Proclamation Against Egypt

19 The (A)burden[a] against Egypt.

Behold, the Lord (B)rides on a swift cloud,
And will come into Egypt;
(C)The idols of Egypt will [b]totter at His presence,
And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.

“I will (D)set Egyptians against Egyptians;
Everyone will fight against his brother,
And everyone against his neighbor,
City against city, kingdom against kingdom.
The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst;
I will destroy their counsel,
And they will (E)consult the idols and the charmers,
The mediums and the sorcerers.
And the Egyptians I will give
(F)Into the hand of a cruel master,
And a fierce king will rule over them,”
Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

(G)The waters will fail from the sea,
And the river will be wasted and dried up.
The rivers will turn foul;
The brooks (H)of defense will be emptied and dried up;
The reeds and rushes will wither.
The papyrus reeds by [c]the River, by the mouth of the River,
And everything sown by the River,
Will wither, be driven away, and be no more.
The fishermen also will mourn;
All those will lament who cast hooks into the River,
And they will languish who spread nets on the waters.
Moreover those who work in (I)fine flax
And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed;
10 And its foundations will be broken.
All who make wages will be troubled of soul.

11 Surely the princes of (J)Zoan are fools;
Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel.
(K)How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise,
The son of ancient kings?”
12 (L)Where are they?
Where are your wise men?
Let them tell you now,
And let them know what the Lord of hosts has (M)purposed against Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have become fools;
(N)The princes of [d]Noph are deceived;
They have also [e]deluded Egypt,
Those who are the [f]mainstay of its tribes.
14 The Lord has mingled (O)a perverse spirit in her midst;
And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work,
As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
15 Neither will there be any work for Egypt,
Which (P)the head or tail,
Palm branch or bulrush, may do.

16 In that day Egypt will (Q)be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, (R)which He waves over it. 17 And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has (S)determined against it.

Egypt, Assyria, and Israel Blessed

18 In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will (T)speak the language of Canaan and (U)swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of [g]Destruction.

19 In that day (V)there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the (W)Lord at its border. 20 And (X)it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a (Y)Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. 21 Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will (Z)know the Lord in that day, and (AA)will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and (AB)heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

23 In that day (AC)there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will (AD)serve with the Assyrians.

24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, 25 whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria (AE)the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

The Sign Against Egypt and Ethiopia

20 In the year that (AF)Tartan[h] 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 (AG)the sackcloth from your [i]body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, (AH)walking naked and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years (AI)for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the (AJ)king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, (AK)with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. (AL)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 (AM)help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:1 oracle, prophecy
  2. Isaiah 19:1 Lit. shake
  3. Isaiah 19:7 The Nile
  4. Isaiah 19:13 Ancient Memphis
  5. Isaiah 19:13 Lit. caused to stagger
  6. Isaiah 19:13 cornerstone
  7. Isaiah 19:18 Some Heb. mss., Arab., DSS, Tg., Vg. Sun; LXX Asedek, lit. Righteousness
  8. Isaiah 20:1 Or the Commander in Chief
  9. Isaiah 20:2 Lit. loins

40 Therefore (A)the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,
So that He abhorred (B)His own inheritance.
41 And (C)He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also oppressed them,
And they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 (D)Many times He delivered them;
But they rebelled in their counsel,
And were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction,
When (E)He heard their cry;
45 (F)And for their sake He remembered His covenant,
And (G)relented (H)according to the multitude of His mercies.
46 (I)He also made them to be pitied
By all those who carried them away captive.

47 (J)Save us, O Lord our God,
And gather us from among the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.

48 (K)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”

[a]Praise the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:48 Heb. Hallelujah

13 (A)Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

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Marks of the Ministry

We then, as (A)workers together with Him also (B)plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:

(C)“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

(D)We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves (E)as ministers of God: in much [a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, (F)in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by [b]sincere love, (G)by the word of truth, by (H)the power of God, by (I)the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and (J)yet well known; (K)as dying, and behold we live; (L)as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many (M)rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Be Holy

11 O Corinthians! [c]We have spoken openly to you, (N)our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but (O)you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (P)(I speak as to children), you also be open.

14 (Q)Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For (R)what [d]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what [e]communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For (S)you[f] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

(T)“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

(U)“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I (V)will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My (W)sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 6:4 endurance
  2. 2 Corinthians 6:6 Lit. unhypocritical
  3. 2 Corinthians 6:11 Lit. Our mouth is open
  4. 2 Corinthians 6:14 in common
  5. 2 Corinthians 6:14 fellowship
  6. 2 Corinthians 6:16 NU we

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