« | Ezekiel 29 | » |
1 In the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all of Egypt,
3 and say, Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against you O Pharaoh, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his rivers, that says, The rivers are mine, and I made them.
4 And I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will cause the fish of your river to stick to your sides, and I will bring you up out of the midst of your river;
5 and I will quickly cast you down, and all the fish of your river. You shall fall on the face of the plain, and shall by no means be gathered, and shall not be brought together; I have given you for food to the wild beasts of the earth and to the fowls of the sky.
6 And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because you have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 When they took hold of you with their hand, you broke [them;] and when every hand was clapped against them, and when they leaned on you, you utterly broke them, and crushed the loins of them all.
8 Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I [will] bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you man and beast;
9 and the land of Egypt shall be ruined and desolate; and they shall know that I am the Lord; because you say, The rivers are mine, and I made them.
10 Therefore, behold, I am against you, and against all your rivers, and I will give up the land of Egypt to desolation, and the sword, and destruction, from Migdol and Syene even to the borders of the Ethiopians.
11 No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of beast shall pass through it, and it shall not be inhabited for forty years.
12 And I will cause her land to be utterly destroyed in the midst of a land that is desolate, and her cities shall be [desolate] forty years in the midst of cities that are desolate; and I will disperse Egypt among the nations, and will utterly scatter them into the countries.
13 Thus says the Lord: After forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations among whom they have been scattered;
14 and I will turn the captivity of the Egyptians, and will cause them to dwell in the land of Pathros, in the land from where they were taken;
15 and it shall be a lowly kingdom beyond all [other] kingdoms; it shall not anymore be exalted over the nations; and I will make them few in number, that they may not be great among the nations.
16 And they shall no more be to the house of Israel a confidence bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they follow after them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
17 And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year, on the first [day] of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre; every head was bald, and every shoulder peeled; yet there was no reward to him or to his army [serving] against Tyre, nor for the service which they served against it.
19 Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I [will] give to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon the land of Egypt, and he shall take the plunder thereof, and seize the spoils thereof; and [it] shall be a reward for his army.
20 In return for his service in which he served against Tyre, I have given him the land of Egypt; thus says the Lord God:
21 In that day shall a horn spring forth for all the house of Israel, and I will give you an open mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.