Punish Egypt, the beast in the tall grass along the river. Punish the leaders of nations, those bulls among the cows. Defeated, they will bring you their silver. Scatter those nations that love war.
Cry, you leaders! Cry out loud! Roll around in the dust, leaders of the people! It is now time for you to be killed. You will fall and be scattered, like pieces of a broken jar.
The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army are like fat calves, because even they all turn and run away together; they do not stand strong against the attack. Their time of destruction is coming; they will soon be punished.
“Babylon, you are excited and happy, because you took my land. You dance around like a young cow in the grain. Your laughter is like the neighing of male horses.
Kill all the young men in Babylon; let them be killed like animals. How terrible it will be for them, because the time has come for their defeat; it is time for them to be punished.
“Human, this is what the Lord God says: Speak to every kind of bird and wild animal: ‘Come together, come! Come together from all around to my sacrifice, a great sacrifice which I will prepare for you on the mountains of Israel. Eat flesh and drink blood!
You are to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the rulers of the earth as if they were fat animals from Bashan: male sheep, lambs, goats, and bulls.
God brought them out of Egypt; they are as strong as a wild ox. They will defeat their enemies and break their enemies’ bones; they will shoot them with arrows.
Joseph has the majesty of a firstborn bull; he is as strong as a wild ox. He will stab other nations, even those nations far away. These are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.”