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Isaiah 19-21
Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 19-21
Christian Standard Bible
A Pronouncement against Egypt
19 A pronouncement(A) concerning Egypt:(B)
Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s worthless idols will tremble before him,(D)
and Egypt will lose heart.(E)
2 I will provoke Egyptians against Egyptians;
each will fight against his brother(F)
and each against his friend,
city against city, kingdom against kingdom.(G)
3 Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it,
and I will frustrate its plans.
Then they will inquire of worthless idols, ghosts,
mediums, and spiritists.(H)
4 I will hand over Egypt to harsh masters,(I)
and a strong king will rule it.
This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies.
5 The water of the sea will dry up,
and the river will be parched and dry.
6 The channels will stink;
they will dwindle, and Egypt’s canals will be parched.
Reed and rush will wilt.
7 The reeds by the Nile, by the mouth of the river,
and all the cultivated areas of the Nile
will wither, blow away, and vanish.
8 Then the fishermen will mourn.
All those who cast hooks into the Nile will lament,
and those who spread nets on the water will give up.
9 Those who work with flax will be dismayed;(J)
those combing it and weaving linen will turn pale.[a]
10 Egypt’s weavers[b] will be dejected;
all her wage earners will be demoralized.
11 The princes of Zoan are complete fools;(K)
Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice!
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one[c] of the wise,
a student of eastern[d] kings”?
12 Where then are your wise men?
Let them tell you and reveal
what the Lord of Armies has planned against Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have been fools;
the princes of Memphis are deceived.(L)
Her tribal chieftains have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of confusion.
The leaders have made Egypt stagger in all she does,
as a drunkard staggers in his vomit.
15 No head or tail, palm or reed,(M)
will be able to do anything for Egypt.
Egypt Will Know the Lord
16 On that day Egypt will be like women and will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of the Lord of Armies when he raises it against them. 17 The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what the Lord of Armies has planned(N) against it.
18 On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear loyalty to the Lord of Armies. One of the cities will be called the City of the Sun.[e][f]
19 On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border.(O) 20 It will be a sign and witness to the Lord of Armies in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them.(P) 21 The Lord will make himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings;(Q) they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will turn to the Lord, and he will be receptive to their prayers and heal them.
23 On that day there will be a highway(R) from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria.
24 On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing within the land. 25 The Lord of Armies will bless them, saying, “Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork,(S) and Israel my inheritance are blessed.”(T)
No Help from Cush or Egypt
20 In the year that the chief commander,(U) sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod(V) and attacked and captured it— 2 during that time the Lord had spoken through Isaiah(W) son of Amoz, saying, “Go, take off your sackcloth from your waist and remove the sandals from your feet,” and he did that, going stripped and barefoot(X)— 3 the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,(Y) 4 so the king of Assyria will lead the captives of Egypt(Z) and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, stripped and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame. 5 Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.(AA) 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say on that day, ‘Look, this is what has happened to those we relied on and fled to for help to rescue us from the king of Assyria! Now, how will we escape?’”
A Judgment on Babylon
21 A pronouncement(AB) concerning the desert by the sea:(AC)
Like storms that pass over the Negev,
it comes from the desert, from the land of terror.
2 A troubling vision is declared to me:
“The treacherous one acts treacherously,(AD)
and the destroyer destroys.
Advance, Elam! Lay siege, you Medes!
I will put an end to all the groaning.”
3 Therefore I am[g] filled with anguish.
Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor.(AE)
I am too perplexed to hear,
too dismayed to see.
4 My heart staggers;
horror terrifies me.
He has turned my last glimmer of hope[h]
into sheer terror.(AF)
5 Prepare a table,(AG) and spread out a carpet!
Eat and drink!
Rise up, you princes, and oil the shields!
6 For the Lord has said to me,
“Go, post a lookout;
let him report what he sees.
7 When he sees riders—
pairs of horsemen,
riders on donkeys,
riders on camels—
he must pay close attention.”
8 Then the lookout[i] reported,
“Lord, I stand on the watchtower all day,(AH)
and I stay at my post all night.
9 Look, riders come—
horsemen in pairs.”
And he answered, saying,
“Babylon has fallen,(AI) has fallen.
All the images of her gods
have been shattered on the ground.”(AJ)
10 My people who have been crushed
on the threshing floor,(AK)
I have declared to you
what I have heard from the Lord of Armies,
the God of Israel.
A Pronouncement against Dumah
11 A pronouncement(AL) concerning Dumah:[j](AM)
One calls to me from Seir,(AN)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman said,
“Morning has come, and also night.
If you want to ask, ask!
Come back again.”
A Pronouncement against Arabia
13 A pronouncement concerning Arabia:(AO)
In the desert[k] brush
you will camp for the night,
you caravans of Dedanites.(AP)
14 Bring water for the thirsty.
The inhabitants of the land of Tema(AQ)
meet[l] the refugees with food.
15 For they have fled from swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bow that is strung,
and from the stress of battle.
16 For the Lord said this to me: “Within one year,(AR) as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar(AS) will be gone. 17 The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number.” For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
Footnotes
- 19:9 DSS, Tg; MT reads weavers of white cloth
- 19:10 Or foundations
- 19:11 Lit a son
- 19:11 Lit a son of ancient
- 19:18 Some Hb mss, DSS, Sym, Tg, Vg, Arabic; other Hb mss read of Destruction; LXX reads of Righteousness
- 19:18 = the ancient Egyptian city Heliopolis
- 21:3 Lit my waist is, or my insides are
- 21:4 Lit my twilight
- 21:8 DSS, Syr; MT reads Then a lion
- 21:11 Some Hb mss, LXX read Edom
- 21:13 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read desert at evening
- 21:14 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read meet as a command
Isaiah 19-21
New International Version
Isaiah 19-21
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt
19 A prophecy(A) against Egypt:(B)
See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
and the hearts of the Egyptians melt(D) with fear.
2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
brother will fight against brother,(E)
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.(F)
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,(G)
and I will bring their plans(H) to nothing;(I)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
the mediums and the spiritists.(J)
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king(K) will rule over them,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
5 The waters of the river will dry up,(L)
and the riverbed will be parched and dry.(M)
6 The canals will stink;(N)
the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.(O)
The reeds(P) and rushes will wither,(Q)
7 also the plants(R) along the Nile,
at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field(S) along the Nile
will become parched, will blow away and be no more.(T)
8 The fishermen(U) will groan and lament,
all who cast hooks(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
will pine away.
9 Those who work with combed flax(W) will despair,
the weavers of fine linen(X) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected,
and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
11 The officials of Zoan(Y) are nothing but fools;
the wise counselors(Z) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.(AA)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the wise men,(AB)
a disciple of the ancient kings”?
12 Where are your wise men(AC) now?
Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
has planned(AD) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan(AE) have become fools,
the leaders of Memphis(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones(AG) of her peoples
have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has poured into them
a spirit of dizziness;(AH)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
as a drunkard staggers(AI) around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
head or tail, palm branch or reed.(AJ)
16 In that day(AK) the Egyptians will become weaklings.(AL) They will shudder with fear(AM) at the uplifted hand(AN) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,(AO) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning(AP) against them.
18 In that day(AQ) five cities(AR) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance(AS) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a](AT)
19 In that day(AU) there will be an altar(AV) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,(AW) and a monument(AX) to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness(AY) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior(AZ) and defender, and he will rescue(BA) them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge(BB) the Lord. They will worship(BC) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.(BD) 22 The Lord will strike(BE) Egypt with a plague;(BF) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn(BG) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal(BH) them.
23 In that day(BI) there will be a highway(BJ) from Egypt to Assyria.(BK) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship(BL) together. 24 In that day(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,(BN) a blessing[b](BO) on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,(BR) and Israel my inheritance.(BS)”
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush
20 In the year that the supreme commander,(BT) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(BU) and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(BV) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(BW) from your body and the sandals(BX) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(BY) and barefoot.(BZ)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(CA) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(CB) as a sign(CC) and portent(CD) against Egypt(CE) and Cush,[c](CF) 4 so the king(CG) of Assyria will lead away stripped(CH) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(CI) and Cushite(CJ) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(CK)—to Egypt’s shame.(CL) 5 Those who trusted(CM) in Cush(CN) and boasted in Egypt(CO) will be dismayed and put to shame.(CP) 6 In that day(CQ) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(CR) to those we relied on,(CS) those we fled to for help(CT) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(CU)’”
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy(CV) against the Desert(CW) by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds(CX) sweeping through the southland,(CY)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2 A dire(CZ) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(DA) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(DB) attack! Media,(DC) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3 At this my body is racked with pain,(DD)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(DE)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(DF) by what I see.
4 My heart(DG) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(DH)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(DI) to me.
5 They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(DJ)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(DK)
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout(DL)
and have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots(DM)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(DN)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8 And the lookout[d](DO) shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot(DP)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(DQ) has fallen,(DR) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(DS)
lie shattered(DT) on the ground!’”
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(DU)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah[e]:(DV)
Someone calls to me from Seir,(DW)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy(DX) against Arabia:(DY)
You caravans of Dedanites,(DZ)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(EA)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(EB) from the sword,(EC)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(ED) would count it, all the splendor(EE) of Kedar(EF) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(EG)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(EH)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 19:18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destruction
- Isaiah 19:24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blessed
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
- Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.
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