Isaiah 23

1 This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.

The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. It is revealed to them from the land of Kittim.

2 Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, who pass over the sea, have replenished.

3 On the great waters came the grain of Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre; she was the merchant of the nations.

And on great waters the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue, and she was the mart of nations.

4 Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women.”

Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.

5 When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.

When the report comes to Egypt, they shall be greatly pained at the report of Tyre.

6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!

Pass ye over to Tarshish. Wail, ye inhabitants of the coast.

7 Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn?

8 Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?

Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are rulers, whose traders are the honored of the earth?

9 The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.

Jehovah of hosts has purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

10 Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor.

Pass through thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish, there is no restraint any more.

11 The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has made kingdoms tremble. He has given a command that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed.

He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. Jehovah has given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds of it.

12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus— even there you will find no rest.”

And he said, Thou shall no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim, even there shall thou have no rest.

13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans — a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people once was not. The Assyrian founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They raised up the palaces of it. Then they made it a ruin.

14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.

15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 “Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot who has been forgotten. Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou may be remembered.

17 And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

And it came to pass after the end of seventy years, that Jehovah examined Tyre, and she has repented of her gift, that she play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18 Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.

And her merchandise and her pay shall be holiness to Jehovah. It shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for those who dwell before Jehovah, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.