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 prophecy concerning Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste; No house, no entrance is left! From the land of the Chittaeans were the tidings brought to them.
2 Be silent, ye inhabitants of the isle, Trader of Zidon, passing the sea, they filled thee.
Be amazed, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast, Which the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, did crowd!
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.
Upon the wide waters, the corn of the Nile, The harvest of the river, was her revenue; She was the mart of the 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 Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, The fortress of the sea hath spoken thus: “I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; I have not nourished youths, nor brought up virgins.”
5 As [at] the report of Egypt they are pained, So [at] the report of Tyre.
When the tidings shall reach Egypt, They shall be filled with anguish at the tidings concerning Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish, howl, ye inhabitants of the isle,
Pass ye over to Tarshish; Howl, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast!
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 antiquity is of ancient days? Now her own feet bear her To sojourn far away.
8 Who hath counselled this against Tyre, The crowning one, whose traders [are] princes, Her merchants the honoured of earth?'
Who hath purposed this against Tyre, The dispenser of crowns, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders the nobles 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.
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, To bring down the pride of all glory, To humble the nobles of the earth.
10 Pass through thy land as a brook, Daughter of Tarshish, there is no more a girdle.
Go over thy land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! Now thy bonds are broken.
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 made the kingdoms tremble; Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan To destroy her strong holds.
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.'
He hath said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, Thou ravished virgin, daughter of Sidon! Arise, pass over to the Chittaeans; Yet 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 Chaldaeans, Who, not long ago, were not a people, —The Assyrian assigned it to the inhabitants of the wilderness, —They raise their watch-towers; They destroy her palaces; They make her a heap of ruins.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, For your strength hath been destroyed.
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For your stronghold is destroyed.
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; But at the end of seventy years It shall be 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 thy lyre, go about the city, O harlot, long forgotten; Make sweet melody; sing many songs, That thou mayst again 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.
At the end of seventy years shall Jehovah show regard to Tyre, And she shall return to her hire, And play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world, That are 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!
But her gain and her hire shall be holy to Jehovah; It shall not be treasured, nor laid up in store; But it shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, For abundant food, and for splendid clothing.
