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 doom of Tyre. Wail, ye ships of Tharshish; for it is laid waste, without house, without entrance: from the land of Kittim hath it been revealed to them.
2 Be silent, you inhabitants of the island, Trader of Sidon, passing the sea, they filled you.
Be silent, ye inhabitants of the coast-land: the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea [formerly] filled thee.
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 mighty waters [came] the seed of Shichor, the harvest of the stream, as her revenue; and she became 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 ashamed, O Zion; for spoken hath the sea, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I travailed not, nor brought forth children, neither did I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
5 As they are pained [at] the report of Egypt, So [at] the report of Tyre.
As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they tremble at the report of Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, you inhabitants of the island,
Pass ye over to Tharshish; wail, 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 fate, ye of the joyous [city]? she whose antiquity is of ancient days—her own feet shall carry 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 resolved this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable 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 hath resolved it, to dishonor the pride of all ornament, to make of light esteem all the honorable of the earth.
10 Pass through your land as a brook, Daughter of Tarshish, There is no longer a girdle.
Pass through thy land as a stream, O daughter of Tharshish: there is no more strength.
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 kingdoms; the Lord hath given a command against Canaan, to subvert its strongholds.
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 longer rejoice any more, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to the Kittim; also 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 people which was not, Asshur founded it for the dwellers in the wilderness—they have set up their watchtowers, have overthrown its palaces, have rendered it a heap of ruins.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, For your strength has been destroyed.
Wail, ye ships of Tharshish; 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 on that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, like the days of one king: at the end of seventy years shall it happen to 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 the harp, go round about the city, thou forgotten harlot; make sweet music, sing many songs, in order 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 visit 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 holy to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; but for those that dwell before the Lord shall her gain be, to eat to fulness, and for magnificent clothing.
