1 THE prophecy concerning the fall of Egypt. Behold, the LORD is riding upon swift clouds, and comes into Egypt; and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians shall melt in the midst of it.

2 And I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian; and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

3 And the spirit of the Egyptian shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will blot out their counsel; and they shall inquire of idols and of the sorcerers and of those who have familiar spirits and of wizards.

4 And I will deliver the Egyptians into the hands of the cruel Medes; and a fierce king shall rule over them, says the LORD of hosts.

5 And they shall cut off the water from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

6 And they shall divert the waters of the rivers, and shall diminish the great rivers; the reeds and rushes and papyrus shall wither.

7 The rushes by the river, and by the mouth of the river, and everything sown by the river shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

8 The fishermen also shall lament, and all who cast hooks into the river shall mourn, and those who spread nets upon the water shall languish.

9 Moreover those who work in cotton, and those who comb cotton and weave with joy, shall be confounded.

10 And all those who make strong drink for the drinking of the people shall be humiliated.

11 Surely the princes of Zoan have become fools, the wise counsellors of King Pharaoh give foolish counsel; how can you say to Pharaoh, We are wise men, the sons of the ancient kings?

12 Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Memphis have become haughty and have deceived Egypt, even the foundation of her families.

14 The LORD has mingled a spirit of deceit within her; and it has caused the Egyptian to err in all his works, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

15 Neither shall there be any leader for the Egyptians who can make head or tail of it, or tail or head.

16 On that day the Egyptian shall be like a woman, and he shall be afraid and tremble because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shakes against him.

17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror to the Egyptian; every one who makes mention of it shall be filled with dread because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts which he has determined against the Egyptian.

18 In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one of them shall be called Haris, the city of destruction.

19 On that day there shall be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to the LORD.

20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour and a judge, and he shall deliver them.

21 And the LORD shall be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall offer sacrifices and oblations; yea, they shall vow a vow to the LORD and perform it.

22 And the LORD shall smite the Egyptians; he shall smite and heal them; and they shall return to the LORD, and he shall answer them and shall heal them.

23 In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria and from Assyria to Egypt, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve the Assyrians.

24 In that day Israel shall be the third with Egyptians and with Assyrians, even a blessing in the midst of the land,

25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel my heritage.