Isaiah 23
1 A message about Tyre. Howl, people on the ships of Tarshish! Tyre has been destroyed—nothing is left of the houses and the harbor. They heard the news from the people of Cyprus.
The prophecy concerning Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste; No house, no entrance is left! From the land of the Chittaeans were the tidings brought to them.
2 Stay shocked into silence, people of the coastlands, merchants of Sidon, and sailors.
Be amazed, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast, Which the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, did crowd!
3 Egyptian grain came across the wide oceans. The Nile's harvest was what made Tyre money; she was the merchant to the nations.
Upon the wide waters, the corn of the Nile, The harvest of the river, was her revenue; She was the mart of the nations.
4 Feel the shame, Sidon! For the fortress of the sea says, “I have no children, having never been in labor or given birth. I have not brought up young men or brought up young women.”
Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, The fortress of the sea hath spoken thus: “I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; I have not nourished youths, nor brought up virgins.”
5 When the news about Tyre reaches Egypt they will be in agony.
When the tidings shall reach Egypt, They shall be filled with anguish at the tidings concerning Tyre.
6 Sail across to Tarshish! Howl, people of the coastlands!
Pass ye over to Tarshish; Howl, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast!
7 Is this really your triumphant city, whose beginnings are from the distant past, who has sent out people to colonize faraway places?
Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is of ancient days? Now her own feet bear her To sojourn far away.
8 Who planned this attack on Tyre? Tyre, who created kingdoms, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were honored around the world!
Who hath purposed this against Tyre, The dispenser of crowns, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders the nobles of the earth?
9 The Lord Almighty planned it, to humble its pride in all its glory, and to bring down all who receive worldly honor.
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, To bring down the pride of all glory, To humble the nobles of the earth.
10 Work your land, people of Tarshish, as they do beside the Nile, for you don't have a harbor anymore.
Go over thy land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! Now thy bonds are broken.
11 The Lord held his hand out over the sea and shook kingdoms. He has condemned Phoenicia, giving the order to destroy their fortresses.
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, He hath made the kingdoms tremble; Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan To destroy her strong holds.
12 He said, “Don't celebrate any more, mistreated virgin daughter of Sidon. Go and sail over to Cyprus—however, even there you won't find rest.”
He hath said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, Thou ravished virgin, daughter of Sidon! Arise, pass over to the Chittaeans; Yet even there shalt thou have no rest.
13 Look at the country of the Babylonians, this people that are not as they used to be! The Assyrians have turned it into a place for desert animals. They set up their siege towers, they demolished the fortresses, and ruined the country.
Behold the land of the Chaldaeans, Who, not long ago, were not a people, —The Assyrian assigned it to the inhabitants of the wilderness, —They raise their watch-towers; They destroy her palaces; They make her a heap of ruins.
14 Howl, people on the ships of Tarshish because your fortress is destroyed!
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For your stronghold is destroyed.
15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, a king's lifetime, as it were. But at the end of these seventy years, Tyre will be like the song about a prostitute,
And it shall come to pass in that day, That Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, According to the days of one king; But at the end of seventy years It shall be with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
16 “Take a lyre and walk around the city, forgotten prostitute! Play and sing so people will remember you!”
“Take thy lyre, go about the city, O harlot, long forgotten; Make sweet melody; sing many songs, That thou mayst again be remembered!”
17 After seventy years, the Lord will restore Tyre. But then she will go back to hiring herself out as a prostitute, selling herself to all the kingdoms of the world.
At the end of seventy years shall Jehovah show regard to Tyre, And she shall return to her hire, And play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world, That are upon the face of the earth.
18 However, her profits and what she earns will consecrated to the Lord. They won't be kept or saved up, for her business earnings will go to those who worship the Lord, to provide them with plenty of food and good clothes.
But her gain and her hire shall be holy to Jehovah; It shall not be treasured, nor laid up in store; But it shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, For abundant food, and for splendid clothing.
