Ezekiel 32

1-16 Lamentation over Pharaoh and Egypt

1-2a In the 12th year, 12th month, 1st day of the month, God tells Ezekiel to “raise a lamentation” over Pharaoh.(This is one year and nine months after the warning of Ezekiel 31. Because I read these chapters one day after another, I tend to see them as a continuous prophetic doom, but for Ezekiel they were months apart. While they seem repetitious as we read them, for Egypt they were simply reminders of what will happen to them as a result of their arrogance.)

2b-4 You think you are a lion, but you are a thrashing dragon, polluting your streams, and I will capture you in my net, throw you into an open field where birds will settle on you and wild animals will feast on you.

5-6 I will spread your carcass and blood over the land and the rivers

7-8 When I blot you out, the heavens – stars, sun and moon – will darken above you.

9-10 The hearts of the people around will be appalled and fearful of my sword.

11-12 Your hordes will fall under the sword of Babylon.

13-15 I will destroy livestock; streams will run like oil; the land will be desolate. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.

16 This lamentation shall be chanted by women of the nations.

17-32 Dirge over Egypt

17 In the 12th year, 1st month, 15th day of the month. (The NRSV has inserted “1st month” here, though a footnote states it’s not in the original Hebrew. Other translations leave it out. So this dirge appears to be two weeks after the first half of the chapter, not nine months before.)

18-21 Compose a dirge, because Egypt, like other majestic nations before her, will be cast into oblivion (the Pit, or Sheol).

22-23 Assyria is there, with all its company around its grave, who spread terror in the land of the living.

24-25 Elam is there, bearing their shame, who spread terror in the land of the living.

26-28 Meshech and Tubal (northern nations) are there, but they do not lie with fallen warriors.

29-30 Edom and its kings and the princes of the north and all the Sidonians will be there, for all the terror they caused, lying uncircumcised, killed by the sword.

31-32 When Pharaoh sees them, he will be consoled for all his hordes.His only consolation in Sheol will be that other mighty nations are there as well.