Isaiah 19

1 The burden of Egypt. “Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, and comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt will melt within it.

THE VISION OF EGYPT. Behold, the Lord sits on a swift cloud, and shall come to Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and their heart shall faint within them.

2 I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians, and they will fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

And the Egyptians shall be stirred up against the Egyptians: and a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his neighbour, city against city, and law against law.

3 The spirit of the Egyptians will fail within them. I will destroy their counsel. They will seek the idols, the charmers, those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards.

And the spirit of the Egyptians shall be troubled within them; and I will frustrate their counsel: and they shall enquire of their gods and their images, and them that speak out of the earth, and them that have in them a divining spirit.

4 I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord. A fierce king will rule over them,” says the Lord, GOD of Armies.

And I will deliver Egypt into the hands of men, of cruel lords; and cruel kings shall rule over them: thus says the Lord of hosts.

5 The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be wasted and become dry.

And the Egyptians shall drink the water that is by the sea, but the river shall fail, and be dried up.

6 The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

And the streams shall fail, and the canals of the river; and every reservoir of water shall be dried up, in every marsh also of reed and papyrus.

7 The meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile, will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.

And all the green herbage round about the river, and everything sown by the side of the river, shall be blasted with the wind and dried up.

8 The fishermen will lament, and all those who fish in the Nile will mourn, and those who spread nets on the waters will languish.

And the fishermen shall groan, and all that cast a hook into the river shall groan; they also that cast nets, and the anglers shall mourn.

9 Moreover those who work in combed flax, and those who weave white cloth, will be confounded.

And shame shall come upon them that work fine flax, and them that make fine linen.

10 The pillars will be broken in pieces. All those who work for hire will be grieved in soul.

And they that work at them shall be in pain, and all that make beer shall be grieved, and be pained in their souls.

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish. The counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings”?

And the princes of Tanis shall be fools: [as for] the king's wise counsellors, their counsel shall be turned into folly: how will you say to the king, we are sons of wise men, sons of ancient kings?

12 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you now; and let them know what the LORD of Armies has purposed concerning Egypt.

Where are now your wise men? and let them declare to you, and say, What has the Lord of hosts purposed upon Egypt?

13 The princes of Zoan have become fools. The princes of Memphis are deceived. They have caused Egypt to go astray, those who are the cornerstone of her tribes.

The princes of Tanis have failed, and the princes of Memphis are lifted up [with pride], and they shall cause Egypt to wander by tribes.

14 The LORD has mixed a spirit of perverseness in the middle of her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in all of its works, like a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

For the Lord has prepared for them a spirit of error, and they have caused Egypt to err in all their works, as one staggers who is drunken and vomits also.

15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which head or tail, palm branch or rush, may do.

And there shall be no work to the Egyptians, which shall make head or tail, or beginning or end.

16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because of the shaking of the LORD of Armies’s hand, which he shakes over them.

But in that day the Egyptians shall be as women, in fear and in trembling because of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shall bring upon them.

17 The land of Judah will become a terror to Egypt. Everyone to whom mention is made of it will be afraid, because of the plans of the LORD of Armies, which he determines against it.

And the land of the Jews shall be for a terror to the Egyptians: whoever shall name it to them, they shall fear, because of the counsel which the Lord of hosts has purposed concerning it.

18 In that day, there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of Armies. One will be called “The city of destruction.”

In that day there shall be five cities in Egypt speaking the language of Chanaan, and swearing by the name of the Lord of hosts; one city shall be called the city of Asedec.

19 In that day, there will be an altar to the LORD in the middle of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.

In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of the Egyptians, and a pillar to the Lord by its border.

20 It will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of Armies in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of oppressors, and he will send them a saviour and a defender, and he will deliver them.

And it shall be for a sign to the Lord for ever in the land of Egypt: for they shall presently cry to the Lord by reason of them that afflict them, and he shall send them a man who shall save them; he shall judge and save them.

21 The LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. Yes, they will worship with sacrifice and offering, and will vow a vow to the LORD, and will perform it.

And the Lord shall be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day; and they shall offer sacrifices, and shall vow vows to the Lord, and pay [them].

22 The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing. They will return to the LORD, and he will be entreated by them, and will heal them.

And the Lord shall strike the Egyptians with a stroke, and shall completely heal them: and they shall return to the Lord, and he shall hear them, and thoroughly heal them.

23 In that day there will be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

In that day there shall be a way from Egypt to the Assyrians, and the Assyrians shall enter into Egypt, and the Egyptians shall go to the Assyrians, and the Egyptians shall serve the Assyrians.

24 In that day, Israel will be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing within the earth;

In that day shall Israel be third with the Egyptians and the Assyrians, blessed in the land which the Lord of hosts has blessed,

25 because the LORD of Armies has blessed them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

saying, Blessed be my people that is in Egypt, and that is amongst the Assyrians, and Israel mine inheritance.