Isaiah 23

International Standard Version

“Wail, you ships of Tarshish,
for Tyre is destroyed
        and is without house or harbor!
From the land of Cyprus^[b]
it was revealed to them.

² “Be silent,^[c] you inhabitants of the coast,
    you merchants of Sidon,
        whose messengers crossed over the sea,^[d]
3 and were on mighty waters.
    Her revenue was the grain of Shihor,
the harvest of the Nile;
    and she became the marketplace of nations.
⁴ Be ashamed, Sidon, because the sea^[e] has spoken,
    the fortress of the sea:
I have neither been in labor nor given birth,
    I have neither reared young men
        nor brought up young women.”
⁵ When the news reaches Egypt,
    they will be in anguish
        at the report about Tyre.

⁶ “You who are crossing over^[f] to Tarshish—
    Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
⁷ Is this your exciting^[g] city,
    that was founded long ago,
whose feet carried her
    to settle in far-off lands?
⁸ Who has planned this
    against Tyre,
        that bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,^[h]
    whose traders were the most renowned on earth?
⁹ The Lord of the Heavenly Armies has planned it—
    to neutralize all the hubris of grandeur,^[i]
        to discredit all the renowned men of earth.

¹⁰ “Cultivate^[j] your land like the Nile,
    you daughter of Tarshish;
        for there is no longer a harbor.
¹¹ He has stretched out his hand over the sea;
    he has made^[k] kingdoms tremble.
The Lord has issued orders concerning Canaan
    to destroy its strongholds.
¹² And he said:
‘You will revel no longer,^[l]
    you virgin daughter of Sidon,
        now crushed.
Get up, cross over to Cyprus—
    but even there you will find no rest.’”

¹⁶ “Take a harp;
    walk around the city,
        you forgotten whore!
Make sweet melody;
    sing many songs,
        and perhaps you’ll be remembered.”