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Chapter 19

Egypt

    Oracle on Egypt:
See, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud
    on his way to Egypt;
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.(A)
I will stir up Egypt against Egypt:
    brother will war against brother,
Neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city, kingdom against kingdom.
The courage of the Egyptians shall ebb away within them,
    and I will bring their counsel to nought;
They shall consult idols and charmers, ghosts and clairvoyants.(B)
I will deliver Egypt
    into the power of a cruel master,
A harsh king[a] who shall rule over them—
    oracle of the Lord, the Lord of hosts.(C)
The waters shall be drained from the sea,
    the river shall parch and dry up;(D)
Its streams shall become foul,
    and the canals of Egypt shall dwindle and parch.(E)
Reeds and rushes shall wither away,
    and bulrushes on the bank of the Nile;(F)
All the sown land along the Nile
    shall dry up and blow away, and be no more.
The fishermen shall mourn and lament,
    all who cast hook in the Nile;
Those who spread their nets in the water
    shall pine away.
The linen-workers shall be disappointed,
    the combers and weavers shall turn pale;(G)
10 The spinners shall be crushed,
    all the hired laborers shall be despondent.
11 Utter fools are the princes of Zoan![b]
    the wisest of Pharaoh’s advisers give stupid counsel.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I am a descendant of wise men, of ancient kings”?
12 Where then are your wise men?
    Let them tell you and make known
What the Lord of hosts has planned
    against Egypt.(H)
13 The princes of Zoan have become fools,
    the princes of Memphis have been deceived.
The chiefs of its tribes
    have led Egypt astray.(I)
14 The Lord has prepared among them
    a spirit of dizziness,
And they have made Egypt stagger in whatever she does,
    as a drunkard staggers in his vomit.(J)
15 Egypt shall accomplish nothing—
    neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reed,[c] shall accomplish anything.

16 On that day the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling with fear, because of the Lord of hosts shaking his fist at them.(K) 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror to the Egyptians. Every time they think of Judah, they shall stand in dread because of the plan the Lord of hosts has in mind for them.

18 On that day there shall be five cities[d] in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one shall be called “City of the Sun.”

19 On that day there shall be an altar to the Lord at the center of Egypt, and a sacred pillar to the Lord near its boundary. 20 This will be a sign and witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior to defend and deliver them.(L) 21 The Lord shall make himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day; they shall offer sacrifices and oblations, make vows to the Lord and fulfill them.(M) 22 Although the Lord shall smite Egypt severely, he shall heal them; they shall turn to the Lord and he shall be moved by their entreaty and heal them.(N)

23 On that day there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria; the Assyrians shall enter Egypt, and the Egyptians enter Assyria, and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians.

24 On that day Israel shall be a third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,(O) 25 when the Lord of hosts gives this blessing: “Blessed be my people Egypt, and the work of my hands Assyria, and my heritage, Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. 19:4 Cruel master…harsh king: possibly the Nubian (Ethiopian) Shabaka who gained control of all of Egypt around 712 B.C.
  2. 19:11, 13 Zoan, later known as Tanis, and Memphis (Hebrew Noph) were key cities in the Nile Delta.
  3. 19:15 Head…reed: the leaders and the people; cf. 9:13–14.
  4. 19:18 Five cities: colonies of Jews living together and speaking their native language; cf. Jer 43. City of the Sun: the meaning is uncertain, but the reference seems to be to the city known later as Heliopolis.

19 CARGA de Egipto.

Y revolveré Egipcios contra Egipcios, y cada uno peleará contra su hermano, cada uno contra su prójimo: ciudad contra ciudad, y reino contra reino.

Y el espíritu de Egipto se desvanecerá en medio de él, y destruiré su consejo; y preguntarán á sus imágenes, á sus mágicos, á sus pythones y á sus adivinos.

Y entregaré á Egipto en manos de señor duro; y rey violento se enseñoreará de ellos, dice el Señor Jehová de los ejércitos.

Y las aguas de la mar faltarán, y el río se agotará y secará.

Y alejaránse los ríos, se agotarán y secarán las corrientes de los fosos la caña y el carrizo serán cortados.

Las verduras de junto al río, de junto á la ribera del río, y toda sementera del río, se secarán, se perderán, y no serán.

Los pescadores también se entristecerán; y harán duelo todos los que echan anzuelo en el río, y desfallecerán los que extienden red sobre las aguas.

Los que labran lino fino, y los que tejen redes, serán confundidos;

10 Porque todas sus redes serán rotas: y se entristecerán todos los que hacen viveros para peces.

11 Ciertamente son necios los príncipes de Zoán; el consejo de los prudentes consejeros de Faraón, se ha desvanecido. ¿Cómo diréis á Faraón: Yo soy hijo de los sabios, é hijo de los reyes antiguos?

12 ¿Dónde están ahora aquellos tus prudentes? Dígante ahora, ó hágante saber qué es lo que Jehová de los ejércitos ha determinado sobre Egipto.

13 Hanse desvanecido los príncipes de Zoán, se han engañado los príncipes de Noph: engañaron á Egipto las esquinas de sus familias.

14 Jehová mezcló espíritu de vahido en medio de él; é hicieron errar á Egipto en toda su obra, como desatina el borracho en su vómito.

15 Y no aprovechará á Egipto cosa que haga la cabeza ó la cola, el ramo ó el junco.

16 En aquel día serán los Egipcios como mujeres; porque se asombrarán y temerán, en la presencia de la mano alta de Jehová de los ejércitos, que él ha de levantar sobre ellos.

17 Y la tierra de Judá será de espanto á Egipto; todo hombre que de ella se acordare se asombrará, por causa del consejo que Jehová de los ejércitos acordó sobre aquél.

18 En aquel tiempo habrá cinco ciudades en la tierra de Egipto que hablen la lengua de Canaán, y que juren por Jehová de los ejércitos: una será llamada la ciudad Herez.

19 En aquel tiempo habrá altar para Jehová en medio de la tierra de Egipto, y el trofeo de Jehová junto á su término.

20 Y será por señal y por testimonio á Jehová de los ejércitos en la tierra de Egipto: porque á Jehová clamarán á causa de sus opresores, y él les enviará salvador y príncipe que los libre.

21 Y Jehová será conocido de Egipto, y los de Egipto conocerán á Jehová en aquel día; y harán sacrificio y oblación; y harán votos á Jehová, y los cumplirán.

22 Y herirá á Egipto, herirá y sanará; y se convertirán á Jehová, y les será clemente, y los sanará.

23 En aquel tiempo habrá una calzada de Egipto á Asiria, y Asirios entrarán en Egipto, y Egipcios en Asiria; y los Egipcios servirán con los Asirios á Jehová.

24 En aquel tiempo, Israel será tercero con Egipto y con Asiria; será bendición en medio de la tierra;

25 Porque Jehová de los ejércitos los bendecirá, diciendo: Bendito el pueblo mío Egipto, y el Asirio obra de mis manos, é Israel mi heredad.

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