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Isaiah 20-21
English Standard Version
Isaiah 20-21
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?’”
Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon
21 The (I)oracle concerning the wilderness of (J)the sea.
(K)As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the wilderness,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
(L)the traitor betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O (M)Elam;
lay siege, O (N)Media;
all the (O)sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
(P)pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
(Q)the twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5 (R)They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,[b]
they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
(S)oil the shield!
6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then he who saw cried out:[c]
(T)“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
whole nights.
9 And behold, here come riders,
horsemen in pairs!”
(U)And he answered,
(V)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
(W)and all the carved images of her gods
he has shattered to the ground.”
10 O (X)my threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11 The (Y)oracle concerning (Z)Dumah.
One is calling to me from (AA)Seir,
“Watchman, what time of the night?
Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also (AB)the night.
If you will inquire, (AC)inquire;
come back again.”
13 The (AD)oracle concerning (AE)Arabia.
In the thickets in (AF)Arabia you will lodge,
O (AG)caravans of (AH)Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of (AI)Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the press of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, (AJ)according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of (AK)Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of (AL)Kedar will be few, (AM)for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 Probably Nubia
- Isaiah 21:5 Or they set the watchman
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion
Isaiah 20-21
New International Version
Isaiah 20-21
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)’”
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy(AC) against the Desert(AD) by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds(AE) sweeping through the southland,(AF)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2 A dire(AG) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(AH) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(AI) attack! Media,(AJ) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3 At this my body is racked with pain,(AK)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(AL)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(AM) by what I see.
4 My heart(AN) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(AO)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(AP) to me.
5 They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(AQ)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(AR)
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout(AS)
and have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots(AT)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(AU)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8 And the lookout[b](AV) shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot(AW)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(AX) has fallen,(AY) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(AZ)
lie shattered(BA) on the ground!’”
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(BB)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah[c]:(BC)
Someone calls to me from Seir,(BD)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy(BE) against Arabia:(BF)
You caravans of Dedanites,(BG)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(BH)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(BI) from the sword,(BJ)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(BK) would count it, all the splendor(BL) of Kedar(BM) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(BN)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(BO)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
- Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.
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.
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.