Isaiæ 23
1 onus Tyri ululate naves maris quia vastata est domus unde venire consueverant de terra Cetthim revelatum est eis
[I received] this message [from Yahweh] about Tyre [city]: You [sailors on] [APO] ships from Tarshish, weep, because [the harbor of] Tyre and all the houses [in the city] have been destroyed. The reports that you heard in Cyprus [island] about Tyre [are true].
2 tacete qui habitatis in insula negotiatio Sidonis transfretantes mare repleverunt te
You people who live along the coast [near Tyre], and merchants of Sidon [city], mourn silently. Your sailors went across the seas [to many places like Tyre].
3 in aquis multis semen Nili messis fluminis fruges eius et facta est negotiatio gentium
They sailed across deep seas to buy grain in Egypt and [other] crops that are grown along the Nile [River]. Tyre became the city where people from [all] nations bought and sold goods.
4 erubesce Sidon ait enim mare fortitudo maris dicens non parturivi et non peperi et non enutrivi iuvenes nec ad incrementum perduxi virgines
But now you people in Sidon should be ashamed, because [you trusted in Tyre], which has been a strong fortress [on an island] in the sea. [Tyre is like a woman who is saying], “[Now it is as though] I have not given birth to [any] children, or raised [any] sons or daughters.”
5 cum auditum fuerit in Aegypto dolebunt cum audierint de Tyro
When [the people of] Egypt hear what has happened to Tyre, they will grieve very much.
6 transite maria ululate qui habitatis in insula
Sail to Tarshish [and tell them what happened]; weep, you people who live along the coast.
7 numquid non haec vestra est quae gloriabatur a diebus pristinis in antiquitate sua ducent eam pedes sui longe ad peregrinandum
[The people in] the very old city [of Tyre] were [RHQ] previously joyful. Traders [PRS] from Tyre established colonies in many distant nations.
8 quis cogitavit hoc super Tyrum quondam coronatam cuius negotiatores principes institores eius incliti terrae
People from Tyre appointed kings [over other places]; their traders were wealthy; they were [as powerful and wealthy as] [MET] kings. [So], who [RHQ] caused the people of Tyre to experience this disaster?
9 Dominus exercituum cogitavit hoc ut detraheret superbiam omnis gloriae et ad ignominiam deduceret universos inclitos terrae
It was the Commander of the armies of angels who did it; he did it in order to cause [you people in] Tyre not to be proud any more, to humiliate you men who are honored all over the world.
10 transi terram tuam quasi flumen filia maris non est cingulum ultra tibi
You people of Tarshish, you must grow crops in your land [instead of trading]; spread out over your land like [SIM] the Nile [River] spreads over the land [of Egypt] when it floods, because there is no harbor [in Tyre for your ships] now.
11 manum suam extendit super mare conturbavit regna Dominus mandavit adversum Chanaan ut contereret fortes eius
[It is as though] Yahweh stretched out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded that in Phoenicia/Canaan all its fortresses must be destroyed.
12 et dixit non adicies ultra ut glorieris calumniam sustinens virgo filia Sidonis in Cetthim consurgens transfreta ibi quoque non erit requies tibi
He said to the people of Sidon, “You will never rejoice again, because you will be crushed; even if you flee to Cyprus [island], you will not escape destruction.”
13 ecce terra Chaldeorum talis populus non fuit Assur fundavit eam in captivitatem transduxerunt robustos eius suffoderunt domos eius posuerunt eam in ruinam
Think about what happened in Babylonia: the people who were in that land have disappeared. [The armies of] Assyria have caused that land to become a place where wild animals from the desert live. The Assyrians built dirt ramps to the top of the walls [of the city of Babylon]; [then they entered the city and] tore down the palaces and caused the city to become [a heap of] rubble.
14 ululate naves maris quia devastata est fortitudo vestra
[So] wail, you [sailors on the] ships of Tarshish, because the harbor [in Tyre where your ships stop] is destroyed!
15 et erit in die illa in oblivione eris o Tyre septuaginta annis sicut dies regis unius post septuaginta autem annos erit Tyro quasi canticum meretricis
For seventy years, which is as long as kings usually live, people will forget about Tyre. [But then it will be rebuilt]. What will happen there will be like what happened to a prostitute in this song:
16 sume citharam circui civitatem meretrix oblivioni tradita bene cane frequenta canticum ut memoria tui sit
“You harlot, whom people had forgotten, play your harp well, and sing many songs, in order that people will remember you again.”
17 et erit post septuaginta annos visitabit Dominus Tyrum et reducet eam ad mercedes suas et rursum fornicabitur cum universis regnis terrae super faciem terrae
[It is true that] after seventy years Yahweh will restore Tyre. Their merchants will again earn a lot of money by buying things from and selling things to many [other] nations [HYP].
18 et erunt negotiatio eius et mercedes eius sanctificatae Domino non condentur neque reponentur quia his qui habitaverint coram Domino erit negotiatio eius ut manducent in saturitatem et vestiantur usque ad vetustatem
[But] their profits will be given to Yahweh. [The merchants] will not hoard their money; instead, they will give it to Yahweh’s priests in order that they [can] buy food and nice clothes.
