Isaiah 23

1 The Burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish, For it has been destroyed, Without house, without entrance, From the land of Chittim it was revealed to them.

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 Kittim it is revealed to them.

2 Be silent, you inhabitants of the island, Trader of Sidon, passing the sea, they filled you.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast-land; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

3 And the seed of Sihor [is] in many waters, Her increase [is] the harvest of the brook, And she is a market of nations.

And on great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations.

4 Be ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea spoke, The strength of the sea, saying, “I have not been pained, nor have I brought forth, Nor have I nourished young men, [nor] brought up virgins.”

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: 'I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I reared young men, nor brought up virgins.'

5 As they are pained [at] the report of Egypt, So [at] the report of Tyre.

When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, you inhabitants of the island,

Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.

7 Is this your exulting one? Her antiquity [is] from the days of old, Her own feet carry her far off to sojourn.

Is this your joyous city, whose feet in antiquity, in ancient days, carried her afar off to sojourn?

8 Who has counseled this against Tyre, The crowning one, whose traders [are] princes, Her merchants—the honored of earth?

Who hath devised this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

9 YHWH of Hosts has counseled it, To defile the excellence of all beauty, To make light all the honored of earth.

The LORD of hosts hath devised it, to pollute the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10 Pass through your land as a brook, Daughter of Tarshish, There is no longer a girdle.

Overflow thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! there is no girdle any more.

11 He has stretched out His hand over the sea, He has caused kingdoms to tremble, YHWH has charged concerning the merchant one, To destroy her strong places.

He hath stretched out His hand over the sea, He hath shaken the kingdoms; the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof;

12 And He says, “You do not add to exult anymore, O oppressed one, virgin daughter of Sidon, To Chittim arise, pass over, Even there—there is no rest for you.”

And He said: 'Thou shalt no more rejoice.' O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zidon, arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest.

13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this people was not, Asshur founded it for desert-dwellers, They raised its watchtowers, They lifted up her palaces—He has appointed her for a ruin!

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans — this is the people that was not, when Asshur founded it for shipmen — they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; it is made a ruin.

14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, For your strength has been destroyed.

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.

15 And it has come to pass in that day, That Tyre is forgotten seventy years, According to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years there is to Tyre as the song of the harlot.

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 it shall fare with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 Take a harp, go around the city, O forgotten harlot, play well, Multiply song that you may be remembered.

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17 And it has come to pass, At the end of seventy years YHWH inspects Tyre, And she has returned to her wage, And she committed fornication With all kingdoms of the earth on the face of the ground.

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will remember 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 merchandise and her wage have been holy to YHWH, Not treasured up nor stored, For her merchandise is to those sitting before YHWH, To eat to satiety, and for a lasting covering!

And her gain and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her gain shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat their fill, and for stately clothing.