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.
Ombara ya Engipte mai sasanekwa nongandu
1 Meyuva etenga komueze outjamurongo na vivari wombura oitjamurongo na mbari youhuura wetu, Muhona wa hungira nai ku ami: 2 “Muatje womundu, tjitira ombara ya Engipte omutambo. Keipe ombuze yandje ndji amo tja:
Ove u ritjinda otja ongeyama mokati koviwaṋa,
nungwari ove u ri otja ongandu
ndji tjupa omeva monḓonḓu.
Ove u harisa omeva omunoko nozombaze
zoye nu u ṱunda ozonḓonḓu.
3 Omihoko omingi tji vya wongara,
ami me ku kambura mombate yandje,
novyo mavi nanene
indji ombate komukuro.
4 Ami me ku imbirahi pehi,
nu me eta ozonḓera azehe novipuka
mouye auhe kutja vi ku sasaure.
5 Ami me rimbi oturova twoye tu twa
wora kozondundu na momikutu.
6 Me tirahi ombinḓu yoye nga tji ya
rimbara kozondundu,
nu nga tji ye urisa ozonḓonḓu.
7 Tji me ku yandeke,
me vandeke evaverwa
nu e zorerisa ozonyose.
Eyuva mari rihoreke kongotwe
yovikamba nomueze kau tji nakuyera.
8 Ami me ṱumbisa omamunine aehe weyuru,
nu me twa ehi roye monḓorera.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi,
owami ngu mba hungire.
9 “Oviwaṋa ovingi mavi kurungisiwa tjinene ami tji mba rimbi ombuze yomayandekero woye momahi ngu u hi nokutjiwa. 10 Imbi mbi me tjiti kove mavi urumisa oviwaṋa ovingi. Tji mba taka engaruvyo randje, ozombara maze zezerisiwa i omburuma. Meyuva, ndi mo u, avehe mave zezera nondira mena rominyo vyawo oveni.”
11 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai kombara ya Engipte: “Ombara ya Babilon mai ku rwisa nengaruvyo. 12 Ami me isa ovarwe wovita vomihoko ovindandi kutja ve nane omangaruvyo nu ve zepe ovandu voye avehe. Ovandu voye avehe, noviṋa avihe vyarwe mbi u ritongamisira mavi yandekwa. 13 Ami me zepere ozongombe zoye pondjombo aihe. Kape nokukara omundu poo ongombe okuharisa omeva omunoko rukwao. 14 Me porimanisa omeva woye ye rire omakohoke, nu e pupisa ozonḓonḓu zoye nouporimane. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire. 15 Tji mba tjiti Engipte okurira ongaango, nu tji mba yandeke avehe mba tura mo, notji mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. 16 Omaronga omakukutu nga onge ri eimburiro romutambo. Ovakazendu vomihoko mave ri imbura okutjitira Engipte novandu varo avehe omutambo. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Ombara ya Engipte mai pundu motjovakoke
17 Meyuva oritjamurongo na yetano komueze omutenga wombura oitjamurongo na mbari youhuura wetu, Muhona wa hungira ku ami 18 a tja: “Muatje womundu, tjitira ovimbumba avihe vya Engipte omutambo. Vi hinda kotjovakoke puna oviwaṋa ovikwao ovinamasa. 19 Itja nai ku vyo:
Mamu tjangovasi oweṋe
mbu mu ri ovawa ovamanise
povandu avehe varwe are?
Mamu pundu motjovakoke
nu amu kakara mo
puna imba mbe hi na Ndjambi.
20 “Ovandu va Engipte mave ṱu puna imba mba ṱa motjirwa. Engaruvyo ri ri pokuvezepa avehe. 21 Ozombanḓe ozonenenene na imba mba rwa komukuma wa Engipte mave tjakanenene Ovaengipte motjovakoke. Owo mave ravaere ave tja: ‘Imba mbe hi na Ndjambi nu mba ṱa motjirwa va punda muno, nu owo va rara mba!’
22 “Ehi ra Asirie ri ri mbo, nomaendo wovarwe varo wovita avehe ya kondoroka ehi ndi. Owo avehe va ṱa motjirwa, 23 nomaendo wawo ye ri mourekoto wotjovakoke. Ovarwe varo wovita avehe va ṱa motjirwa, nomaendo wawo ya kovera eyendo raro. Nungwari owo rukuru va tirisire ehi rovanamuinyo.
24 “Ehi ra Elam ri ri mbo, nomaendo wovarwe varo wovita avehe ya kondoroka ro. Owo avehe va ṱa motjirwa, nowo va punda motjovakoke ave hiya sukara. Ngunda ave nomuinyo va tirisa ouye auhe, nungwari nambano va koka nu va yambururwa. 25 Elam ra saravara mokati kaimba mba ṱa motjirwa, nomaendo wovarwe varo wovita avehe ye ri kondoroka. Owo avehe ovahasukara, nu va ṱa motjirwa. Ngunda ave nomuinyo va tirisa ouye auhe, nungwari nambano owo va koka nu va yambururwa, nu ve ri moumba puna imba mba ṱa motjirwa.
26 “Ehi ra Mesek nora Tubal ye ri mbo, nomaendo wovarwe vawo wovita avehe ya kondoroka ro. Owo avehe ovahasukara, nu va ṱa motjirwa. Nungwari owo rukuru va tirisire ehi rovanamuinuyo. 27 Owo kave pakerwe nondengero otja ozombanḓe zoruveze orukuru, nḓa punda motjovakoke aze ripangaṋa novirwise; omangaruvyo wazo ya tuwa kehi yoviuru vyazo, notuvao twazo twa tuwa kombanda yoturova twazo. Ozombanḓe nḓa rukuru za ri ozonamasa tjinene okutirisa ovanamuinyo.
28 “Ovaengipte wina otji mave saravara ava hahaurwa mokati kovahasukara, mba ṱa motjirwa.
29 “Ehi ra Edom ri ri mbo puna ozombara novanane varo avehe. Owo va ri ovarwe wovita ovanamasa, nungwari nambano va saravara motjovakoke puna ovahasukara, mba ṱa motjirwa.
30 “Ovaingona avehe vokomukuma wokeyuva kokunene ve ri mbo, nOvasidon avehe wina. Omasa wawo rukuru ya tirisire ouye, nungwari nambano owo va punda nohoṋi motjovakoke puna imba mba ṱa motjirwa nu mba kasuva ave hiya sukara. Owo ve yambururwa puna imba mba punda motjovakoke.
31 “Ombunikiro yaimba avehe mba ṱa motjirwa mai huhumiṋa ombara ya Engipte notjimbumba tjayo tjovita.” Muhona Ndjambi ongu ma tja nai.
32 “Ami mba yandjera kutja ombara ya Engipte i tirise ovanamuinyo, nungwari oyo notjimbumba tjayo tjovita atjihe mave ṱunu mave kasuva puna ovahasukara avehe mba ṱa motjirwa.” Muhona Ndjambi ongwa hungire.
