NSB(i)
1 Jehovah rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him. The hearts of the Egyptians melt (their courage fails) within them.
2 »I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian. Brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
3 »The Egyptians will become discouraged. I will bring their plans to nothing. They will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.
4 »I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them.« This is the declaration of Jehovah of Hosts, the Almighty.
5 The waters of the Nile River will dry up. The riverbed will be parched and dry.
6 The canals will stink. The streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither.
7 The plants (rushes) along the Nile, at the mouth of the river will wither. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched and blow away to be no more.
8 The fishermen will groan and lament. All who cast hooks into the Nile and throw nets on the water will be weak and sick.
9 Those who work with combed flax will despair. The weavers of fine linen (and cotton) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools. The wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh: »I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings?«
12 Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what Jehovah of Hosts has purposed (planned) (resolved) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan have become fools. The leaders of Memphis (Noph) are deceived. The cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.
14 Jehovah has poured into them a spirit of dizziness. They make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do head or tail, palm branch or reed.
16 A time is coming when the people of Egypt will be as timid as women. They will tremble in terror when they see that Jehovah of Hosts has stretched out his hand (extended His power) to punish them.