Isaiah 19

1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, YHWH is riding on a swift thick cloud, And He has entered Egypt, And the idols of Egypt have been moved at His presence, And the heart of Egypt melts in its midst.

The doom of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and is coming to Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved because of his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in its inward parts.

2 And I armed Egyptians against Egyptians, And they fought, each against his brother, And each against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.

And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his fellow; city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

3 And the spirit of Egypt has been emptied out in its midst. And I swallow up its counsel, And they have sought to the idols, And to the charmers, And to those having familiar spirits, And to the wizards.

And the spirit of Egypt shall be emptied out in its inward parts, and its counsel will I frustrate; and they will inquire of the idols, and of the charmers, and of those that have familiar spirits, and of the wizards.

4 And I have delivered the Egyptians Into the hand of a hard lord, And a strong king rules over them, A declaration of the Lord, YHWH of Hosts.

And I will surrender the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a rigorous king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Eternal of hosts.

5 And waters have failed from the sea, And a river is desolated and dried up.

And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

6 And they have turned away the flowings, Brooks of the bulwark have been weak and dried up, Reed and flag have withered.

And the rivers shall become foul; and shallow and dried up shall become the deep streams: reeds and flags shall wither.

7 Exposed things by the brook, by the edge of the brook, And every sown thing of the brook, has withered, It has been driven away, and is not.

The well-rooted plants by the stream, by the mouth of the stream, and every thing sown by the stream, shall dry up, be scattered [by the wind, ] and be no more.

8 And the fishers have lamented, And all casting a hook into the brook have mourned, And those spreading dragnets on the face of the waters have languished.

The fishermen also shall lament, and all they that cast an angle into the stream shall mourn; and they that spread nets upon the face of the waters shall languish.

9 And makers of fine flax have been ashamed, And weavers of networks.

And ashamed shall be they that work in fine flax, and they that weave white cloth.

10 And its foundations have been struck, All making wages [are] afflicted in soul.

And its foundations shall be beaten down, all that build sluices shall be grieved in soul.

11 Only, the princes of Zoan [are] fools, The counsel of the wise ones of the counselors of Pharaoh has become brutish. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of kings of antiquity?”

Surely fools are the princes of Zo'an! the wise of the counsellors of Pharaoh [impart] silly counsel: how can ye say unto Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the ancient kings?

12 Where [are] they now, your wise ones? Indeed, let them now tell [it] to you, And they know what YHWH of Hosts has counseled against Egypt!

Where are they, these, thy wise men? that they may tell thee now, that they know what the Lord of hosts hath resolved on over Egypt.

13 Princes of Zoan have been foolish, Princes of Noph have been lifted up, And they have caused Egypt to err, The chief of her tribes.

The princes of Zo'an are become fools, deceived are the princes of Noph; and Egypt is led astray by the chiefs of its tribes.

14 YHWH has mingled in her midst A spirit of perverseness, And they have caused Egypt to err in all its work, As a drunkard errs in his vomit.

The Lord hath poured out in the midst thereof a spirit of perverseness: and they have led Egypt astray in all its work, as a drunkard reeleth astray in his vomit.

15 And there is no work to Egypt, That head or tail, branch or reed, may do.

And there shall not be for Egypt [successful] work, which the head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

16 In that day Egypt is like women, And it has mourned, and been afraid, Because of the waving of the hand of YHWH of Hosts, That He is waving over it.

On that day shall Egypt be like the women: and it shall tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he waveth over it.

17 And the land of Judah has been to Egypt for a cause of staggering, Everyone who mentions it, fears for himself, Because of the counsel of YHWH of Hosts, That He is counseling against it.

And the land of Judah shall become unto Egypt a terror, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be in dread, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath resolved against it.

18 In that day there are five cities in the land of Egypt, Speaking the lip of Canaan, And swearing to YHWH of Hosts, “The city of destruction,” is said of one.

On that day shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing by the Lord of hosts; “The city of destruction” shall one be called.

19 In that day there is an altar to YHWH In the midst of the land of Egypt, And a standing pillar to YHWH near its border,

On that day shall there be all altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to the Lord.

20 And it has been for a sign and for a testimony, To YHWH of Hosts in the land of Egypt, For they cry to YHWH from the face of oppressors, And He sends a Savior to them, Even a great one, and has delivered them.

And it shall be for a sign and for a testimony unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he will send them a helper, and a chief, and he shall deliver them.

21 And YHWH has been known to Egypt, And the Egyptians have known YHWH in that day, And done sacrifice and present, And vowed a vow to YHWH, and completed [it].

And the Lord will be made known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord on that day, and will do service [with] sacrifice and oblation; yea, they will make vows unto the Lord and perform [them].

22 And YHWH has struck Egypt, striking and healing, And they have turned back to YHWH, And He has accepted their plea, And has healed them.

And the Lord will thus strike Egypt, striking and healing it: and they will return unto the Lord, and he will be entreated of them, and heal them.

23 In that day a highway is out of Egypt to Asshur, And the Assyrians have come into Egypt, And the Egyptians into Asshur, And the Egyptians have served with the Assyrians.

On that day there shall be a highway out of Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Asshur, and the Egyptians shall serve with Asshur [the Lord].

24 In that day Israel is third, With Egypt, and with Asshur, A blessing in the heart of the earth.

On that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth.

25 In that YHWH of Hosts blessed it, saying, “Blessed [is] My people—Egypt, And the work of My hands—Asshur, And My inheritance—Israel!”

Whom the Lord of hosts will have blessed, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt, and Asshur the work of my hands, and my heritage Israel.