"Mortal man," he said, "say to the king of Egypt and all his people: How powerful you are! What can I compare you to?

You are like a cedar in Lebanon, With beautiful, shady branches, A tree so tall it reaches the clouds.

Go and look at the city of Calneh. Then go on to the great city of Hamath and on down to the Philistine city of Gath. Were they any better than the kingdoms of Judah and Israel? Was their territory larger than yours?

The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, "I am going to punish Amon, the god of Thebes, together with Egypt and its gods and kings. I am going to take the king of Egypt and all who put their trust in him,

and hand them over to those who want to kill them, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army. But later on, people will live in Egypt again, as they did in times past. I, the LORD, have spoken.

I will make southern Egypt desolate and set fire to the city of Zoan in the north. I will punish the capital city of Thebes.

I will set fire to Egypt, and Pelusium will be in agony. The walls of Thebes will be broken down, and the city will be flooded.

The water will be low in the Nile, and the river will gradually dry up.

and all the crops planted along the banks of the Nile will dry up and be blown away.

Those who make linen cloth will be in despair;