A Funeral Song for the King of Egypt
1 Twelve years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the first day of the twelfth month. He said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, condemn the king of Egypt and tell him I am saying:
You act like a lion
roaming the earth;
but you are nothing more than
a crocodile in a river,
churning up muddy water
with your feet.
3 King of Egypt, listen to me. I, the Lord God, will catch you in my net and let a crowd of foreigners drag you to shore. 4 I will throw you into an open field, where birds and animals will come to feed on your flesh. 5 I will spread your rotting flesh over the mountains and in the valleys, 6 and your blood will flow throughout the land and fill up the streams. 7 I will cover the whole sky and every star with thick clouds, so that the sun and moon will stop shining. 8 The heavens will become black, leaving your country in total darkness. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
9 Foreign nations you have never heard of will be shocked when I tell them how I destroyed you. 10 They will be horrified, and when I flash my sword in victory on the day of your death, their kings will tremble in the fear of what could happen to them.
11 The king of Babylonia is coming to attack you, king of Egypt! 12 Your soldiers will be killed by the cruelest army in the world, and everything you take pride in will be crushed. 13 I will slaughter your cattle that graze by the river, and no people or livestock will be left to muddy its water. 14 The water will be clear, and streams will be calm. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
15 Egypt will become a barren wasteland, and no living thing will ever survive there. Then you and your people will know that I am the Lord.
16 This is your warning, and it will be used as a funeral song by foreign women to mourn the death of your people. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
A Sad Ending for Egypt
17 On the fifteenth day of that same month, the Lord said:
18 Ezekiel, son of man, mourn for the Egyptians and condemn them to the world of the dead, where they will be buried alongside the people of other powerful nations. 19 Say to them:
You may be more beautiful
than the people
of other nations,
but you will also die
and join the godless
in the world below.
20 You cannot escape! The enemy's sword is ready to slaughter every one of you. 21 Brave military leaders killed in battle will gladly welcome you and your allies into the world of the dead.
22-23 The graves of soldiers from Assyria are there. They once terrified people, but they were killed in battle and now lie deep in the world of the dead.
24-25 The graves of soldiers from Elam are there. The very sight of those godless soldiers once terrified their enemies and made them panic. But now they are disgraced and ashamed as they lie in the world of the dead, alongside others who were killed in battle.
26 The graves of soldiers from Meshech and Tubal are there. These godless soldiers who terrified people were all killed in battle. 27 They were not given a proper burial like the heroes of long ago, who were buried with their swords under their heads and with their shields over their bodies. These were the heroes who made their enemies panic.
28 You Egyptians will be cruelly defeated, and you will be buried alongside these other godless soldiers who died in battle.
29 The graves of kings and leaders from Edom are there. They were powerful at one time. Now they are buried in the world of the dead with other godless soldiers killed in battle.
30 The graves of the rulers of the north are there, as well as those of the Sidonians. Their powerful armies once terrified enemies. Now they lie buried in the world of the dead, where they are disgraced like other soldiers killed in battle.
31 The Lord God says:
When your king of Egypt sees all of these graves, he and his soldiers will be glad they are not the only ones suffering. 32 I sent him to terrify people all over the earth. But he and his army will be killed and buried alongside other godless soldiers in the world of the dead. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Raudu dziesma par faraonu un Ēģipti
1 Divpadsmitā gada divpadsmitā mēneša pirmajā dienā Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 2 “Cilvēka dēls, sāc žēlabu dziesmu par Ēģiptes ķēniņu faraonu, saki viņam:
tu esi kā lauva starp tautām,
kā jūras nezvērs, kas sakuļ upes,
ar kājām saduļķo ūdeņus un sabradā straumes!
3 Tā saka Kungs Dievs:
ar lielu ļaužu pulku es tev uzmetīšu savu tīklu,
un tie vilks tevi manā tīklā!
4 Es nometīšu tevi zemē,
klajā laukā es tevi nosviedīšu,
visi debesu putni tev uzklups,
visas zemes zvēri rīs tevi!
5 Tavu miesu es izsvaidīšu kalnos,
ar tavām atliekām es pildīšu ielejas.
6 Zemei es došu dzert tavas asinis –
tās plūdīs kalnos,
un ielejas pildīsies ar tevi!
7 Kad es tevi nīdēšu,
es aizklāšu debesis
un aptumšošu zvaigznes,
es sauli ar mākoņiem aizklāšu,
un mēness vairs nespīdēs!
8 Visus spožos debesu spīdekļus
tevis dēļ es aptumšošu,
un zemi ar tumsu pārklāšu! –
saka Kungs Dievs.
9 Es satraukšu daudzu tautu prātus,
kad tevi vedīšu postā
pie tautām un zemēm, kuras tu nepazīsti.
10 Tevis dēļ es izbiedēšu daudzas tautas –
to ķēniņiem šausmās sasliesies mati,
kad vicināšu pret tiem savu zobenu,
tie drebēs ik mirkli par savu dzīvību
tajā dienā, kad tu kritīsi!
11 Tā saka Kungs Dievs:
pār tevi nāks Bābeles ķēniņa zobens!
12 Ar stipro zobeniem es gāzīšu tavus pulkus,
tie – visvarmācīgākā tauta,
tie sapostīs Ēģiptes dižumu
un iznīcinās tās pulkus!
13 Arī visus lopus, kas pie lielajiem ūdeņiem,
es izdeldēšu –
ne cilvēks, ne lops vairs nenāks tos saduļķot!
14 Tad es nostādināšu ūdeņus,
un straumes būs dzidras kā eļļa,
saka Kungs Dievs.
15 Es izdeldēšu Ēģiptes zemi,
neviens tur vairs nemitīs,
es sitīšu visus tās iemītniekus,
tad tie zinās, ka es esmu Kungs!
16 Šī ir žēlabu dziesma, skandējiet to!
Tautmeitas, skandējiet to!
Par Ēģipti, par visiem tās pulkiem –
skandējiet to!” –
tā saka Kungs Dievs.
Bēru dziesma Ēģiptei
17 Divpadsmitā gada mēneša piecpadsmitajā dienā Kunga vārds nāca pār mani: 18 “Cilvēka dēls, vaimanā par Ēģiptes pulkiem un tā dižumu – tu kopā ar tautmeitām par tiem,
kas pazemē, kas bedrē grimuši!
19 Par kuru tad tu esi tīkamāka?
Dodies lejā un dusi pie neapgraizītajiem,
20 kas krituši, zobena kauti.
Zobens izvilkts –
tas Ēģiptei un visiem tās pulkiem!
21 Vareni stiprinieki ar saviem palīgiem
tad Ēģiptei sauks no šeola:
lejā nu nākuši, zemē nu gūluši
neapgraizīti, zobena nokauti! –
22 Te ir Asīrija ar visu pulku!
To kapi visapkārt –
tie visi nokauti, no zobena krituši.
23 Viņu kaps ir visdziļākā bedre,
tās pulki – visapkārt kapam,
tie visi nokauti, no zobena krituši,
kaut dzīvajo zemē tie iedvesa šausmas.
24 Te ir Ēlāms ar visiem pulkiem
visapkārt tā kapam –
tie visi nokauti, no zobena krituši,
tie noiet lejā neapgraizīti uz pazemi,
kaut dzīvajo zemē tie iedvesa šausmas,
kopā ar tiem, kas grimst bedrē, tie nes savu kaunu.
25 Pie nokautajiem klāta tam gulta,
visapkārt viņa kapam tā pulki,
visi neapgraizīti, zobena kauti,
kaut dzīvajo zemē tie iedvesa šausmas.
Kopā ar tiem, kas grimst bedrē, tie nes savu kaunu,
pie nokautajiem tie guldīti!
26 Te Mešehs un Tubals,
to pulki visapkārt viņu kapam,
visi neapgraizīti, zobena kauti,
kaut dzīvajo zemē tie iedvesa šausmas.
27 Vai tie pie varenajiem nedus? –
kas neapgraizīti krituši,
tie nogājuši šeolā ar visiem ieročiem,
zobenus pagalvī likuši –
viņu vaina uz viņu kauliem! –
kaut dzīvajo zemē šie varoņi iedvesa šausmas.
28 Arī tu, faraon, tiki satriekts kopā ar neapgraizītajiem
un guldīts pie zobena kautajiem!
29 Te ir Edoms, tā ķēniņš un visi augstmaņi
guldīti pie varenajiem, pie zobena kautajiem,
tie dus pie neapgraizītajiem, pie tiem, kas grimst bedrē!
30 Te ir visi ziemeļu valdnieki un visi sidonieši,
tie ar kaunu dodas lejā pie nokautajiem,
kaut arī viņu spēks – reiz šausmas!
Tie dus neapgraizīti pie zobena kautajiem
un nes savu kaunu kopā ar tiem, kas grimst bedrē!
31 Faraons ieraudzīs tos
un rims bēdāt par saviem pulkiem,
zobens ir kāvis faraonu un visu viņa karaspēku! –
tā saka Kungs Dievs,
32 es iedvesīšu šausmas dzīvajo zemē!
Faraons un visi viņa pulki gulēs pie neapgraizītajiem,
pie zobena kautajiem!” –
tā saka Kungs Dievs.
