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23 The massa (burden) of Tzor. Howl, ye oniyyot (ships) of Tarshish; for it is destroyed, so that there is no bais, no entering in; from the Eretz Kittim [Land of Cyprus] niglah (it is revealed) to them.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island); thou whom the sokher (merchant) of Tzidon, that pass over the yam, have enriched.

And by mayim rabbim, the zera (grain) of Shikhor [Nile], the katzir (harvest) of the Shikhor [Nile], is her tevuah (produce, income); and she is a Sakhar Goyim (market bazaar of nations).

Be thou ashamed, O Tzidon; for the yam hath spoken, even the ma’oz (fortress) of the yam, saying, I travail not, nor give birth, neither do I rear bochurim, nor bring up betulot.

As at the report concerning Mitzrayim, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tzor.

Cross ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island).

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own raglayim shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

Who hath devised this against Tzor, the crowning city, whose sokharim (merchants) are sarim (princes), whose traders are the nikhbadei Eretz (honored of the Earth).

Hashem Tzva’os hath devised it, to demean the ga’on (pride) of every beauty, and to humble all the nikhbadei Eretz.

10 Pass through thy land like the Nile, O Bat Tarshish; there is no more restraint.

11 He stretched out His Yad over the yam, He shook the mamlakhot (kingdoms); Hashem hath given a commandment against Kena’an, to destroy her ma’a’uzim (fortresses).

12 And He said, Thou shalt no more exult, O thou oppressed Betulah, Bat Tzidon; arise, pass over to Kittim [Cyprus]; there also shalt thou have no rest.

13 Behold, Eretz Kasdim (land of Chaldeans); this people was not, till the Assyrian made it for wild creatures; they raise up the siege towers thereof, they destroyed the palaces thereof; and turned her to ruin.

14 Howl, ye oniyyot Tarshish; for your stronghold is destroyed.

15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tzor shall be forgotten shiv’im shanah, according to the yamim of melech echad; after the end of shiv’im shanah shall Tzor sing as a zonah.

16 Take a kinnor, go about the Ir, thou zonah that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many shir, that thou mayest be remembered.

17 And it shall come to pass at the end of shiv’im shanah, that Hashem will visit Tzor, and she shall return to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the mamlakhot HaAretz upon the face of ha’adamah.

18 And her gain and her hire shall be kodesh to Hashem; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her [Tzor’s] earnings shall be for them that live before Hashem, to eat sufficiently, and for choice clothing.

A Prophecy Against Tyre

23 A prophecy against Tyre:(A)

Wail,(B) you ships(C) of Tarshish!(D)
    For Tyre is destroyed(E)
    and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus
    word has come to them.

Be silent,(F) you people of the island
    and you merchants(G) of Sidon,(H)
    whom the seafarers have enriched.
On the great waters
    came the grain of the Shihor;(I)
the harvest of the Nile[a](J) was the revenue of Tyre,(K)
    and she became the marketplace of the nations.

Be ashamed, Sidon,(L) and you fortress of the sea,
    for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;(M)
    I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
When word comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish(N) at the report from Tyre.(O)

Cross over to Tarshish;(P)
    wail, you people of the island.
Is this your city of revelry,(Q)
    the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
    to settle in far-off lands?
Who planned this against Tyre,
    the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants(R) are princes,
    whose traders(S) are renowned in the earth?
The Lord Almighty planned(T) it,
    to bring down(U) her pride in all her splendor
    and to humble(V) all who are renowned(W) on the earth.

10 Till[b] your land as they do along the Nile,
    Daughter Tarshish,
    for you no longer have a harbor.
11 The Lord has stretched out his hand(X) over the sea
    and made its kingdoms tremble.(Y)
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
    that her fortresses be destroyed.(Z)
12 He said, “No more of your reveling,(AA)
    Virgin Daughter(AB) Sidon, now crushed!

“Up, cross over to Cyprus;(AC)
    even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Babylonians,[c](AD)
    this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians(AE) have made it
    a place for desert creatures;(AF)
they raised up their siege towers,(AG)
    they stripped its fortresses bare
    and turned it into a ruin.(AH)

14 Wail, you ships(AI) of Tarshish;(AJ)
    your fortress is destroyed!(AK)

15 At that time Tyre(AL) will be forgotten for seventy years,(AM) the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city,
    you forgotten prostitute;(AN)
play the harp well, sing many a song,
    so that you will be remembered.”

17 At the end of seventy years,(AO) the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution(AP) and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.(AQ) 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord;(AR) they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord,(AS) for abundant food and fine clothes.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:3 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls Sidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,
  2. Isaiah 23:10 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text Go through
  3. Isaiah 23:13 Or Chaldeans