The Sign Against Egypt and Ethiopia

20 In the year that (A)Tartan[a] came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove (B)the sackcloth from your [b]body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, (C)walking naked and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years (D)for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the (E)king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, (F)with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. (G)Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, ‘Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for (H)help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Or the Commander in Chief
  2. Isaiah 20:2 Lit. loins

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— 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)

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) 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) Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) 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

  1. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5

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— 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.

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] 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. (F)Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 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

  1. Isaiah 20:3 Probably Nubia

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, 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. 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, 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. Then they will be (K)terrified and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their (L)pride. 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

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Heb Tartan
  2. Isaiah 20:3 Or Ethiopia, as in vv 4, 5
  3. Isaiah 20:4 Lit nakedness