关于埃及的预言

19 以下是关于埃及的预言:

看啊,耶和华驾着疾驰的云来到埃及。
埃及的偶像在祂面前颤抖,
埃及人胆战心惊。
“我必使埃及人彼此为敌——手足相残,
邻居互斗,城邑相争,
邦国互攻。
埃及人必灰心丧志,
我必破坏他们的计谋。
他们必求问偶像、巫师、灵媒和术士。
我必将埃及人交给一位残忍的主人,
一位暴君必统治他们。”
这是主——万军之耶和华说的。

尼罗河必枯竭,
河床必干涸。
河流必发臭,
埃及的河流逐渐枯竭。
芦荻和灯心草必枯死,
尼罗河两岸青草枯黄,
田地龟裂,庄稼被风吹去,
荡然无存。
所有在尼罗河下钩的渔夫都哀哭悲伤,
在河上撒网的人都伤痛。
纺纱织布的人一筹莫展,
感到绝望。
10 埃及的显贵都没落,
靠工钱维生的人都忧心忡忡。

11 埃及王聪明的谋士——琐安的首领们变得愚不可及。
他们怎敢在埃及王面前自称是古圣先贤的子孙呢?
12 埃及王啊,你的智者在哪里呢?
让他们把万军之耶和华对付埃及的计划告诉你吧!
13 琐安的首领愚昧,
挪弗的首领糊涂。
他们是埃及的房角石,
却把埃及人引入歧途。
14 耶和华使错谬的灵进入他们当中,
使他们像又呕又吐、东倒西歪的醉汉,
做什么都错误百出。
15 埃及从首领到平民,
从权贵到草根必一筹莫展。

16 到那日,当万军之耶和华挥拳惩罚的时候,埃及人必恐惧战抖,如柔弱的女子。 17 他们必对犹大充满恐惧,一听见犹大的名字就害怕,因为万军之耶和华定下计划要对付他们。 18 到那日,埃及必有五座城的人讲迦南的语言,并信奉万军之耶和华,其中有一座必叫灭亡城[a]

19 到那日,埃及的中央必有一座为耶和华筑的祭坛,边境必有一根为耶和华立的石柱。 20 这是万军之耶和华在埃及的记号和凭据。埃及人因受到欺压就呼求耶和华,祂必差遣一位救主保护、拯救他们。 21 耶和华必向埃及人彰显自己。到那日,埃及人必认识祂,带着祭物和供品来敬拜祂,向祂许愿还愿。 22 耶和华必击打他们,也必医治他们。他们必归向耶和华,祂必应允他们的祷告,医治他们。

23 到那日,必有一条大道连接埃及和亚述,两国人民可以互相往来,一同敬拜耶和华。 24 到那日,以色列必与埃及和亚述一同成为世人的祝福。 25 万军之耶和华必赐福给他们,说:“我的子民埃及、我手中的杰作亚述、我的产业以色列都有福了!”

Footnotes

  1. 19:18 灭亡城”有些抄本作“太阳城”。

關於埃及的預言

19 關於埃及的默示:

看哪!耶和華駕著輕快的雲,

來到埃及;

埃及的偶像在他面前戰兢,

埃及人的心都驚怕。

我要激動埃及人去攻擊埃及人,

他們就相爭起來,各人攻擊自己的兄弟,各人攻擊自己的鄰舍,

城攻擊城;國攻擊國。

埃及人的意志必消沉,

我要破壞他們的計謀;

他們必求問偶像、念咒的、

交鬼的和行巫術的。

我必把埃及人交在殘暴的主人手中;

兇猛的君王要管轄他們;這是主萬軍之耶和華說的。

海中的眾水必乾透,

河床必枯竭乾涸。

河道必發臭,

埃及眾河流的水必消退乾涸;

葦子和蘆荻都必枯萎。

尼羅河旁、尼羅河口的草田,

以及沿著尼羅河所種的田都必枯乾,

被吹散,不再存在。

打魚的人必哀號;

所有在尼羅河上垂釣的必悲傷;

那些在水面上撒網的,必灰心難過。

那些用梳好的麻來紡紗的,

和那些織白布的,都必羞愧。

10 埃及的柱石必被打碎,

所有受雇的工人也必心裡憂愁。

11 瑣安的領袖非常愚昧,

法老那些最有智慧的謀士所籌算的,

都成為愚昧。

你們怎能對法老說:

“我是智慧人的兒子,是古代君王的後裔”呢?

12 你的智慧人在哪裡呢?

萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意是怎樣的?

就讓他們告訴你,使你知道吧!

13 瑣安的領袖都變為愚昧,

挪弗的領袖都受了欺騙;

那些在埃及支派中作房角石的,

使埃及人走錯了路。

14 耶和華讓歪曲的靈攙入埃及當中,

以致他們使埃及一切所作的都有謬誤,

好像醉酒的人嘔吐的時候,東倒西歪一樣。

15 無論是頭或尾、棕枝或蘆葦所作的,

都不能為埃及成就甚麼事。

16 到那日,埃及人必像婦人一樣。他們必因萬軍之耶和華在埃及之上揮手而戰兢恐懼。 17 猶大地必使埃及驚恐;無論誰向埃及人提起猶大地,他們都懼怕,因為這是萬軍之耶和華向埃及所定的旨意。

18 到那日,埃及地必有五座城的人說迦南的方言,又指著萬軍之耶和華起誓,必有一座城稱為“毀滅城”(“毀滅城”或譯:“太陽城”)。

19 到那日,在埃及地必有一座獻給耶和華的祭壇;在埃及的邊界上必有一根獻給耶和華的柱子。 20 這都要在埃及地作萬軍之耶和華的記號和證據。埃及人因受人欺壓向耶和華哀求的時候,他就差派一位拯救者和維護者到他們那裡,他必拯救他們。 21 耶和華必被埃及人認識。到那日,埃及人必認識耶和華;他們也要用祭物和供物來敬拜他,並且向耶和華許願、還願。 22 耶和華必擊打埃及,既擊打、又醫治,他們就回轉歸向耶和華,他必應允他們的禱告,醫治他們。

23 到那日,必有一條從埃及通到亞述的大道;亞述人要進到埃及,埃及人也要進入亞述;埃及人要與亞述人一同敬拜耶和華。

24 到那日,以色列必與埃及和亞述一起成為地上列國的祝福。 25 萬軍之耶和華賜福給他們,說:“我的子民埃及,我手的工程亞述,我的產業以色列,都是有福的!”

Message to Egypt

19 The (A)pronouncement concerning (B)Egypt:

Behold, the Lord is (C)riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt;
The (D)idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence,
And the (E)heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
“So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians;
And they will fight, (F)each against his brother and each against his neighbor,
City against city and kingdom against kingdom.
Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them;
And I will confuse their strategy,
So that (G)they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead,
And to [a]mediums and spiritists.
Furthermore, I will hand the Egyptians over to a (H)cruel master,
And a [b]mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord [c]God of armies.

(I)The waters from the sea will dry up,
And the river will be parched and dry.
The [d](J)canals will emit a stench,
The [e](K)streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up;
(L)The reeds and rushes will rot away.
The bulrushes by the (M)Nile, by the [f]edge of the Nile
And all the sown fields by the Nile
Will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.
And the (N)fishermen will grieve,
And all those who cast a [g]line into the Nile will mourn,
And those who spread nets on the waters will dwindle away.
Moreover, the manufacturers of linen made from combed flax
And the weavers of white (O)cloth will be [h]utterly dejected.
10 And [i]the (P)pillars of Egypt will be crushed;
All the hired laborers will be grieved in soul.

11 The officials of [j](Q)Zoan are mere fools;
The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become [k]stupid.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am a son of the (R)wise, a son of ancient kings”?
12 Well then, where are your wise men?
Please let them tell you,
And let them [l]understand what the Lord of armies
Has (S)planned against Egypt.
13 The officials of [m]Zoan have turned out to be fools,
The officials of (T)Memphis are deluded;
Those who are the (U)cornerstone of her tribes
Have [n]led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of (V)distortion;
(W)They have led Egypt astray in all [o]that it does,
As a (X)drunken person [p]staggers in his vomit.
15 There will be no work for Egypt
(Y)Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.

16 On that day the Egyptians will become like women, and they will tremble and be in great (Z)fear because of the (AA)waving of the hand of the Lord of armies, which He is going to wave over them. 17 The land of Judah will become a cause of shame to Egypt; everyone to whom it is mentioned will be in great fear because of the (AB)plan of the Lord of armies which He is making against them.

18 On that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and (AC)swearing allegiance to the Lord of armies; one will be called the City of [q]Destruction.

19 On that day there will be an (AD)altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a (AE)memorial stone to the Lord beside its border. 20 And it will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of armies in the land of Egypt; for they will cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a (AF)Savior and a (AG)Champion, and He will save them. 21 So the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day. They will even worship with (AH)sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking but (AI)healing; so they will (AJ)return to the Lord, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them.

23 On that day there will be a (AK)road from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria; and the Egyptians will (AL)worship with the Assyrians.

24 On that day Israel will be the third party to Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of armies has blessed, saying, “Blessed is (AM)Egypt My people, and Assyria (AN)the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:3 Or ghosts and spirits
  2. Isaiah 19:4 Or fierce
  3. Isaiah 19:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Isaiah 19:6 Lit rivers
  5. Isaiah 19:6 Or Nile branches; i.e., the delta
  6. Isaiah 19:7 Or mouth
  7. Isaiah 19:8 Lit hook
  8. Isaiah 19:9 Lit ashamed
  9. Isaiah 19:10 Lit her pillars; or her weavers
  10. Isaiah 19:11 Or Tanis
  11. Isaiah 19:11 Or brutish
  12. Isaiah 19:12 Or know
  13. Isaiah 19:13 Or Tanis
  14. Isaiah 19:13 Or have caused Egypt to stagger
  15. Isaiah 19:14 Lit its work
  16. Isaiah 19:14 Or goes astray
  17. Isaiah 19:18 Some mss and ancient versions the Sun

A Rebuke to Egypt

19 A message[a] about Egypt:

“Watch out! The Lord rides on a swift cloud,
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,
    and everyone will fight against his brother,
everyone against his neighbor,
    city[b] against city,
        kingdom against kingdom.
The spirits of the Egyptians within them will be drained of courage,[c]
    and I will bring their plans to nothing.
They will consult idols[d] and spirits of the dead,
    and mediums and spiritists.
I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
        and a fierce king will rule over them,”

declares the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.

A Rebuke to Egypt’s Ecology and Industry

“The water sources[e] of the Nile[f] will be dried up,
    and the river[g] will become dry and parched.
The canals will stink,
    and[h] the tributaries of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.
        Reeds and rushes will wither away.[i]
And the bulrushes along the Nile,[j]
    along the mouth of the Nile,[k] will wither away.
All the sown fields of the Nile will become parched,
    and[l] they will be blown away;
        there will be nothing left.[m]
The fishermen will groan,
    and all who cast hooks into the Nile will lament;
those who spread nets upon the water
    will become weaker and weaker.
The workers[n] in combed flax
    and the weavers of white linen
        will be in despair.
10 Egypt’s[o] workers in cloth[p] will be crushed,
    and all who work for wages will be sick at heart.”

A Rebuke to Egypt’s Leaders

11 Zoan’s princes are nothing but fools;
    the wisest advisors of Pharaoh give stupid advice.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I’m a descendant of wise men,
        a descendant of ancient kings”?
12 Where are your wise men now?
    Let them tell you,
let them make known
    what the Lord[q] has planned against Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have become fools,
    and the princes of Memphis deluded;
the leaders[r] of its tribes
    have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has mixed[s] within them[t] a spirit of confusion;
    so they make Egypt stagger in all that it does,
        like a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.
15 As a result, there will be nothing for Egypt
    that head or tail, palm branch or reed, can do.[u]

Egypt and Syria Will Worship God

16 At that time,[v] the Egyptians will be like women—they[w] will shudder and be afraid before the uplifted hand of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, when he brandishes his hand against her.[x] 17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will be afraid, because of the uplifted hand[y] of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies that[z] is turning in their direction.

18 At that time,[aa] there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[ab]

19 At that time,[ac] there will be an altar to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies[ad] in the heart of the land of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord[ae] at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies in the land of Egypt; when they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior, and he will come down[af] and rescue them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will acknowledge the Lord.

At that time,[ag] they will worship[ah] with sacrifices and offerings, and they will make vows to the Lord and carry them out. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague, striking but then healing. Then they will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

23 At that time,[ai] there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Assyria, and they[aj] will worship with the Assyrians.

24 At that time,[ak] Israel will be in a triple alliance[al] with Egypt and Assyria; they will be[am] a blessing in the midst of the earth. 25 The Lord of the Heavenly Armies has blessed them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:1 Lit. An oracle
  2. Isaiah 19:2 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and
  3. Isaiah 19:3 1QIsaa MT lack of courage
  4. Isaiah 19:3 So 1QIsaa; MT reads consult the idols; LXX reads consult their idols
  5. Isaiah 19:5 1QIsaa MT lack sources
  6. Isaiah 19:5 Or the sea
  7. Isaiah 19:5 I.e. the Nile
  8. Isaiah 19:6 So 1QIsaa LXX; the Heb. lacks and
  9. Isaiah 19:6 So 4QIsab MT; 1QIsaa lacks this line
  10. Isaiah 19:7 So 1QIsaa MT; LXX lacks this line
  11. Isaiah 19:7 Lit. the River
  12. Isaiah 19:7 So 1QIsaa; the Heb. lacks and
  13. Isaiah 19:7 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT read and will be no more; LXX lacks this line
  14. Isaiah 19:9 So 1QIsaa 4QIsab; MT LXX read And the workers
  15. Isaiah 19:10 Lit. Its
  16. Isaiah 19:10 Lit. Its weavers
  17. Isaiah 19:12 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsaa corrector MT LXX read Lord of the Heavenly Armies
  18. Isaiah 19:13 Or cornerstones
  19. Isaiah 19:14 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsab reads has poured
  20. Isaiah 19:14 Lit. it
  21. Isaiah 19:15 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsab reads do at that time
  22. Isaiah 19:16 Lit. On that day; so 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsab lacks At that time
  23. Isaiah 19:16 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT read he
  24. Isaiah 19:16 I.e. Egypt; so 1QIsaa; MT reads Armies, which he brandishes against it; LXX reads Armies, which he brandishes against them
  25. Isaiah 19:17 Lit. plotting; so 4QIsab; 1QIsaa MT LXX read plan
  26. Isaiah 19:17 So 4QIsab; 1QIsaa MT LXX read hand that the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
  27. Isaiah 19:18 Lit. On that day
  28. Isaiah 19:18 So 1QIsaa 4QIsab MTmss; MT reads Destruction; LXX reads Asedek City; i.e. City of Righteousness
  29. Isaiah 19:19 Lit. On that day
  30. Isaiah 19:19 So 4QIsab; 1QIsaa MT LXX lack of the Heavenly Armies
  31. Isaiah 19:19 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; 4QIsab reads Lord of hosts
  32. Isaiah 19:20 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read will defend
  33. Isaiah 19:21 Lit. On that day
  34. Isaiah 19:21 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read Lord on that day. And they will worship
  35. Isaiah 19:23 Lit. On that day
  36. Isaiah 19:23 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read and the Egyptians
  37. Isaiah 19:24 Lit. On that day
  38. Isaiah 19:24 Lit. will be the third
  39. Isaiah 19:24 DSS MT lack they will be

A Prophecy Against Egypt

19 A prophecy(A) against Egypt:(B)

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt(D) with fear.

“I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
    brother will fight against brother,(E)
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.(F)
The Egyptians will lose heart,(G)
    and I will bring their plans(H) to nothing;(I)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
    the mediums and the spiritists.(J)
I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king(K) will rule over them,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The waters of the river will dry up,(L)
    and the riverbed will be parched and dry.(M)
The canals will stink;(N)
    the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.(O)
The reeds(P) and rushes will wither,(Q)
    also the plants(R) along the Nile,
    at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field(S) along the Nile
    will become parched, will blow away and be no more.(T)
The fishermen(U) will groan and lament,
    all who cast hooks(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
    will pine away.
Those who work with combed flax(W) will despair,
    the weavers of fine linen(X) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected,
    and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

11 The officials of Zoan(Y) are nothing but fools;
    the wise counselors(Z) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.(AA)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I am one of the wise men,(AB)
    a disciple of the ancient kings”?

12 Where are your wise men(AC) now?
    Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
    has planned(AD) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan(AE) have become fools,
    the leaders of Memphis(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones(AG) of her peoples
    have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has poured into them
    a spirit of dizziness;(AH)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
    as a drunkard staggers(AI) around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
    head or tail, palm branch or reed.(AJ)

16 In that day(AK) the Egyptians will become weaklings.(AL) They will shudder with fear(AM) at the uplifted hand(AN) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,(AO) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning(AP) against them.

18 In that day(AQ) five cities(AR) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance(AS) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a](AT)

19 In that day(AU) there will be an altar(AV) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,(AW) and a monument(AX) to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness(AY) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior(AZ) and defender, and he will rescue(BA) them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge(BB) the Lord. They will worship(BC) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.(BD) 22 The Lord will strike(BE) Egypt with a plague;(BF) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn(BG) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal(BH) them.

23 In that day(BI) there will be a highway(BJ) from Egypt to Assyria.(BK) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship(BL) together. 24 In that day(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,(BN) a blessing[b](BO) on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,(BR) and Israel my inheritance.(BS)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destruction
  2. Isaiah 19:24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blessed