But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty.

Under the lotus trees it lies, in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.

Can the papyrus plant grow tall ¹  where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish ²  without water?

They will report that the fords have been captured, the reed marshes have been burned, the soldiers are terrified. ¹ 

seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ¹  and they grazed in the reeds.

Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. ¹ 

“I will turn her into a place that is overrun with wild animals ¹  and covered with pools of stagnant water. I will get rid of her, just as one sweeps away dirt with a broom,” ²  says the Lord who commands armies.

By the brush ¹  they would gather ²  herbs from the salt marshes, ³  and the root of the broom tree was their food.

Indeed, ¹  the Lord knocks down those who live in a high place, he brings down an elevated town; he brings it down to the ground, ²  he throws it down to the dust.

The dry soil will become a pool of water, the parched ground springs of water. Where jackals once lived and sprawled out, grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.

The Lord spoke to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your hand with your staff ¹  over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt.’”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over Egypt’s waters – over their rivers, over their canals, ¹  over their ponds, and over all their reservoirs ²  – so that it becomes ³  blood.’ There will be blood everywhere in ⁴  the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.”