Isaiah 23
1 A declaration about Tyre: Howl, you ships of Tarshish; for there is neither home nor harbor; from the land of Cyprus it has been revealed to them.
The prophecy concerning Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste; No house, no entrance is left! From the land of the Chittaeans were the tidings brought to them.
2 Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast; the merchant of Sidon, who travels over the sea, has filled you.
Be amazed, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast, Which the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, did crowd!
3 Upon the great waters was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile was her produce; and it became the commerce of the nations.
Upon the wide waters, the corn of the Nile, The harvest of the river, was her revenue; She was the mart of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the mighty one of the sea. He says, “I have not labored nor given birth, nor have I raised young men nor brought up young women.”
Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, The fortress of the sea hath spoken thus: “I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; I have not nourished youths, nor brought up virgins.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be grieved concerning Tyre.
When the tidings shall reach Egypt, They shall be filled with anguish at the tidings concerning Tyre.
6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you inhabitants of the coast.
Pass ye over to Tarshish; Howl, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast!
7 Has this happened to you, the joyful city, whose origin is from ancient times, whose feet carried her far away to foreign places to settle?
Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is of ancient days? Now her own feet bear her To sojourn far away.
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honored ones of the earth?
Who hath purposed this against Tyre, The dispenser of crowns, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders the nobles of the earth?
9 Yahweh of hosts has planned it to dishonor her pride and all her glory, to shame all her honored ones of the earth.
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, To bring down the pride of all glory, To humble the nobles of the earth.
10 Plow your land, as one plows the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no longer a marketplace in Tyre.
Go over thy land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! Now thy bonds are broken.
11 Yahweh has reached out with his hand over the sea, and he has shaken the kingdoms; he has given a command concerning Phoenicia, to destroy the strongholds.
He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, He hath made the kingdoms tremble; Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan To destroy her strong holds.
12 He said, “You will not rejoice again, oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, pass over to Cyprus; but neither there you will have rest.”
He hath said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, Thou ravished virgin, daughter of Sidon! Arise, pass over to the Chittaeans; Yet even there shalt thou have no rest.
13 See the land of the Chaldeans. This people has ceased to be; the Assyrians have made it a wilderness for wild animals. They set up their siege towers; they demolished its palaces; they made it a heap of ruins.
Behold the land of the Chaldaeans, Who, not long ago, were not a people, —The Assyrian assigned it to the inhabitants of the wilderness, —They raise their watch-towers; They destroy her palaces; They make her a heap of ruins.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish; for your refuge has been destroyed.
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For your stronghold is destroyed.
15 In that day, Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days of a king. After the end of seventy years there will happen in Tyre something like in the song of the prostitute.
And it shall come to pass in that day, That Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, According to the days of one king; But at the end of seventy years It shall be with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
16 Take a harp, go about the city, you forgotten prostitute; play it well, sing many songs, so that you may be remembered.
“Take thy lyre, go about the city, O harlot, long forgotten; Make sweet melody; sing many songs, That thou mayst again be remembered!”
17 It will come about that after seventy years, Yahweh will help Tyre, and she will start making money again by doing the work of a prostitute, and she will offer her services to all the kingdoms of the earth.
At the end of seventy years shall Jehovah show regard to Tyre, And she shall return to her hire, And play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world, That are upon the face of the earth.
18 Her profits and earnings will be set apart to Yahweh. They will not be stored up or kept in the treasury, for her profits will be given to those who live in Yahweh's presence and will be used to supply them with abundant food and so they can have the best quality clothing.
But her gain and her hire shall be holy to Jehovah; It shall not be treasured, nor laid up in store; But it shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, For abundant food, and for splendid clothing.
