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 doom of Tyre. Wail, ye ships of Tharshish; for it is laid waste, without house, without entrance: from the land of Kittim hath it been 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, ye inhabitants of the coast-land: the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea [formerly] filled thee.
3 Who get in the seed of Shihor, whose wealth is the trade of the nations.
And on mighty waters [came] the seed of Shichor, the harvest of the stream, as her revenue; and she became the mart of 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 ashamed, O Zion; for spoken hath the sea, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I travailed not, nor brought forth children, neither did I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
5 When the news comes to Egypt they will be bitterly pained at the fate of Tyre.
As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they tremble at the report of Tyre.
6 Go over to Tarshish; give cries of sorrow, O men of the sea-land.
Pass ye over to Tharshish; wail, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.
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 this your fate, ye of the joyous [city]? she whose antiquity is of ancient days—her own 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 resolved this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable 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 hath resolved it, to dishonor the pride of all ornament, to make of light esteem all the honorable of the earth.
10 Let your land be worked with the plough, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer any harbour.
Pass through thy land as a stream, O daughter of Tharshish: there is no more strength.
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 hath stretched out his hand over the sea, he hath shaken kingdoms; the Lord hath given a command against Canaan, to subvert its strongholds.
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 no longer rejoice any more, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to the Kittim; also there shalt thou have no rest.
Behold the land of the Chaldeans—this people which was not, Asshur founded it for the dwellers in the wilderness—they have set up their watchtowers, have overthrown its palaces, have rendered it a heap of ruins.
14 Let a cry of sorrow go up, O ships of Tarshish: because your strong place is made waste.
Wail, ye ships of Tharshish; your stronghold 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 on that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, like the days of one king: at the end of seventy years shall it happen to Tyre as in the song of the 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 the harp, go round about the city, thou forgotten harlot; make sweet music, sing many songs, in order that thou mayest 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 the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall have commerce 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 gain and her hire shall be holy to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; but for those that dwell before the Lord shall her gain be, to eat to fulness, and for magnificent clothing.
