Prophecies relating to foreign nations
  They may resort to idols and oracle-mongers,
    to ghosts and spirits,
4   but I will hand Egypt over to a hard master,
  and a cruel king shall rule over them.
  This is the very word of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts.


   5   The waters of the Nile ^note shall drain away,
  the river shall be parched and run dry;
     6   its channels shall stink,
the streams of Egypt shall be parched and dry up;
  reeds and rushes shall wither away;
     7   the lotus too beside the Nile ^note
  and all that is sown along the Nile shall dry up,
    shall be blown away and vanish.
   8   The fishermen shall groan and lament,
  all who cast their hooks into the Nile
and those who spread nets on the water shall lose heart.
     9   The flax-dressers shall hang their heads,
  the women carding and the weavers shall grow pale, ^note
   10   Egypt's spinners shall be downcast,
  and all her artisans sick at heart.


   11   Fools that you are, you princes of Zoan!
Wisest of Pharaoh's counsellors you may be,
  but stupid counsellors you are.
  How can you say to Pharaoh,
‘I am the heir of wise men and spring from ancient kings’?
   12   Where are your wise men, Pharaoh,
  to teach you and make known to you
what the Lord of Hosts has planned for Egypt?
13   Zoan's princes are fools, the princes of Noph are dupes;
  the chieftains of her clans have led Egypt astray.
   14   The Lord has infused into them ^note
    a spirit that warps their judgement;
  they make Egypt miss her way in all she does,
  as a drunkard will miss his footing as he vomits.
15   There shall be nothing in Egypt that any man can do,
head or tail, palm or rush.

16   When that day comes the Egyptians shall become weak as women; they shall fear and tremble when they see the Lord of Hosts raise his hand against them, as raise it he will. 17   The land of Judah shall strike

Prophecies relating to foreign nations terror into Egypt; its very name shall cause dismay, because of the plans that the Lord of Hosts has laid against them.

18   When that day comes there shall be five cities in Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the Lord of Hosts, and one of them shall be called the City of the Sun. ^note

19   When that day comes there shall be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a sacred pillar set up for the Lord upon her frontier. 20   It shall stand as a token and a reminder to the Lord of Hosts in Egypt, so that when they appeal to him against their oppressors, he may send a deliverer to champion their cause, and he shall rescue them. 21   The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians; on that day they shall acknowledge the Lord and do him service with sacrifice and grain-offering, make vows to him and pay them. 22   The Lord will strike down Egypt, healing as he strikes; ^note then they will turn back to him and he will hear their prayers and heal them.

23   When that day comes there shall be a highway between Egypt and Assyria; Assyrians shall come to Egypt and Egyptians to Assyria; then Egyptians shall worship with ^note Assyrians.

24   When that day comes Israel shall rank with Egypt and Assyria, those three, and shall be a blessing in the centre of the world. 25   So the Lord of Hosts will bless them: A blessing be upon Egypt my people, upon Assyria the work of my hands, and upon Israel my possession.

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