Isaiah 23
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.
This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished.
Be silent, O dwellers of the coastland, you merchants of Sidon, whose traders have crossed the sea.
3 On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.
On the great waters came the grain of Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre; she was the merchant of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor given birth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.”
Be ashamed, O Sidon, the stronghold of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in labor or given birth. I have not raised young men or brought up young women.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
When the report reaches Egypt, they will writhe in agony over the news of Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?
Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honourable of the earth?
Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
9 The LORD of Hosts has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
10 Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more.
Cultivate your land like the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer a harbor.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. The LORD has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds.
The LORD has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has made kingdoms tremble. He has given a command that the strongholds of Canaan be destroyed.
12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”
He said, “You shall rejoice no more, O oppressed Virgin Daughter of Sidon. Get up and cross over to Cyprus— even there you will find no rest.”
13 Behold, the land of the Kasdim. This people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin.
Look at the land of the Chaldeans — a people now of no account. The Assyrians destined it for the desert creatures; they set up their siege towers and stripped its palaces. They brought it to ruin.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste!
Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!
15 It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute.
At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
16 Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.
“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
17 It will happen after the end of seventy years that the LORD will visit Tyre. She will return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth.
And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.
18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to the LORD. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Yet her profits and wages will be set apart to the LORD; they will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live before the LORD, for abundant food and fine clothing.
