A reading from the book of Ezekiel.

In the 12th year, in the 12th month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me.

Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say to him,

You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas.

You burst forth in your rivers.

Trouble the waters with your feet and foul their rivers. Thus says the Lord God, I will throw my net

over you with a host of many peoples, and they will haul you up in my dragnet, and I will cast you on the

ground. On the open field I will fling you and will cause all the birds of the heavens to

settle on you, and I will gorge the beast of the whole earth with you. I will strew your flesh upon the

mountains and fill the valleys with your carcass. I will drench the land even to the mountains,

with your flowing blood, and the ravines will be full of you. When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make

their stars dark. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light.

All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land,

declares the Lord God. I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction

among the nations into the countries that you have not known. I will make many hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations

into the countries that you have not known.

I will make many peoples appalled at you, and the hair of their kings shall bristle

with horror because of you, when I brandish my sword before them.

They shall tremble every moment, every one for his own life, on the day of your downfall.

For thus says the Lord God, the sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you.

I will cause your multitude to fall by the swords of mighty ones, all of them most ruthless of nations.

They shall bring to ruin the pride of Egypt, and all its multitude shall perish. I will destroy all its beasts

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