< Isaiah 19 >
1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.
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 will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and 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 shall fail in the midst of her; and I will destroy its counsel: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to the mediums, 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 the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD 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 the waters shall fail from the sea, and the rivers shall be wasted and dried up.
And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.
And the rivers shall become foul; and shallow and dried up shall become the deep streams: reeds and flags shall wither.
7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.
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 The fishermen also shall mourn, and all they that cast a line into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.
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 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave fine cloths, shall be confounded.
And ashamed shall be they that work in fine flax, and they that weave white cloth.
10 And they shall be broken in its purposes, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.
And its foundations shall be beaten down, all that build sluices shall be grieved in soul.
11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become stupid: how say ye to Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?
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? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon 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 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the support of its 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 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of it: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work of it, as a drunken man staggereth 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 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may perform.
And there shall not be for Egypt [successful] work, which the head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.
16 In that day shall Egypt be like women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh 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 shall be a terror to Egypt, every one that maketh mention of it shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined 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 shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.
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 shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to the LORD.
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 shall be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver 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 the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall offer sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow to the LORD, and perform 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 the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be entreated by them, and shall heal 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 shall there be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve 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 shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
On that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth.
25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.
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.