The Burden against Egypt

1The burden of Egypt. Beholde, the Lord rideth vpon a swift cloude, and shall come into Egypt, and the idoles of Egypt shall be moued at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the middes of her.

2And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: so euery one shall fight against his brother, and euery one against his neighbour, citie against citie, and kingdome against kingdome.

3And the spirite of Egypt shall faile in the middes of her, and I will destroy their counsell, and they shall seeke at the idoles, and at the sorcerers, and at them that haue spirits of diuination, and at the southsayers.

4And I will deliuer the Egyptians into the hand of the cruell Lordes, & a mightie King shall rule ouer them, sayth the Lord God of hostes.

5Then the waters of the sea shall faile, and the riuers shall be dryed vp, and wasted.

6And the riuers shall goe farre away: the riuers of defence shalbe emptied and dryed vp: the reedes and flagges shall be cut downe.

7The grasse in the riuer, and at the head of the riuers, and all that groweth by the riuer, shall wither, and be driuen away, and be no more.

8The fishers also shall mourne, and all they that cast angle into the riuer, shall lament, and they that spread their nette vpon the waters, shall be weakened.

9Moreouer, they that worke in flaxe of diuers sortes, shall be confounded, and they that weaue nettes.

10For their nettes shalbe broken, and all they, that make pondes, shalbe heauie in heart.

11Surely the princes of Zoan are fooles: the counsell of the wise counselers of Pharaoh is become foolish: how say ye vnto Pharaoh, I am the sonne of the wise? I am the sonne of the ancient Kings?

12Where are nowe thy wise men, that they may tell thee, or may knowe what the Lorde of hostes hath determined against Egypt?

13The princes of Zoan are become fooles: the princes of Noph are deceiued, they haue deceiued Egypt, euen the corners of the tribes thereof.

14The Lorde hath mingled among them the spirite of errours: and they haue caused Egypt to erre in euery worke thereof, as a drunken man erreth in his vomite.

15Neither shall there be any worke in Egypt, which the head may doe, nor the tayle, ye branch nor the rush.

A Blessing upon the Earth

16In that day shall Egypt be like vnto women: for it shall be afraide and feare because of the moouing of the hand of the Lorde of hostes, which he shaketh ouer it. 17And the land of Iudah shall be a feare vnto Egypt: euery one that maketh mention of it, shalbe afraid thereat, because of ye counsell of the Lord of hostes, which he hath determined vpon it.

18In that day shall fiue cities in the lande of Egypt speake the language of Canaan, and shall sweare by the Lord of hostes. one shall be called the citie of destruction.

19In that day shall the altar of the Lorde be in the middes of the land of Egypt, and a pillar by the border thereof vnto the Lord. 20And it shall be for a signe and for a witnes vnto the Lord of hostes in the land of Egypt: for they shall crie vnto the Lorde, because of the oppressers, and he shall send them a Sauiour and a great man, and shall deliuer them. 21And the Lorde shall be knowen of the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord in that day, and doe sacrifice & oblation, & shall vowe vowes vnto the Lord, and performe them. 22So ye Lord shall smite Egypt, he shall smite and heale it: for he shall returne vnto ye Lord, and he shall be intreated of them and shall heale them.

23In that day shall there be a path from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur: so the Egyptians shall worship with Asshur.

24In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and Asshur, euen a blessing in the middes of the land. 25For the Lorde of hostes shall blesse it, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt and Asshur, the worke of mine hands, and Israel mine inheritance.