Isaiah 18

1 Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

Woe to the land with spreading wings, which is beyond the rivers of Cush,

2 that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people fearful from their beginning onward, a nation that metes out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide!

That sendeth on the sea ambassadors, and in vessels of bulrushes messengers over the face of the waters. Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation pulled and torn, to a people terrible from their beginning and onward; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers on the earth, when an ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye, and when the trumpet is blown, hear ye.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, when the ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye; and when the cornet is blown, hear ye.

4 For thus Jehovah has said to me, I will be still, and I will behold in my dwelling-place, like clear heat in sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

For so hath said the Lord unto me, I will take my rest, and I will look down on my dwelling-place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

5 For before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the sprigs with pruning-hooks, and he will take away and cut down the spreading branches.

For before the harvest, when the blossom is past, and the flower becometh a ripening grape, will he both cut off the tendrils with pruning-knives, and the sprigs will he remove and cut down.

6 They shall be left together to the ravenous birds of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth. And the ravenous birds shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

They shall be left together unto the birds of prey of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the birds of prey shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

7 In that time a present shall be brought to Jehovah of hosts from a people tall and smooth, even from a people fearful from their beginning onward, a nation that metes out and treads down, whose land the rivers divide, to the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, the mount Zion.

At that time shall be brought as a present unto the Lord of hosts a people pulled and torn, and a people terrible from their beginning and onward; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.