< Isaiah 23 >
1 The word about Tyre. Let a cry of sorrow go up, O ships of Tarshish, because your strong place is made waste; on the way back from the land of Kittim the news is given to them.
The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of the sea, for the house is destroyed, from whence they were wont to come: from the land of Cethim it is revealed to them.
2 Send out a cry of grief, you men of the sea-land, traders of Zidon, who go over the sea, whose representatives are on great waters;
Be silent, you that dwell in the island: the merchants of Sidon passing over the sea, have filled thee.
3 Who get in the seed of Shihor, whose wealth is the trade of the nations.
The seed of the Nile in many waters, the harvest of the river is her revenue: and she is become the mart of the nations.
4 Be shamed, O Zidon: for the sea, the strong place of the sea has said, I have not been with child, or given birth; I have not taken care of young men, or kept watch over the growth of virgins.
Be thou ashamed, O Sidon: for the sea speaketh, even the strength of the sea, saying: I have not been in labour, nor have I brought forth, nor have I nourished up young men, nor brought up virgins.
5 When the news comes to Egypt they will be bitterly pained at the fate of Tyre.
When it shall be heard in Egypt, they will be sorry when they shall hear of Tyre:
6 Go over to Tarshish; give cries of sorrow, O men of the sea-land.
Pass over the seas, howl, ye inhabitants of the island.
7 Is this the town which was full of joy, whose start goes back to times long past, whose wanderings took her into far-off countries?
Is not this your city, which gloried from of old in her antiquity? her feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
8 By whom was this purposed against Tyre, the crowning town, whose traders are chiefs, whose business men are honoured in the land?
Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, that was formerly crowned, whose merchants were princes, and her traders the nobles of the earth?
9 It was the purpose of the Lord of armies to put pride to shame, to make sport of the glory of those who are honoured in the earth.
The Lord of hosts hath designed it, to pull down the pride of all glory, and bring to disgrace all the glorious ones of the earth.
10 Let your land be worked with the plough, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer any harbour.
Pass thy land as a river, O daughter of the sea, thou hast a girdle no more.
11 His hand is stretched out over the sea, the kingdoms are shaking: the Lord has given orders about Canaan, to make waste its strong places.
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he troubled kingdoms: the Lord hath given a charge against Chanaan, to destroy the strong ones thereof.
12 And he said, There is no more joy for you, O crushed virgin daughter of Zidon: up! go over to Kittim; even there you will have no rest.
And he said: Thou shalt glory no more, O virgin daughter of Sidon, who art oppressed: arise and sail over to Cethim, there also thou shalt have no, rest.
Behold the land of the Chaldeans, there was not such a people, the Assyrian founded it: they have led away the strong ones thereof into captivity, they have destroyed the houses thereof, they have brought it to ruin.
14 Let a cry of sorrow go up, O ships of Tarshish: because your strong place is made waste.
Howl, O ye ships of the sea, for your strength is laid waste.
15 And it will be in that day that Tyre will go out of mind for seventy years, that is, the days of one king: after the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre as in the song of the loose woman.
And it shall come to pass in that day that thou, O Tyre, shalt be forgotten, seventy years, according to the days of one king: but after seventy years, there shall be unto Tyre as the song of a harlot.
16 Take an instrument of music, go about the town, O loose woman who has gone out from the memory of man; make sweet melody with songs, so that you may come back to men's minds.
Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten: sing well, sing many a song, that thou mayst be remembered.
17 And it will be after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will have mercy on Tyre, and she will go back to her trade, acting as a loose woman with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.
And it shall come to pass after seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and will bring her back again to her traffic: and she shall commit fornication again with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
18 And her goods and her trade will be holy to the Lord: they will not be kept back or stored up; for her produce will be for those living in the Lord's land, to give them food for their needs, and fair clothing.
And her merchandise and her hire shall be sanctified to the Lord: they shall not be kept in store, nor laid up: for her merchandise shall be for them that shall dwell before the Lord, that they may eat unto fulness, and be clothed for a continuance.