The hopes that had sprung up in the hearts of princes and people when the armies of Nebuchadnezzar turned south to meet the Egyptians, were soon dashed to the ground. The word of the Lord had been, "Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt." The might of Egypt was but a broken reed. "All the inhabitants of Egypt," Inspiration had declared, "shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel." "I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt." Ezekiel 29:3, 6; 30:25, 26.

Da Nebukadnezars hære drog mod syd for at rykke mod ægypterne, fattede fyrsterne og folket nyt mod, men deres håb bristede snart. Herrens ord lød således: "Se, jeg kommer over dig, Farao, Ægyptens konge. " Ægyptens magt var kun et knækket rør. Det inspirerede ord havde sagt: "Kende skal hver en ægypter, at jeg er Herren. Fordi du har været en rørkæp for Israels hus." Jeg styrker Babels konges arm, men Faraos skal synke; og de skal kende, at jeg er Herren, når jeg lægger mit sværd i Babels konges hånd, og han svinger det imod Ægypten." Ez. 29,3.6; 30,25-26.