Isaiah 23

1 The Burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, For it hath been destroyed, Without house, without entrance, From the land of Chittim it was revealed to them.

The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye 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.

2 Be silent, ye inhabitants of the isle, Trader of Zidon, passing the sea, they filled thee.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast-land; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

3 And in many waters [is] the seed of Sihor, The harvest of the brook [is] her increase, And she is a mart of nations.

And on great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations.

4 Be ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea spake, The strength of the sea, saying: 'I have not been pained, nor have I brought forth, Nor have I nourished young men, [nor] brought up virgins.'

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: 'I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I reared young men, nor brought up virgins.'

5 As [at] the report of Egypt they are pained, So [at] the report of Tyre.

When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, ye inhabitants of the isle,

Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.

7 Is this your exulting one? From the days of old [is] her antiquity, Carry her do her own feet afar off to sojourn.

Is this your joyous city, whose feet in antiquity, in ancient days, carried her afar off to sojourn?

8 Who hath counselled this against Tyre, The crowning one, whose traders [are] princes, Her merchants the honoured of earth?'

Who hath devised this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

9 Jehovah of Hosts hath counselled it, To pollute the excellency of all beauty, To make light all the honoured of earth.

The LORD of hosts hath devised it, to pollute the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10 Pass through thy land as a brook, Daughter of Tarshish, there is no more a girdle.

Overflow thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! there is no girdle any more.

11 His hand He hath stretched out over the sea, He hath caused kingdoms to tremble, Jehovah hath charged concerning the merchant one, To destroy her strong places.

He hath stretched out His hand over the sea, He hath shaken the kingdoms; the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof;

12 And He saith, 'Thou dost not add any more to exult, O oppressed one, virgin daughter of Zidon, To Chittim arise, pass over, Even there — there is no rest for thee.'

And He said: 'Thou shalt no more rejoice.' O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zidon, arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest.

13 Lo, the land of the Chaldeans — this people was not, Asshur founded it for the Ziim, They raised its watch-towers, They lifted up her palaces, — He hath appointed her for a ruin!

Behold, the land of the Chaldeans — this is the people that was not, when Asshur founded it for shipmen — they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; it is made a ruin.

14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, For your strength hath been destroyed.

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.

15 And it hath come to pass, in that day, That forgotten is Tyre seventy years, According to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years there is to Tyre as the song of the harlot.

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 it shall fare with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 Take a harp, go round the city, O forgotten harlot, play well, Multiply song that thou mayest be remembered.

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17 And it hath come to pass, At the end of seventy years Jehovah inspecteth Tyre, And she hath repented of her gift, That she committed fornication With all kingdoms of the earth on the face of the ground.

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will remember Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall have commerce with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18 And her merchandise and her gift have been holy to Jehovah, Not treasured up nor stored, For to those sitting before Jehovah is her merchandise, To eat to satiety, and for a lasting covering!

And her gain and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her gain shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat their fill, and for stately clothing.