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 Linen Belt

13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” ² So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.

³ Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time:^{(A) 4} “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath^[a](B) and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” ⁵ So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.^(C)

⁶ Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” ⁷ So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride^(D) of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ These wicked people, who refuse to listen^(E) to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts^(F) and go after other gods^(G) to serve and worship them,^(H) will be like this belt—completely useless!^(I)