Isaiah 19

1 A message about Egypt. Look, the Lord is riding on a fast-moving cloud on his way to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him, and the Egyptians will become weak with fear.

A declaration about Egypt. See, Yahweh rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt; the idols of Egypt quake before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within themselves.

2 I will encourage Egyptians to attack other Egyptians. They will fight each other, neighbor versus neighbor, town versus town, and kingdom versus kingdom.

“I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians: A man will fight against his brother, and a man against his neighbor; city will be against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

3 I will destroy the confidence of the Egyptians. I will have their plans become all mixed up. They will ask their idols and the spirits of the dead what to do through mediums and spiritists.

The spirit of Egypt will be weakened from within. I will destroy his advice, though they sought the advice of idols, dead men's spirits, mediums, and spiritualists.

4 I will hand the Egyptians over to a harsh dictator. A cruel king will rule over them, declares the Lord.

I will give the Egyptians into the hand of a harsh master, and a strong king will rule over them— this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts.”

5 The waters of the Nile will fail, and its riverbed will be sunbaked and dry.

The waters of the sea will dry up, and the river will dry up and become empty.

6 The channels will start to stink; the branches of the Nile in Egypt will dry to a trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither away.

The rivers will become foul; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; the reeds and flags will wither away.

7 The vegetation along the banks of the Nile, and all the plants in the cultivated land along the Nile, will dry up and be blown away. Everything will be gone.

The reeds along the Nile, at the mouth of the Nile, and every sown field beside the Nile will become parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.

8 Fishermen will mourn: all of them all who use hooks to fish in the Nile will weep and wail, along with those who fish by throwing nets into the water.

The fishermen will wail and mourn, and all who cast a hook into the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will grieve.

9 The workers who prepare the flax for linen and the weavers of white fabric will be in despair.

The workers in combed flax and those who weave white cloth will turn pale.

10 The cloth workers will be depressed, and everyone who earns a wage will feel sick inside.

The cloth workers of Egypt will be crushed; all who work for hire will be grieved within themselves.

11 The leaders of Zoan are stupid. Pharaoh's wise counselors give advice that doesn't make sense. How can you tell Pharaoh, “I myself am a wise man, descended from ancient kings”?

The princes of Zoan are completely foolish. The advice of the wisest advisors of Pharaoh has become senseless. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of wise men, a son of ancient kings?”

12 So where are your wise counselors? Let them tell you so you can understand what the Lord Almighty has planned to do to Egypt.

Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you and make known what Yahweh of hosts plans concerning Egypt.

13 The leaders of Zoan have become stupid; the leaders of Memphis have been fooled; the important leaders of Egypt have misled their people.

The princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have made Egypt go astray, who are the cornerstones of her tribes.

14 The Lord has mixed up a spirit of confusion for them to drink, making the Egyptians stagger around in everything they do, like a drunk slipping up on his own vomit.

Yahweh has mixed a spirit of distortion into her midst, and they have led Egypt astray in all she does, like a drunk staggering in his vomit.

15 Nobody in Egypt can do anything, whoever they are—head or tail, palm tree or reed.

There is nothing anyone can do for Egypt, whether head or tail, palm branch or reed.

16 At that time the Egyptians will become like women. They will shake with fear when the Lord Almighty raises his arm against them.

In that day, the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because of the upraised hand of Yahweh of hosts that he raises over them.

17 The land of Judah will be a source of terror to Egypt for whenever Judah is mentioned, all Egyptians will tremble over what the Lord Almighty has planned to do to them.

The land of Judah will become a cause of staggering to Egypt. Whenever anyone reminds them of her, they will be afraid, because of the plan of Yahweh, that he is planning against them.

18 At that time there will be five cities in Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and who have sworn to worship the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to Yahweh of hosts. One of these will be called The City of the Sun.

19 At that time there will be an altar to the Lord right in the middle of Egypt, and a stone monument to the Lord on its border.

In that day there will be an altar to Yahweh in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a stone pillar at the border to Yahweh.

20 This will be a sign and a witness to the presence of the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord for help because they are being oppressed, he will send them a savior to fight for them and to rescue them.

It will be as a sign and a witness to Yahweh of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to Yahweh because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and a defender, and he will deliver them.

21 The Lord will make himself known to Egypt, and at that time Egypt will come to know the Lord. They will worship him with sacrifices and offerings; they will make promises to the Lord and keep them.

Yahweh will become known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will acknowledge Yahweh on that day. They will worship with sacrifices and offerings, and will make vows to Yahweh and fulfill them.

22 The Lord will inflict a plague on Egypt. He will do this, but he will heal them. They will come back to the Lord. He will respond to their prayers and heal them.

Yahweh will afflict Egypt, afflicting and healing. They will return to Yahweh; he will hear their prayer and will heal them.

23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians will go to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come to Egypt, and the Egyptian to Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24 At that time Israel will be the third part of this alliance, joining with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing to the whole of the earth.

In that day, Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth;

25 The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt, my people, Assyria, the creation of my hands, and Israel, my special possession.”

Yahweh of hosts will bless them and say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people; Assyria, the work of my hands; and Israel, my inheritance.”