Isaiah 23
1 [I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Tyre [city]: You [sailors on] [APO] ships from Tarshish, weep, because [the harbor of] Tyre and all the houses [in the city] have been destroyed. The reports that you heard in Cyprus [island] about Tyre [are true].
The birthun of Tire. Ye schippis of the see, yelle, for the hous is distried, fro whennus coumfort was wont to come; fro the lond of Cethym, and was schewid to hem.
2 You people who live along the coast [near Tyre], and merchants of Sidon [city], mourn silently. Your sailors went across the seas [to many places like Tyre].
Be ye stille, that dwellen in the ile, the marchaundie of Sidon; men passynge the see filliden thee in many watris;
3 They sailed across deep seas to buy grain in Egypt and [other] crops that are grown along the Nile [River]. Tyre became the city where people from [all] nations bought and sold goods.
the seed of Nylus is heruest, the flood is the corn therof, and it is maad the marchaundie of hethene men.
4 But now you people in Sidon should be ashamed, because [you trusted in Tyre], which has been a strong fortress [on an island] in the sea. [Tyre is like a woman who is saying], “[Now it is as though] I have not given birth to [any] children, or raised [any] sons or daughters.”
Thou, Sidon, be aschamed, seide the see, the strengthe of the see, and seide, Y trauelide not of child, and Y childide not, and Y nurschide not yonge men, and Y brouyte not fulli virgyns to encreessyng.
5 When [the people of] Egypt hear what has happened to Tyre, they will grieve very much.
Whanne it schal be herd in Egipt, thei schulen make sorewe, whanne thei heren of Tire.
6 Sail to Tarshish [and tell them what happened]; weep, you people who live along the coast.
Passe ye the sees; yelle ye, that dwellen in the ile.
7 [The people in] the very old city [of Tyre] were [RHQ] previously joyful. Traders [PRS] from Tyre established colonies in many distant nations.
Whether this citee is not youre, that hadde glorie fro elde daies in his eldnesse? the feet therof schulen lede it fer, to go in pilgrymage.
8 People from Tyre appointed kings [over other places]; their traders were wealthy; they were [as powerful and wealthy as] [MET] kings. [So], who [RHQ] caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?
Who thouyte this thing on Tire sum tyme crownede, whos marchauntis weren princes, the selleris of marchaundie therof weren noble men of erthe?
9 It was the Commander of the armies of angels who did it; he did it in order to cause [you people in] Tyre not to be proud any more, to humiliate you men who are honored all over the world.
The Lord of oostis thouyte this thing, that he schulde drawe doun the pride of al glorie, and that he schulde bringe to schenschipe alle the noble men of erthe.
10 You people of Tarshish, you must grow crops in your land [instead of trading]; spread out over your land like [SIM] the Nile [River] spreads over the land [of Egypt] when it floods, because there is no harbor [in Tyre for your ships] now.
Thou douyter of the see, passe thi lond as a flood; a girdil is no more to thee.
11 [It is as though] Yahweh stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded that in Phoenicia/Canaan all its fortresses must be destroyed.
It stretchide forth his hond aboue the see, and disturblide rewmes. The Lord sente ayenes Canaan, for to al to-breke the stronge men therof;
12 He said to the people of Sidon, “You will never rejoice again, because you will be crushed; even if you flee to Cyprus [island], you will not escape destruction.”
and he seide, Thou maide, the douyter of Sidon, that suffrist caleng, schalt no more adde, that thou haue glorie. Rise thou, and passe ouer the see in to Sechym; there also no reste schal be to thee.
13 Think about what happened in Babylonia: the people who were in that land have disappeared. [The armies of] Assyria have caused that land to become a place where wild animals from the desert live. The Assyrians built dirt ramps to the top of the walls [of the city of Babylon]; [then they entered the city and] tore down the palaces and caused the city to become [a heap of] rubble.
Lo! the lond of Caldeis, sich a puple was not; Assur foundide that Tyre; thei ledden ouer in to caitifte the strong men therof; thei myneden the housis therof, thei settiden it in to fallyng.
14 [So] wail, you [sailors on the] ships of Tarshish, because the harbor [in Tyre where your ships stop] is destroyed!
Yelle, ye schippis of the see, for youre strengthe is distried.
15 For seventy years, which is as long as kings usually live, people will forget about Tyre. [But then it will be rebuilt]. What will happen there will be like what happened to a prostitute in this song:
And it schal be, in that dai, thou Tire, schalt be in foryetyng bi seuenti yeer, as the daies of o king; but aftir seuenti yeer, as the song of an hoore schal be to Tyre.
16 “You harlot, whom people had forgotten, play your harp well, and sing many songs, in order that people will remember you again.”
Thou hoore, youun to foryetyng, take an harpe, cumpasse the citee; synge thou wel, vse thou ofte a song, that mynde be of thee.
17 [It is true that] after seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Their merchants will again earn a lot of money by buying things from and selling things to many [other] nations [HYP].
And it schal be, aftir seuenti yeer, the Lord schal visite Tire, and schal brynge it ayen to hise hiris; and eft it schal be, whanne it schal do fornycacioun with alle rewmes of erthe, on the face of erthe.
18 [But] their profits will be given to Yahweh. [The merchants] will not hoard their money; instead, they will give it to Yahweh’s priests in order that they [can] buy food and nice clothes.
And the marchaundies therof and the meedis therof schulen be halewid to the Lord; tho schulen not be hid, nethir schulen be leid vp; for whi the marchaundie therof schal be to hem that dwellen bifore the Lord, that thei ete to fulnesse, and be clothid `til to eldnesse.
