AME Zion Universal Reading January 17th 2021

Called To Heal

Sunday School Zoom Link

Questioning the Healing

First Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

2God spoke to Moses, and He said to him, "I am the Lord.3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them.4And also, I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings in which they sojourned.5And also, I heard the moans of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians are holding in bondage, and I remembered My covenant.6Therefore, say to the children of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.7And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a God to you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.8I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord.' "9Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor.10The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,11"Come, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and he will let the children of Israel out of his land."12But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel did not hearken to me. How then will Pharaoh hearken to me, seeing that I am of closed lips?"13So the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and He commanded them concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Mark 2:1–12 (NLT):

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home.

2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them,

3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.

4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves,

7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”

8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?

10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said,

11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”

12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

Second Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

14These [following] are the heads of the fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi, these are the families of Reuben.15And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Saul, the son of the Canaanitess, these are the families of Simeon.16And these are the names of Levi's sons after their generations: Gershon, Kehath, and Merari, and the years of Levi's life were one hundred thirty seven years.17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei to their families.18And the sons of Kehath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and the years of Kehath's life were one hundred thirty three years.19And the sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites according to their generations.20Amram took Jochebed, his aunt, as his wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, and the years of Amram's life were one hundred thirty seven years.21And the sons of Izhar were Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.22And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.23Aaron took to himself for a wife, Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.24And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.25Eleazar, the son of Aaron, took himself [one] of the daughters of Putiel to himself as a wife, and she bore him Phinehas; these are the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the Levites according to their families.26That is Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, "Take the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with their legions."27They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of Egypt; they are Moses and Aaron.28Now it came to pass on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

Monday

Isaiah 57:14–21 (NLT): God Forgives the Repentant

14 God says, “Rebuild the road!

Clear away the rocks and stones

so my people can return from captivity.”

15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,

the Holy One, says this:

“I live in the high and holy place

with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.

I restore the crushed spirit of the humble

and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

16 For I will not fight against you forever;

I will not always be angry.

If I were, all people would pass away—

all the souls I have made.

17 I was angry,

so I punished these greedy people.

I withdrew from them,

but they kept going on their own stubborn way.

18 I have seen what they do,

but I will heal them anyway!

I will lead them.

I will comfort those who mourn,

19 bringing words of praise to their lips.

May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”

says the Lord, who heals them.

20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,

which is never still

but continually churns up mud and dirt.

21 There is no peace for the wicked,”

says my God.

Third Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

29that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh everything that I speak to you."30But Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am of closed lips; so how will Pharaoh hearken to me?"

Exodus Chapter 7

1The Lord said to Moses, "See! I have made you a lord over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker.2You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron, your brother, shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel out of his land.3But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.4But Pharaoh will not hearken to you, and I will lay My hand upon the Egyptians, and I will take My legions, My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt with great judgments.5And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth My hand over Egypt, and I will take the children of Israel out of their midst."6Moses and Aaron did; as the Lord commanded them, so they did.7And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Tuesday

1 Peter 2:18–21 (NLT): Slaves

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

Fourth Portion

Exodus Chapter 7

8The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,9"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Provide a sign for yourselves,' you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff, [and] cast [it] before Pharaoh; it will become a serpent.' "10[Thereupon,] Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they did so, as the Lord had commanded; Aaron cast his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.11[Then,] Pharaoh too summoned the wise men and the magicians, and the necromancers of Egypt also did likewise with their magic.12Each one of them cast down his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.13But Pharaoh's heart remained steadfast, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.14The Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is heavy; he has refused to let the people out.15Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he is going forth to the water, and you shall stand opposite him on the bank of the Nile, and the staff that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand.16And you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to you, saying, "Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me in the desert," but behold, until now, you have not hearkened.17So said the Lord, "With this you will know that I am the Lord." Behold, I will smite with the staff that is in my hand upon the water that is in the Nile, and it will turn to blood.18And the fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become putrid, and the Egyptians will weary [in their efforts] to drink water from the Nile.' "19The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch forth your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their canals, over their ponds, and over all their bodies of water, and they will become blood, and there will be blood throughout the entire land of Egypt, even in wood and in stone.' "20Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord had commanded, and he raised the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood.21And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became putrid; the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile, and there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.22And the necromancers of Egypt did likewise with their secret rites, and Pharaoh's heart was steadfast, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken.23Pharaoh turned and went home, and he paid no heed even to this.24All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink from the water of the Nile.25Seven full days passed after the Lord had smitten the Nile.26The Lord said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh and say to him, 'So said the Lord, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.27But if you refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all your borders with frogs.28And the Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom and upon your bed and into the house of your servants and into your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading troughs;29and into you and into your people and into all your servants, the frogs will ascend." ' "

Exodus Chapter 8

1The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, stretch forth your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt."2And Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.3And the necromancers did likewise with their secret rites, and they brought up the frogs on the land of Egypt.4Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let out the people [of Israel] so that they may sacrifice to the Lord."5And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Boast [of your superiority] over me. For when shall I entreat for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and from your houses, [that] they should remain only in the Nile? "6And he [Pharaoh] said, "For tomorrow." And he [Moses] said, "As you say, in order that you should know that there is none like the Lord, our God.

Wednesday

Matthew 15:21–28 (NLT):

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Fifth Portion

Exodus Chapter 8

7And the frogs will depart from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people; only in the Nile will they remain."8And Moses and Aaron went away from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh.9And the Lord did according to Moses' word, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields.10They gathered them into many heaps, and the land stank.11When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.12The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch forth your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it shall become lice throughout the entire land of Egypt.' "13They did so, and Aaron stretched forth his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and the lice were upon man and beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout the entire land of Egypt.14And the necromancers did likewise with their secret rites to bring out the lice, but they could not, and the lice were upon man and beast.15So the necromancers said to Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God," but Pharaoh's heart remained steadfast, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.16And the Lord said to Moses, "Arise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall say to him, 'So said the Lord, "Let My people go out and serve Me.17For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will incite against you and against your servants and against your people and in your houses a mixture of noxious creatures, and the houses of Egypt will be filled with the mixture of noxious creatures, as well as the land upon which they are.18And I will separate on that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand, that there will be no mixture of noxious creatures there, in order that you know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

Thursday

James 5:13–18 (NLT):

The Power of Prayer

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

Sixth Portion

Exodus Chapter 8

19And I will make a redemption between My people and your people; this sign will come about tomorrow." ' "20The Lord did so, and a heavy mixture of noxious creatures came to Pharaoh's house and his servants' house, and throughout the entire land of Egypt, the land was destroyed because of the mixture of noxious creatures.21Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and he said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land."22But Moses said, "It is improper to do that, for we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to God our Lord. Will we sacrifice the deity of the Egyptians before their eyes, and they will not stone us?23Let us go [for] a three day journey in the desert and sacrifice to the Lord, our God, as He will say to us."24Pharaoh said, "I will let you go out, and you will sacrifice to the Lord, your God, in the desert, but do not go far away; entreat [Him] on my behalf."25Moses said, "Behold, I am going away from you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the mixture of noxious creatures will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not tease anymore, by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord."26So Moses went away from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.27And the Lord did according to Moses' word, and He removed the mixture of noxious creatures from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one was left.28But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Exodus Chapter 9

1The Lord said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews, "Send out My people so that they may serve Me.2For if you refuse to let them go, and you still hold on to them,3behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock that is in the field, upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle, and upon the sheep, a very severe pestilence.4And the Lord will make a separation between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing of the children of Israel will die. " ' "5The Lord set an appointed time, saying, "Tomorrow, God will do this thing in the land."6God did this thing on the morrow, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel not one died.7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel died, but Pharaoh's heart became hardened, and he did not let the people out.8The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take yourselves handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses shall cast it heavenward before Pharaoh's eyes.9And it will become dust upon the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils, breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast throughout the entire land of Egypt."10So they took furnace soot, and they stood before Pharaoh, and Moses cast it heavenward, and it became boils breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast.11And the necromancers could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the necromancers and upon all Egypt.12But the Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord spoke to Moses.13The Lord said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand erect before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'So said the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go so that they may worship Me.14Because this time, I am sending all My plagues into your heart and into your servants and into your people, in order that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth.15For if now I had stretched forth My hand, and I had smitten you and your people with pestilence, you would have been annihilated from the earth.16But, for this [reason] I have allowed you to stand, in order to show you My strength and in order to declare My name all over the earth.

Friday

Mark 5:21–34 (NLT):

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”

24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Seventh Portion

Exodus Chapter 9

17If you still tread upon My people, not letting them out,18behold, I am going to rain down at this time tomorrow a very heavy hail, the likes of which has never been in Egypt from the day of its being founded until now.19And now, send, gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field, any man or beast that is found in the field and not brought into the house the hail shall fall on them, and they will die." ' "20He who feared the word of the Lord of Pharaoh's servants drove his servants and his livestock into the houses.21But he who did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.22The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand heavenward, and hail will be upon the entire land of Egypt, upon man and upon beast and upon all the vegetation of the field in the land of Egypt."23So Moses stretched forth his staff heavenward, and the Lord gave forth thunder and hail, and fire came down to the earth, and the Lord rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.24And there was hail, and fire flaming within the hail, very heavy, the likes of which had never been throughout the entire land of Egypt since it had become a nation.25The hail struck throughout the entire land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast, and the hail struck all the vegetation of the field, and it broke all the trees of the field.26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.27So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones.28Entreat the Lord, and let it be enough of God's thunder and hail, and I will let you go, and you shall not continue to stand."29And Moses said to him, "When I leave the city, I will spread my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, in order that you know that the land is the Lord's.30But you and your servants I know that you still do not fear the Lord God,31though the flax and the barley have been broken, for the barley is in the ear, and the flax is in the stalk.32The wheat and the spelt, however, have not been broken because they ripen late."33Moses went away from Pharaoh, out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain did not come down to earth.34And Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased; so he continued to sin, and he strengthened his heart, he and his servants.35And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go out, as the Lord had spoken through the hand of Moses.

Saturday

Mark 2:13–17 (NLT):

Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Maftir Portion

Exodus Chapter 9

33Moses went away from Pharaoh, out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain did not come down to earth.לגוַיֵּצֵ֨א משֶׁ֜ה מֵעִ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂ כַּפָּ֖יו אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיַּחְדְּל֤וּ הַקֹּלוֹת֙ וְהַבָּרָ֔ד וּמָטָ֖ר לֹֽא־נִתַּ֥ךְ אָֽרְצָה:34And Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased; so he continued to sin, and he strengthened his heart, he and his servants.לדוַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּֽי־חָדַ֨ל הַמָּטָ֧ר וְהַבָּרָ֛ד וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף לַֽחֲטֹ֑א וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַֽעֲבָדָֽיו:35And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go out, as the Lord had spoken through the hand of Moses.

Haftarah

Ezekiel Chapter 28

25So says the Lord God: When I gather in the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the nations, then shall they dwell on their land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob.26And they shall dwell upon it securely, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards and dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those who plunder them from all around them, and they shall know that I am the Lord their God."

Ezekiel Chapter 29

1In the tenth year, in the tenth [month], on the twelfth 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 Egypt.3Speak and you shall say; So says the Lord God: Behold I am upon you, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great crocodile that lies down in the midst of its rivers, who said, "My river is my own, and I made myself."4And I will put hooks in your jaws and I will cause the fish of your rivers to fasten onto your scales, and I will drag you up out of the midst of your rivers and all the fish of your rivers shall stick to your scales.5And I will scatter you in the desert, you and all the fish of your rivers; upon the open fields shall you fall-you shall not be brought home, nor gathered together; to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the air have I given you to be devoured.6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a prop of reeds to the house of Israel.7When they took hold of you with the hand, you splintered and pierced the whole of their shoulders, and when they leaned upon you, you broke, and you made all their loins stand upright.8Therefore, so says the Lord God: Behold I will bring the sword over you, and I will cut off from you man and beast.9And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and in ruins, and they shall know that I am the Lord! Because he said, "The river is mine, and I have made it."10Therefore, behold I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt into ruins, ruins of desolation from Migdol till Syene and until the border of Ethiopia.11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited for forty years.12And I will make the land of Egypt desolate even amongst the desolate lands, and its cities, a desolation even amongst cities in ruins, forty years.13Yet thus has the Lord God said: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they have been scattered.14And I will return the captives of Egypt and will lead them to the land of Pathros, to the land of their habitation, and they shall be there an unimportant kingdom.15It shall be the lowest of the kingdoms and shall no longer exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish their numbers so that they shall not domineer over the nations.16And it will no longer be confidence of the House of Israel, bringing iniquity into remembrance when they turn after them, and they shall know that I am the Lord God.17And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year in the first [month], on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:18"Son of man! Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, made his army serve a great work against Tyre; every head became bald and every shoulder sore, yet he had no reward nor did his army out of Tyre for the service he had served against it.19Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold I will give Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, the land of Egypt, and he shall carry away its multitude, pillage its spoils, and plunder its booty, and that shall be the reward for his army.20For his labor wherewith he worked against it I have given him the land of Egypt, because of what they did to Me, says the Lord God.21On that day will I cause the horn of the House of Israel to blossom out, and I will give you free speech in their midst, and they shall know that I am the Lord."