Enki Versus the Pharaoh
Table of Contents
1 In year 10, month 10, day 12 the word of Enki came to me, saying:
2 Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt.
3 Say: Enki says: Behold, I [am] against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] mine own, and I have made [it] for myself.
4 But I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your rivers to stick unto your scales, and I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish of your rivers shall stick unto your scales.
5 I will leave you [thrown] into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers: you shalt fall upon the open fields; you shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given you for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.
6 All the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the Israelites.
7 When they took hold of you by your hand, you didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon you, you brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
8 Therefore thus saith Enki; Behold, I will bring a sword upon you, and cut off man and beast out of you.
9 The land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord: because he hath said, The river [is] mine, and I have made [it. ]
10 Behold, therefore I [am] against you, and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste [and] desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.
11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited 40 years.
12 I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries [that are] desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate 40 years.
I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
13 Yet thus said Enki: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered.
14 I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return [into] the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
15 It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
16 It shall be no more the confidence of the Israelites, which bringeth [their] iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord.
17 In the year 27, month 1, day 1, the word of Enki came unto me, saying:
18 Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus.
Every head was made bald, and every shoulder [was] peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it.
19 Enki said: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.
20 I have given him the land of Egypt [for] his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith Enki.
21 In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give you the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.