Isaiah 23

1 The burden of Tyre. Wail, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

THE WORD CONCERNING TYRE. Howl, you ships of Carthage; for she has perished, and [men] no longer arrive from the land of the Citians: she is led captive.

2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

To whom are the dwellers in the island become like, the merchants of Phoenice, passing over the sea

3 And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a market of nations.

in great waters, a generation of merchants? as when the harvest is gathered in, [so are] these traders with the nations.

4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish young men, nor bring up virgins.

Be ashamed, O Sidon: the sea has said, yes, the strength of the sea has said, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor reared virgins.

5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be greatly pained at the report of Tyre.

Moreover when it shall be heard in Egypt, sorrow shall seize them for Tyre.

6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; wail, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Depart you to Carthage; howl, you that dwell in this island.

7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourn.

Was not this your pride from the beginning, before she was given up?

8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honourable of the earth?

Who has devised this counsel against Tyre? Is she inferior? or has she no strength? her merchants were the glorious princes of the earth.

9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

The Lord of hosts has purposed to bring down all the pride of the glorious ones, and to disgrace every glorious thing on the earth.

10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

Till your land; for ships no more come out of Carthage.

11 He stretched his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy its strong holds.

And your hand prevails no more by sea, which troubled kings: the Lord of hosts has given a command concerning Chanaan, to destroy the strength thereof.

12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

And [men] shall say, You shall no longer at all continue to insult and injure the daughter of Sidon: and if you depart to the Citians, neither there shall you have rest.

13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up its towers, they raised up its palaces; and he brought it to ruin.

And [if you depart] to the land of the Chaldeans, this also is laid waste by the Assyrians, for her wall is fallen.

14 Wail, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

Howl, you ships of Carthage: for your strong hold is destroyed.

15 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 shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] Tyre shall be left seventy years, as the time of a king, as the time of a man: and it shall come to pass after seventy years, [that] Tyre shall be as the song of a harlot.

16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Take a harp, go about, O city, you harlot that have been forgotten; play well on the harp, sing many [songs], that you may be remembered.

17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

And it shall come to pass after the seventy years, [that] God will visit Tyre, and she shall be again restored to her primitive state, and she shall be a mart for all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.

18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, for sufficient food and for durable clothing.

And her trade and her gain shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be gathered for them, but for those that dwell before the Lord, [even] all her trade, to eat and drink and be filled, and for a covenant [and] a memorial before the Lord.