19 The
burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall
come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence,
and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 2 And
I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every
one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against
city, and kingdom against kingdom. 3 And
the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy
the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers,
and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 4 And
the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce
king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. 5 And
the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and
dried up. 6 And
they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be
emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. 7 The
paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing
sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. 8 The
fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks
shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 9 Moreover
they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. 10 And
they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and
ponds for fish. 11 Surely
the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of
Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the
wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where
are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let
them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.
13
The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived;
they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes
thereof. 14 The
LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have
caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in
his vomit. 15 Neither
shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush,
may do. 16 In
that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear
because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh
over it. 17 And
the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention
thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of
hosts, which he hath determined against it. 18 In
that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan,
and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. 19 In
that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of
Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. 20 And
it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land
of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and
he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. 21 And
the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD
in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a
vow unto the LORD, and perform it. 22 And
the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return
even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 23 In
that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian
shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians
shall serve with the Assyrians. 24 In
that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing
in the midst of the land: 25 Whom
the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria
the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.