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A Prophecy Against Egypt and Ethiopia

20 In the year that the Tartan[a] came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz saying, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your waist and take off your shoes from your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

The Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so the king of Assyria shall lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their boast. So the inhabitants of this coastland shall say in that day, ‘Certainly such is our hope, where we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And how shall we escape?’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Possibly Commander-in-Chief.

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(B) and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(C) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(D) from your body and the sandals(E) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(F) and barefoot.(G)

Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(H) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(I) as a sign(J) and portent(K) against Egypt(L) and Cush,[a](M) so the king(N) of Assyria will lead away stripped(O) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(P) and Cushite(Q) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(R)—to Egypt’s shame.(S) Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) In that day(X) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(Y) to those we relied on,(Z) those we fled to for help(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(AB)’”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5