On March 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
"Son of man, mourn for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and give him this message: You think of yourself as a strong young lion among the nations, but you are really just a sea monster, heaving around in your own rivers, stirring up mud with your feet.
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will send many people to catch you in my net and haul you out of the water.
I will leave you stranded on the land to die. All the birds of the heavens will land on you, and the wild animals of the whole earth will gorge themselves on you.
I will cover the hills with your flesh and fill the valleys with your bones.
I will drench the earth with your gushing blood all the way to the mountains, filling the ravines to the brim.
When I blot you out, I will veil the heavens and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give you its light.
Yes, I will bring darkness everywhere across your land. Even the brightest stars will become dark above you. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!
"And when I bring your shattered remains to distant nations that you have never seen, I will disturb many hearts.
Yes, I will bring terror to many lands, and their kings will be terrified because of all I do to you. They will shudder in fear for their lives as I brandish my sword before them on the day of your fall.
"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.
I will destroy you with the swords of mighty warriors--the terror of the nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all its hordes will be destroyed.
I will destroy all your flocks and herds that graze beside the streams. Never again will people or animals disturb those waters with their feet.
Then I will let the waters of Egypt become calm again, and they will flow as smoothly as olive oil, says the Sovereign LORD.
And when I destroy Egypt and wipe out everything you have and strike down all your people, then you will know that I am the LORD.
Yes, this is the funeral song they will sing for Egypt. Let all the nations mourn for Egypt and its hordes. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"
On March 17, during the twelfth year, another message came to me from the LORD:
"Son of man, weep for the hordes of Egypt and for the other mighty nations. For I will send them down to the world below in company with those who descend to the pit.
Say to them, `O Egypt, are you lovelier than the other nations? No! So go down to the pit and lie there among the outcasts.'
The Egyptians will fall with the many who have died by the sword, for the sword is drawn against them. Egypt will be dragged away to its judgment.
Down in the grave mighty leaders will mockingly welcome Egypt and its allies, saying, `They have come down; they lie among the outcasts, all victims of the sword.'
"Assyria lies there surrounded by the graves of all its people, those who were slaughtered by the sword.
Their graves are in the depths of the pit, and they are surrounded by their allies. These mighty men who once struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere are now dead at the hands of their enemies.
"Elam lies there buried with its hordes who descended as outcasts to the world below. They terrorized the nations while they lived, but now they lie in the pit and share the humiliation of those who have gone to the world of the dead.
They have a resting place among the slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of all their people. Yes, they terrorized the nations while they lived, but now they lie in shame in the pit, all of them outcasts, slaughtered by the sword.
"Meshech and Tubal are there, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. They once struck terror into the hearts of all people. But now they are outcasts, all victims of the sword.
They are not buried in honor like the fallen heroes of the outcasts, who went down to the grave with their weapons--their shields covering their bodies, and their swords beneath their heads. They brought terror to everyone while they were still alive.
"You too, Egypt, will lie crushed and broken among the outcasts, all victims of the sword.
"Edom is there with its kings and princes. Mighty as they were, they also lie among those killed by the sword, with the outcasts who have gone down to the pit.
All the princes of the north and the Sidonians are there, all victims of the sword. Once a terror, they now lie there in shame. They lie there as outcasts with all the other dead who have descended to the pit.
"When Pharaoh arrives, he will be relieved to find that he is not alone in having his entire army killed, says the Sovereign LORD.
For I have caused my terror to fall upon all the living. And Pharaoh and his hordes will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"