Ezekiel 29
What Happens in This Chapter
God gives Ezekiel two dated messages about Egypt. In the first, God speaks against Pharaoh, who claims the Nile as his own, and pictures him as a river monster hauled out with hooks; Egypt will lie empty forty years, and afterward its people will return to Pathros as a lowly kingdom that Israel will no longer lean on for help. In the second message, given years later, God says he will give Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon as pay for his army's hard work against Tyre. The chapter closes with a promise that Israel will grow strong again and that Ezekiel will speak among them.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
1It was the tenth year, the tenth month, the twelfth day. A message from the LORD came to me.
2Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt:
2God said, "Son of man" — that is what God called me — "turn and face Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Tell what will happen to him and to all Egypt."
3Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
3Say this: The Lord GOD says, "I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. You are like a huge river monster lying in your rivers. You say, 'The Nile River is mine. I made it myself.'"
The KJV word "dragon" here means a big animal in the river, like a crocodile. It does not mean a fire-breathing dragon in a story. "His rivers" means the Nile and the smaller streams that branch off it.
4But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.
4"But I will put hooks in your jaws. The fish of your rivers will stick to your scales. I will drag you up out of your rivers. Every fish will still be stuck to you."
5And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
5"I will leave you lying out in the dry desert, with all your fish. You will fall in an open field. No one will pick you up or bury you. I will give you as food to wild animals and to birds."
6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
6Then everyone in Egypt will know that I am the LORD. Egypt was only a reed stick for Israel to lean on.
A "staff of reed" is a walking stick made from a hollow river plant. It looks strong, but it breaks as soon as you lean on it.
7When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
7When Israel took hold of you, you split apart and cut their shoulders. When they leaned on you, you snapped, and their backs were hurt.
8Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.
8So the Lord GOD says: I will bring a sword against you. I will cut off your people and your animals.
9And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD: because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it.
9Egypt will become empty, ruined land. Then they will know that I am the LORD. This is because Pharaoh said, "The Nile is mine. I made it."
10Behold, therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
10So I am against you and against your rivers. I will make Egypt an empty ruin. It will lie waste from Migdol to Syene, all the way to the border of Cush.
The KJV says "from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia." These are places at the far edges of Egypt. The land called Ethiopia here is Cush, south of Egypt.
11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.
11No person will walk through it. No animal will walk through it. No one will live there for forty years.
12And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
12Egypt will be the emptiest land among empty lands. Its cities will lie ruined for forty years. I will scatter its people among other nations and other countries.
13Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered:
13But the Lord GOD also says this: After forty years I will gather the Egyptians. I will bring them back from the lands where they were scattered.
14And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
14I will bring Egypt's people home from being captives. They will return to Pathros, the land they came from. There they will be a small, weak kingdom.
15It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
15It will be the weakest of all the kingdoms. It will never lift itself above other nations again. I will make it small, so it never rules other nations.
16And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
16Israel will not trust Egypt for help anymore. Looking to Egypt only reminded Israel of its own wrongdoing. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.
17And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
17In the twenty-seventh year, on the first day of the first month, a message from the LORD came to me.
18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, made his army work very hard against the city of Tyre. Every head was rubbed bald, and every shoulder was rubbed raw. Still he and his army got no pay from Tyre for all that work.
19Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
19So the Lord GOD says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its people, its riches, and its goods. That will be the pay for his army.
20I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD.
20I have given him Egypt as pay for his hard work. He and his army did that work for me, says the Lord GOD.
21In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
21On that day I will make Israel strong again, like a new horn growing. And I will open your mouth to speak among them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
A "horn" was a way of picturing strength, like the horn of a strong animal. Saying a horn will "bud" or sprout means new strength will grow.
← → to turn the page · P for plain English · click a verse to sit with it