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Isaiah 20
New International Version
Isaiah 20
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush
20 In the year that the supreme commander,(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(B) and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(C) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(D) from your body and the sandals(E) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(F) and barefoot.(G)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(H) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(I) as a sign(J) and portent(K) against Egypt(L) and Cush,[a](M) 4 so the king(N) of Assyria will lead away stripped(O) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(P) and Cushite(Q) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(R)—to Egypt’s shame.(S) 5 Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) 6 In that day(X) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(Y) to those we relied on,(Z) those we fled to for help(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(AB)’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
Isaiah 20
New Living Translation
Isaiah 20
New Living Translation
A Message about Egypt and Ethiopia
20 In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod,[a] 2 the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.
3 Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign—a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.[b] 4 For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians[c] as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt. 5 Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt! 6 They will say, ‘If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.’”
Isaiah 20
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 20
New American Standard Bible
Prophecy about Egypt and Ethiopia
20 In the year that the [a](A)commander came to (B)Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, 2 at that time the Lord spoke through (C)Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the (D)sackcloth from your hips and take your (E)sandals off your feet.” And he did so, going (F)naked and barefoot. 3 Then the Lord said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a (G)sign and symbol against Egypt and [b](H)Cush, 4 so the (I)king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, (J)young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the [c]shame of Egypt. 5 Then they will be (K)terrified and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their (L)pride. 6 So the inhabitants of this coastland will say on that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled (M)for help to be saved from the king of Assyria; and (N)how are we ourselves to escape?’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:1 Heb Tartan
- Isaiah 20:3 Or Ethiopia, as in vv 4, 5
- Isaiah 20:4 Lit nakedness
Isaiah 20
English Standard Version
Isaiah 20
English Standard Version
A Sign Against Egypt and Cush
20 In the year that (A)the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to (B)Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking (C)naked and barefoot.
3 Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years (D)as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,[a] 4 so shall the (E)king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 (F)Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of (G)this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and (H)to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 Probably Nubia
Isaiah 20
The Message
Isaiah 20
The Message
Exposed to Mockery and Jeers
20 1-2 In the year the field commander, sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought and took it, God told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Go, take off your clothes and sandals,” and Isaiah did it, going about naked and barefooted.
3-6 Then God said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked around town naked and barefooted for three years as a warning sign to Egypt and Ethiopia, so the king of Assyria is going to come and take the Egyptians as captives and the Ethiopians as exiles. He’ll take young and old alike and march them out of there naked and barefooted, exposed to mockery and jeers—the bared buttocks of Egypt on parade! Everyone who has put hope in Ethiopia and expected help from Egypt will be thrown into confusion. Everyone who lives along this coast will say, ‘Look at them! Naked and barefooted, shuffling off to exile! And we thought they were our best hope, that they’d rescue us from the king of Assyria. Now what’s going to happen to us? How are we going to get out of this?’”
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson