִ֤ים מִלְּפָנַי֙ בַּצִּ֔ים לְהַחֲרִ֖יד אֶת־כּ֣וּשׁ בֶּ֑טַח וְהָיְתָ֨ה חַלְחָלָ֤ה בָהֶם֙ בְּי֣וֹם מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י הִנֵּ֖ה בָּאָֽה׃ ס

[9] “On that day messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting people of Cush, and anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom; for, behold, it comes!

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֑ה וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ אֶת־הֲמ֣וֹן מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּיַ֖ד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶֽל׃

[10] “Thus says the Lord God : “I will put an end to the wealth of Egypt, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

ה֠וּא וְעַמּ֤וֹ אִתּוֹ֙ עָרִיצֵ֣י גוֹיִ֔ם מֽוּבָאִ֖ים לְשַׁחֵ֣ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהֵרִ֤יקוּ חַרְבוֹתָם֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמָלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ חָלָֽל׃

[11] He and his people with him, the most ruthless of nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land, and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.

וְנָתַתִּ֤י יְאֹרִים֙ חָֽרָבָ֔ה וּמָכַרְתִּ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ בְּיַד־רָעִ֑ים וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֞י אֶ֤רֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ֙ בְּיַד־זָרִ֔ים אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבַּֽרְתִּי׃ ס

[12] And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the Lord ; I have spoken.

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֨י גִלּוּלִ֜ים וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֤י אֱלִילִים֙ מִנֹּ֔ף וְנָשִׂ֥יא מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֖יִם לֹ֣א יִֽהְיֶה־ע֑וֹד וְנָתַתִּ֥י יִרְאָ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

[13] “Thus says the Lord God : “I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis; there shall no longer be a prince from the land of Egypt; so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.

וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִי֙ אֶת־פַּתְר֔וֹס וְנָתַ֥תִּי אֵ֖שׁ בְּצֹ֑עַן וְעָשִׂ֥יתִי שְׁפָטִ֖ים בְּנֹֽא׃

[14] I will make Pathros a desolation and will set fire to Zoan and will execute judgments on Thebes.

וְשָׁפַכְתִּ֣י חֲמָתִ֔י עַל־סִ֖ין מָע֣וֹז מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהִכְרַתִּ֖י אֶת־הֲמ֥וֹן נֹֽא׃

[15] And I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium, the stronghold of Egypt, and cut off the multitude of Thebes.

וְנָתַ֤תִּי אֵשׁ֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם ח֤וּל ׳תָּחִיל׳ ״תָּחוּל֙״ סִ֔ין וְנֹ֖א תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְהִבָּקֵ֑עַ וְנֹ֖ף צָרֵ֥י יוֹמָֽם׃

[16] And I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium shall be in great agony; Thebes shall be breached, and Memphis shall face enemies by day.

בַּח֥וּרֵי אָ֛וֶן וּפִי־בֶ֖סֶת בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֑לוּ וְהֵ֖נָּה בַּשְּׁבִ֥י תֵלַֽכְנָה׃

[17] The young men of On and of Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword, and the women shall go into captivity.

וּבִֽתְחַפְנְחֵס֙ חָשַׂ֣ךְ הַיּ֔וֹם בְּשִׁבְרִי־שָׁם֙ אֶת־מֹט֣וֹת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְנִשְׁבַּת־בָּ֖הּ גְּא֣וֹן עֻזָּ֑הּ הִ֚יא עָנָ֣ן יְכַסֶּ֔נָּה וּבְנוֹתֶ֖יהָ בַּשְּׁבִ֥י תֵלַֽכְנָה׃

[18] At Tehaphnehes the day shall be dark, when I break there the yoke bars of Egypt, and her proud might shall come to an end in her; she shall be covered by a cloud, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתִי שְׁפָטִ֖ים בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ

[19] Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord .”

וַיְהִ֗י בְּאַחַ֤ת עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה בָּֽרִאשׁ֖וֹן בְּשִׁבְעָ֣ה לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

[20] In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me:

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם אֶת־זְר֛וֹעַ פַּרְעֹ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם שָׁבָ֑רְתִּי וְהִנֵּ֣ה לֹֽא־חֻ֠בְּשָׁה לָתֵ֨ת רְפֻא֜וֹת לָשׂ֥וּם חִתּ֛וּל לְחָבְשָׁ֥הּ לְחָזְקָ֖הּ לִתְפֹּ֥שׂ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ ס

[21] “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and behold, it has not been bound up, to heal it by binding it with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword.

לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִֹ֗ה הִנְנִי֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם וְשָֽׁבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־זְרֹ֣עֹתָ֔יו אֶת־הַחֲזָקָ֖ה וְאֶת־הַנִּשְׁבָּ֑רֶת וְהִפַּלְתִּ֥י אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב מִיָּדֽוֹ׃

[22] Therefore thus says the Lord God : Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong arm and the one that was broken, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

וַהֲפִצוֹתִ֥י אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם וְזֵרִיתִ֖ם בָּאֲרָצֽוֹת׃

[23] I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.

וְחִזַּקְתִּ֗י אֶת־זְרֹעוֹת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וְנָתַתִּ֥י אֶת־חַרְבִּ֖י בְּיָד֑וֹ וְשָׁבַרְתִּי֙ אֶת־זְרֹע֣וֹת פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְנָאַ֛ק נַאֲק֥וֹת חָלָ֖ל לְפָנָֽיו׃

[24] And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded.

וְהַחֲזַקְתִּ֗י אֶת־זְרֹעוֹת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹע֥וֹת פַּרְעֹ֖ה תִּפֹּ֑לְנָה וְֽיָדְע֞וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה בְּתִתִּ֤י חַרְבִּי֙ בְּיַ֣ד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל וְנָטָ֥ה אוֹתָ֖הּ אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

[25] I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am the Lord , when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.

וַהֲפִצוֹתִ֤י אֶת־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם וְזֵרִיתִ֥י אוֹתָ֖ם בָּאֲרָצ֑וֹת וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס

[26] And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord .”