Isaiah 23
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.
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.
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.
3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
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.
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
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.”
5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.
6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?
8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
9 YHWH of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor.
11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: YHWH hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.
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.
12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
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.”
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
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.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!
15 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 shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
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:
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that YHWH will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
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.
18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to YHWH: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before YHWH, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
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.
