LHC Midday Word: The Book of EZEKIEL

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 ‘Son of man, prophesy and say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“Wail and say,
‘Alas for that day!’

For the day is near,
the day of the Lord is near –
a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.

A sword will come against Egypt,
    and anguish will come upon Cush.
When the slain fall in Egypt,
    her wealth will be carried away
    and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Libya, Lydia and all Arabia, Kub and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.

6 ‘“This is what the Lord says:

‘“The allies of Egypt will fall
and her proud strength will fail.
From Migdol to Aswan
they will fall by the sword within her,
declares the Sovereign Lord.

‘“They will be desolate
among desolate lands,
and their cities will lie
among ruined cities.

Then they will know that I am the Lord,
when I set fire to Egypt
and all her helpers are crushed.

9 ‘“On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come.

10 ‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt
by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

He and his army – the most ruthless of nations –
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain.

I will dry up the waters of the Nile
and sell the land to an evil nation;
by the hand of foreigners
I will lay waste the land and everything in it.

I the Lord have spoken.

13 ‘“This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

‘“I will destroy the idols
and put an end to the images in Memphis.
No longer will there be a prince in Egypt,
and I will spread fear throughout the land.

I will lay waste Upper Egypt,
set fire to Zoan
and inflict punishment on Thebes.

I will pour out my wrath on Pelusium,
the stronghold of Egypt,
and wipe out the hordes of Thebes.

I will set fire to Egypt;
Pelusium will writhe in agony.
Thebes will be taken by storm;
Memphis will be in constant distress.

The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis
will fall by the sword,
and the cities themselves will go into captivity.

Dark will be the day at Tahpanhes
    when I break the yoke of Egypt;
    there her proud strength will come to an end.
She will be covered with clouds,
    and her villages will go into captivity.

So I will inflict punishment on Egypt,
and they will know that I am the Lord.”’

20 In the eleventh year, in the first month on the seventh day, the word of the Lord came to me: 21 ‘Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It has not been bound up to be healed or put in a splint so that it may become strong enough to hold a sword. 22 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break both his arms, the good arm as well as the broken one, and make the sword fall from his hand. 23 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. 24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man. 25 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall limp. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he brandishes it against Egypt. 26 I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

=-=-=-=-=-=

READINGS

The Book of EZEKIEL

Chapter Thirty

Read by Sir David Suchet