Daily Bread

“‘Wail^(A) and say,
    “Alas for that day!”
³ For the day is near,^(B)
    the day of the Lord^(C) is near—
a day of clouds,
    a time of doom for the nations.
⁴ A sword will come against Egypt,^(D)
    and anguish will come upon Cush.^[a](E)
When the slain fall in Egypt,
    her wealth will be carried away
    and her foundations torn down.^(F)

“‘The allies of Egypt will fall
    and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan^(K)
    they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
⁷ “‘They will be desolate
    among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
    among ruined cities.^(L)
8 Then they will know that I am the Lord,
    when I set fire^(M) to Egypt
    and all her helpers are crushed.^(N)

“‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
    by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar^(R) king of Babylon.^(S)
11 He and his army—the most ruthless of nations^(T)—
    will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
    and fill the land with the slain.^(U)
12 I will dry up^(V) the waters of the Nile^(W)
    and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
    I will lay waste^(X) the land and everything in it.

“‘I will destroy the idols^(Y)
    and put an end to the images in Memphis.^(Z)
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,^(AA)
    and I will spread fear throughout the land.
¹⁴ I will lay^(AB) waste Upper Egypt,
    set fire to Zoan^(AC)
    and inflict punishment on Thebes.^(AD)
15 I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
    the stronghold of Egypt,
    and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.
¹⁶ I will set fire^(AE) to Egypt;
    Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
    Memphis^(AF) will be in constant distress.
¹⁷ The young men of Heliopolis^(AG) and Bubastis
    will fall by the sword,
    and the cities themselves will go into captivity.
¹⁸ Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes^(AH)
    when I break the yoke of Egypt;^(AI)
    there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
    and her villages will go into captivity.^(AJ)
19 So I will inflict punishment^(AK) on Egypt,
    and they will know that I am the Lord.’”