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God’s Message to Babylon

13 God showed Isaiah son of Amoz this ·message [oracle; T burden] about Babylon:

Raise a ·flag [banner; signal flag] on the bare mountain.
    ·Call out [Shout] to them.
·Raise [Wave] your hand to signal them
    to enter through the gates ·for important people [of the nobles/princes].
I myself have commanded those people
    ·whom I have separated as mine [or my holy/sanctified/chosen ones].
I have ·called [summoned] those warriors to carry out my anger.
    They rejoice ·and are glad to do my will [or in my triumph/exaltation].

Listen to the loud ·noise [tumult] in the mountains,
    the sound of ·many people [a great crowd/army].
Listen to the ·noise [uproar; commotion] among the kingdoms,
    the sound of nations gathering together.
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is ·calling together [summoning; mustering] his army for battle.
They are coming from a faraway land,
    from the ·edge of the horizon [or end of the heavens].
·In anger the Lord is using this army like a weapon [L The Lord and his weapons of wrath/indignation]
    to destroy the whole ·country [land; or earth].

·Cry [Wail], because the Lord’s day of judging is near;
    the Almighty is sending destruction.
·People will be weak with fear [L All hands will go limp/fail],
    and ·their courage [L every human heart] will melt away.
Everyone will be ·afraid [terrified; dismayed].
    Pain and ·hurt [anguish] will ·grab [grip; seize] them;
    they will ·hurt [writhe in pain] like a woman giving birth.
They will look at each other ·in fear [aghast; or in shock/amazement],
    with their faces ·red [aflame] like fire.

God’s Judgment Against Babylon

·Look [T Behold], the Lord’s day of judging is coming—
    a ·terrible [cruel] day, a day of ·God’s anger [L wrath and rage of anger].
He will ·destroy [desolate] the ·land [or earth]
    and the sinners who live in it.
10 [L For] The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.
The sun will grow dark as it rises,
    and the moon will not give its light.

11 The Lord says, “I will punish the world for its evil
    and wicked people for their sins.
I will cause ·proud people [the arrogant] to lose their pride,
    and I will ·destroy [humble; lay low] the pride of ·those who are cruel to others [the ruthless/tyrants].
12 People will be ·harder to find [scarcer] than pure gold;
    there will be fewer people than there is fine gold in Ophir [C perhaps a region in southern Arabia].
13 I will make the ·sky [or heavens] shake,
    and the earth will be ·moved [shaken] from its place
by the ·anger [wrath; fury] of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
    ·at the time [L in the day] of his burning anger.

14 “Then the people from Babylon will run away like hunted ·deer [gazelle]
    or like sheep who have no shepherd.
Everyone will turn back to his own people;
    each will run back to his own land.
15 Everyone who is captured will be ·killed [stabbed; thrust through];
    everyone who is caught will ·be killed with a [L fall by the] sword.
16 Their little children will be ·beaten to death [dashed to pieces] in front of them.
    Their houses will be ·robbed [looted; plundered]
and their wives raped.

17 “·Look [T Behold], I will ·cause the armies of Media to attack Babylon [L stir up the Medes against them; C fulfilled by Cyrus the Great in 539 bc].
    They do not care about silver
    or delight in gold.
18 Their soldiers will shoot the young men with ·arrows [L bows];
    they will show no mercy on ·children [L the fruit of the womb],
    nor will they feel ·sorry [pity; compassion] for ·little ones [children; sons].
19 Babylon is the most beautiful of all kingdoms,
    ·and the Babylonians are very proud of it [L the glory and pride of the Chaldeans].
But God will destroy it
    like Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 19:23–29].
20 No one will ever live there
    or settle there ·again [from generation to generation].
No ·Arab [or bedouin; nomad] will put a tent there;
    no shepherd will ·bring [bed down their] sheep there.
21 Only desert animals will live there,
    and their houses will be full of ·wild dogs [or jackals; hyenas; howling creatures; or owls].
Owls will live there,
    and wild goats will ·leap [skip] about in the houses.
22 ·Wolves [or Hyenas] will howl within the ·strong walls [citadels; towers],
    and ·wild dogs [jackals] will bark in the ·beautiful [delightful] ·buildings [palaces].
·The end of Babylon is near [L Her time has nearly come];
    ·its time is almost over [L and her days will not be extended].”

Israel Will Return Home

14 The Lord will ·show mercy to [have compassion on] the ·people of Jacob [L Jacob], and he will again choose ·the people of Israel [L Israel]. He will settle them in their own land. Then ·non-Israelite people [foreigners; strangers] will join the Israelites and will ·become a part of [unite with; attach to] the ·family [L house] of Jacob. Nations will take the Israelites back to their ·land [place]. Then those men and women from the other nations will become ·slaves [servants] to Israel in the Lord’s land. Israel will capture those who had captured them and will rule over ·those who had ruled them [their oppressors].

The King of Babylon Will Fall

The Lord will ·take away the Israelites’ hard work and will comfort them [L give you rest/relief from your suffering/pain and turmoil]. ·They [L You] will no longer have to work hard as slaves. On that day ·Israel [L you] will sing this ·song about [or taunt against] the king of Babylon:

The ·cruel king who ruled us [L oppressor] is finished;
    his ·angry rule [arrogant fury; hostility] is finished!
The Lord has ·taken away the power [broken the club/rod/staff] of the wicked
    and the ·scepter [staff] of evil rulers
·The king of Babylon [L …which] struck ·people [or nations] in anger
    ·again and again [with endless blows].
He ruled nations in anger
    ·and continued to hurt them [with unrelenting oppression/aggression].
But now, the whole world rests and is quiet.
    Now the people begin to sing.
Even the ·pine trees [junipers; evergreens; cypresses] ·are happy [rejoice at you],
    and the cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice.
They say, “The king has ·fallen [been laid low],
    so no ·one [woodcutter] will ever cut us down again.”

·The place of the dead [or The grave; L Sheol] is ·excited [stirred up]
    to meet you when you come.
It wakes the ·spirits of the dead [ghosts],
    the ·leaders [L rams] of the world.
It makes kings of all nations
    ·stand up from their thrones to greet you [L rise up from their thrones].
10 All these leaders will ·make fun of you [L respond]
    and will say,
“Now you are weak, as we are.
    Now you are just like us.”
11 Your ·pride [or pomp; splendor] has been sent down to ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol].
    The music from your harps goes with it.
·Flies [or Maggots] are spread out like your bed beneath you,
    and worms cover your body like a blanket.
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
    ·morning star [or day star; or shining one; C still addressing the king of Babylon, though sometimes applied to Satan],
    ·even though you were as bright as the rising sun [L son of the dawn]!
In the past all the nations on earth ·bowed down before you [or were laid low by you],
    but now you have been cut down.
13 You told yourself,
    “I will ·go up to heaven [or ascend to the sky].
I will put my throne
    above God’s stars.
I will ·sit [or rule] on the mountain of the ·gods [L assembly],
    on the slopes of ·the sacred mountain [or the north; or Mount Zaphon; C known as the mountain of Baal].
14 I will ·go up [ascend] above the ·tops [or high places] of the clouds.
    I will be like God Most High.”
15 But you were brought down to ·the grave [or the place of the dead; L Sheol],
    to the deep places ·where the dead are [L of the pit].

16 Those who see you stare at you.
    They ·think about [ponder] what has happened to you
and say, “Is this the same man who ·caused great fear on [L shook the] earth,
    who ·shook [made to tremble] the kingdoms,
17 who turned the world into a desert,
    who ·destroyed [overthrew] its cities,
who captured people in war
    and would not let them go home?”

18 Every king of the nations ·has been buried with honor [lies in glory],
    each in his own ·grave [L house].
19 But you are thrown out of your grave,
    like an ·unwanted [loathed; rejected] branch.
·You are covered by bodies [L Clothed with the slain]
    that ·died in battle [L were pierced with a sword],
    by bodies to be buried in a rocky pit.
You are like a ·dead body other soldiers walk on [trampled corpse].
20 You will not be buried with those bodies,
    because you ruined your own country
    and killed your own people.
·The children [or May the offspring/descendants] of evil people
    will never be mentioned again.

21 Prepare to ·kill his children [execute/slaughter his sons],
    ·because their father is guilty [for the sins of their fathers/ancestors].
They will never ·again take control of [L rise and possess] the earth;
    they will never again fill the ·world [surface/L face of the earth/world] with their cities.

22 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this:
    “I will ·fight [L rise up] against those people;
I will ·destroy [L cut off from] Babylon ·and its people [L its name and remnant/survivors],
    its ·children [offspring] and their ·descendants [posterity],” says the Lord.
23 “I will make Babylon fit only for ·owls [or hedgehogs; or porcupines]
    and for swamps.
I will sweep Babylon as with a broom of destruction,”
    says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].

God Will Punish Assyria

24 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·made this promise [sworn this oath]:

“These things will happen exactly as I planned them;
    they will happen exactly as I ·set them up [purposed them].
25 I will ·destroy [crush; break] ·the king of Assyria [L Assyria] in my ·country [land];
    I will trample him on my mountains.
His yoke [C oppressive rule] will be taken off my people,
    And his burden will be removed from their shoulders.

26 “This is what I plan to do for all the earth.
And this is the hand that I have ·raised [stretched out] over all nations.”

27 When the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] makes a plan,
    ·no one [L who…?] can stop it.
When the Lord ·raises his hand to punish people [L stretches out his hand],
    ·no one [L who…?] can stop it.

God’s Message to Philistia

28 This message was given in the year that King Ahaz died [C about 715 bc]:

29 Country of Philistia, don’t ·be happy [rejoice]
    that the ·king [L club; rod] who struck you is now ·dead [broken; C either the king of Assyria or Ahaz, king of Judah].
He is like a snake that will give birth to another dangerous snake [L For from the snake’s/serpent’s root will come a viper/adder].
    ·The new king will be like a quick, dangerous snake to bite you [L its offspring/fruit will be a darting/flying poisonous/fiery adder].
30 Even the ·poorest of my people [or firstborn of the poor] will ·be able to eat safely [find pasture; graze in pasure],
    and people in need will be able to lie down in safety.
But I will kill your ·family [L root] with ·hunger [famine],
    and ·all your people who are left will die [L it will slay your survivors/remnant].

31 ·People near the city gates, cry out [L Wail, gate, and cry out, city]!
    Philistines, ·be frightened [melt away],
because a cloud of ·dust [or smoke] comes from the north [C evidence of an approaching army].
    ·Full of men ready to fight [L And there is no straggler/loner in its ranks].
32 What shall we tell the messengers ·from Philistia [L of the nation]?
    Say that the Lord has made ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] strong
and that his ·poor [oppressed; afflicted] people will go there for ·safety [refuge].

God’s Message to Moab

15 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Moab:

In one night ·armies took the wealth from Ar in Moab [or Ar of Moab is destroyed/laid waste],
    and ·it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
In one night ·armies took the wealth from Kir in Moab [or Kir is destroyed/laid waste],
    and it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
The ·people of Dibon [L Dibon] go to the ·places of worship [temple; L house] to ·cry [lament; weep].
    The people of Moab ·cry [wail] for the cities of Nebo and Medeba.
Every head is ·shaved [L bald]
    and every beard is cut off [C signs of sorrow, mourning, or humiliation].
In the streets they wear ·rough cloth [sackcloth; C to show their sadness].
    On the roofs [C roofs were flat and used as living and storage space in Palestine] and in the public squares,
they are ·crying loudly [wailing], ·with tears streaming down [or falling down weeping].
·People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh [L Heshbon and Elealeh] cry out loud.
    You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz.
Even the ·soldiers [armed men] ·are frightened [cry out; shout in terror];
    ·they are shaking with fear [L his soul wavers/trembles].

My heart cries with sorrow for Moab.
    Its ·people [fugitives] ·run away to Zoar for safety [L flee to Zoar];
    they run to Eglath Shelishiyah.
People are going up the ·mountain road to [ascent of] Luhith,
    ·crying [weeping] as they go.
People are going on the road to Horonaim,
    ·crying over [lamenting] their destruction.
But the water of Nimrim ·has dried up [are devastated/desolate].
    The grass has dried up,
and all the plants ·are dead [have failed/disappeared];
    nothing green is left.
So the people gather up what they have ·saved [stored up]
    and carry it across the ·Ravine [Brook; Stream] of the Poplars.
Crying ·is heard everywhere in [or echoes throughout the borders of] Moab.
    Their ·crying [wailing; howling] is heard as far away as the city Eglaim;
    it is heard as far away as Beer Elim.
The water of the city Dibon is full of blood,
    and I, the Lord, will bring even more troubles to Dibon.
·I will send lions to kill [L A lion for] ·those left in [the fugitives of] Moab
    And ·those who remain in [the remnant/survivors of] the land.

16 Send lambs [C as tribute payment] to the ·king [ruler] of the land
Send it from Sela [C an Edomite city, later the Nabatean capital called Petra] through the desert
    to the mountain of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C Zion was the location of the Temple; 1:8].
The women of Moab
    ·try to cross the river [L at the fords of] Arnon
like little birds
    ·that have fallen [or pushed away; or scattered] from their nest.

They say: “·Help us [or Make a decision].
    ·Tell us what to do [or Grant us justice].
Protect us from our enemies
    as ·shade [L shade like night] protects us from the noon sun.
·Hide us, because we are running for safety [L Shelter the fugitives/outcasts]!
    Don’t ·give us to our enemies [betray/uncover the refugee].
Let ·those of us who were forced out [the fugitives/outcasts] of Moab live ·in your land [L among you].
    Hide ·us [L them] from ·our enemies [L the destroyer].”

The ·enemy [oppressor] will ·be defeated [come to an end].
    The ·robbing of Moab [L destruction] will stop;
    those who ·hurt others [L trample] will disappear from the land.
Then a ·new loyal king will come [L throne will be established in faithfulness/lovingkindness];
    ·this faithful king will be from the family of David [L he will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; 9:1–7; 11:1–16].
He will judge ·fairly [with justice]
    and ·do what is right [hasten righteousness].

We have heard that the people of Moab are proud
    and very conceited.
They are very proud and angry,
    but their bragging ·means nothing [is empty].
So ·the people of Moab will cry [L Moab wails for Moab];
    they will all ·be sad [wail].
They will ·moan and groan [or mourn, utterly stricken]
    for the raisin cakes [C perhaps associated with pagan ritual (Hos. 3:1); also known as an aphrodisiac (Song 2:5)] they had in Kir Hareseth.
But the fields of Heshbon ·cannot grow grapes [wither; dry up; L languish];
    and the vines of Sibmah dry up;
    ·foreign rulers [L lords of the nations] have ·destroyed [struck down] the ·grapevines [choice plants].
The grapevines once spread as far as the city of Jazer and into the desert;
    they had spread as far as the sea [C probably the Dead Sea].
I ·cry [weep] with the people of Jazer
    for the grapevines of Sibmah.
I will ·cry with the [or drench you with tears, you] people of Heshbon and Elealeh.
·There will be no shouts of joy,
    because there will be no harvest or ripe fruit [or Your enemies shout for joy over your fruit and harvest].
10 There will be no joy and happiness in the orchards
    and no songs or shouts of joy in the vineyards.
No one ·makes [treads/stomps out] wine in the winepresses,
    because I have put an end to shouts of joy.
11 My ·heart cries [inner parts moan/sigh] for Moab like a ·harp playing a funeral song [L harp];
    ·I am very sad [L my inner being] for Kir Hareseth.
12 The people of Moab will ·go to their places of worship [L appear and grow weary at their high places]
    and will try to pray.
But when they go to their temple to pray,
    they will not be able.

13 Earlier the Lord said these things about Moab. 14 Now the Lord says, “In three years ·all those people and what they take pride in [L the glory of Moab] will be ·hated [despised]. (This is three years as a hired helper would count time [C meaning carefully calculated, so as to be properly paid; 21:16].) There will be a few people left, but they will be ·weak [feeble].”

God’s Message to Aram

17 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Damascus:

[L Look; T Behold] The city of Damascus will ·be destroyed [L cease to be];
    only ruins will remain.
The cities of Aroer will be ·abandoned [deserted; desolate].
    ·Flocks will wander freely in those empty towns [L They will be for flocks];
    they will lie down and no one will ·bother [disturb; frighten] them.
The ·strong, walled [fortified] cities of ·Israel [L Ephraim; C the most influential tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel] will be destroyed.
    The ·government in Damascus will end [L kingdom from Damascus; C the capital of Syria].
·Those left alive [The remnant] of Aram [C Syria] will be
    like the glory of Israel,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].

“·At that time [L In that day] ·Israel’s wealth [L Jacob’s glory] will ·all be gone [or fade; wane].
    ·Israel will be like a body wasting away from sickness [L The fatness of his flesh will grow lean].
That time will be like the grain harvest in the Valley of Rephaim.
    The workers cut the wheat.
    Then they cut the heads of grain from the plants
    and collect the grain.
That time will also be like ·the olive harvest [when an olive tree is beaten],
    when ·a few olives [L gleanings] are left [24:13].
Two or three olives are left in the top branches.
    Four or five olives are left on full branches,” says the Lord, the God of Israel.

·At that time [L In that day] people will look to their Maker;
    their eyes will ·see [or L look toward] the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
They will not trust the altars ·they have made [L the work of their hands],
    nor will they trust what their ·hands [L fingers] have made,
not even the ·Asherah idols [L Asherahs; C sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] and ·altars [incense altars].

·At that time [L In that day] all their strong cities will be empty. They will be like the ·cities the Hivites and [or wooded heights] the Amorites left when the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] came to take the land. Everything will be ruined.

10 You have forgotten the God who ·saves [rescues] you;
    you have not remembered ·that God is your place of safety [L the Rock, your stronghold/strength].
You plant ·the finest [beautiful; pleasant] plants
    and grapevines from ·faraway [exotic; foreign] places.
11 You plant your grapevines one day and try to make them grow,
    and ·the next day [in the morning] you make them blossom.
But ·at harvest time everything will be dead [L the harvest will be a heap/disaster];
    ·a sickness will kill all the plants [L in the day of disease and incurable pain].

12 ·Listen [or Woe] to the many people!
    ·Their crying is like the noise from the sea [They rage/roar like the raging/roaring sea].
·Listen [or Woe] to the nations!
    Their ·crying [roar] is like the ·crashing [roaring] of great ·waves [waters].
13 The people roar like the ·waves [roaring of many waters],
    but when ·God [L he] ·speaks harshly to [shouts at; rebukes] them, they will ·run [flee far] away.
They will be like chaff on the hills being blown by the wind,
    or like ·tumbleweeds [L a rolling thing] blown away by a storm.
14 ·At night [L In the time of evening] ·the people will be very frightened [L look/T behold, terror!].
    Before morning, ·no one will be left [the enemy will be gone; L he is no more].
This is the ·fate [portion] of those who ·steal from [plunder] us,
    and ·what happens to [the lot of] those who ·rob [loot] us.

God’s Message to Cush

18 ·How terrible it will be for [Woe to; or Listen,] the land beyond the rivers of ·Cush [or Ethiopia; C the upper Nile region].
    ·It is filled with the sound of wings [L …the land of buzzing wings; or …the land of flapping sails].
That land sends ·messengers [envoys; ambassadors] across the sea;
    they go on the water in boats made of ·reeds [papyrus; C light and speedy].

Go, ·quick [swiftly] messengers,
    to a people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
    who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
    Their land is divided by rivers.

All you ·people [inhabitants] of the world, look!
    Everyone who lives in the world, look!
You will see a ·banner [standard; signal flag] raised on a mountain.
    You will hear a trumpet sound.
The Lord said to me,
    “I will quietly watch from ·where I live [my dwelling place],
like ·heat in the sunshine [L glowing heat upon the light],
    like ·the dew [L a cloud of dew] in the heat of harvest time.”
The time will come, after the flowers have bloomed and before the harvest,
    when ·new grapes will be budding and growing [the flower becomes a ripening grape].
·The enemy [or The Lord; L He] will cut the plants with pruning knives;
    he will cut down the ·vines [branches; tendrils] and take them away.
They will be left for the ·birds [or birds of prey] of the mountains
    and for the wild animals.
Birds will feed on them all summer,
    and wild animals will eat them that winter.”

·At that time [L In that day] ·a gift [tribute] will be brought to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
    from the people who are tall and smooth-skinned,
    who are feared ·everywhere [far and wide].
They are a powerful nation ·that defeats other nations [or who speak a strange language].
    Their land is divided by rivers.
These gifts will be brought to the place ·of [L of the name of] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
    to Mount Zion.

God’s Message to Egypt

19 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Egypt:

Look, the Lord is coming on a ·fast [swift] cloud
    to enter Egypt.
The idols of Egypt will tremble before him,
    and Egypt’s ·courage [heart] will melt away.

The Lord says, “I will ·cause the Egyptians to fight against themselves [L provoke Egypt against Egypt].
    People will fight with their ·relatives [brothers];
    neighbors will fight neighbors;
    cities will fight cities;
    kingdoms will fight kingdoms.
The Egyptians will ·be afraid [lose heart],
    and I will ·ruin their plans [confuse their counsel].
They will ·ask advice from [consult] their idols and spirits of the dead,
    from their mediums and ·fortune-tellers [magicians; necromancers].”
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says,
“I will hand Egypt ·over to [L into the hand of] a hard master,
and a ·powerful [fierce] king will rule over them.”

The ·sea [or river; L waters] will become dry,
    and the ·water will disappear from the Nile River [L river will be parched and dry].
The canals will stink;
    the streams of Egypt will decrease and dry up.
All the ·water plants [L reeds and bulrushes] will rot;
    all the plants along the banks of the Nile will die.
Even the ·planted [cultivated] fields by the Nile
    will dry up, blow away, and disappear [C catastrophic, since the Nile was essential to Egypt’s existence].
The fishermen, all those who ·catch fish from [L cast hooks into] the Nile,
    will groan and ·cry [lament];
those who ·fish in the Nile [L spread nets on the water] will ·be sad [grieve; lose heart].
All the people who make cloth from flax will ·be sad [despair; or be ashamed],
    and those who weave linen will ·lose hope [turn pale].
10 Those who ·weave cloth [or are its foundations] will be broken.
    All those who work for ·money [wages] will be ·sad [L grieved in their soul].

11 The officers of the city of Zoan [C probably Tanis, the Egyptian city nearest Israel] are fools;
    the wise ·men who advise the king of Egypt [counselors/advisors of Pharaoh] give ·wrong [senseless; stupid] advice.
How can you say to him, ‘I am ·wise [L a son of the wise]’?
    How can you say, ‘I am ·from the old family of the kings [a son of ancient kings; C “son of” may mean “an expert in the ways of”]’?
12 Egypt, where are your wise men?
    Let them show you
what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has planned for Egypt.
13 The officers of Zoan [v. 11] have ·been fooled [become fools];
    the ·leaders [princes] of Memphis [C prominent city in northern Egypt] ·have believed false things [are deceived/deluded].
So the ·leaders of Egypt [L cornerstones of her tribes]
    lead that nation ·the wrong way [astray].
14 The Lord has ·made the leaders confused [L mixed into them a spirit of distortion].
    They have led Egypt to ·wander in the wrong ways [or err in all it does],
    like drunk people stumbling in their own vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do;
    ·no one there can help [L head or tail, palm branch or reed; C no one, high or low, could help Egypt].

16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women [C physically weak and vulnerable]. They will ·be afraid of [tremble with fear at] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], because he will raise his hand to strike them down. 17 The land of Judah will ·bring fear [be a terror] to Egypt. Anyone there who hears the name Judah will be afraid, because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has planned terrible things for them. 18 ·At that time [L In that day] five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan [C Hebrew or Aramaic, evidence of Israel’s dominance over Egypt], and they will ·promise to be loyal [swear allegiance] to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. One of these cities will be named the City of Destruction.[a] 19 ·At that time [L In that day] there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of Egypt and a ·monument [or sacred pillar] to the Lord at the border of Egypt. 20 This will be a sign and a witness to the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord for help, he will send a savior and defender, who will rescue them.

21 So the Lord will ·show himself [make himself known] to the Egyptians, and ·then [L in that day] they will ·know he is [acknowledge; know] the Lord. They will ·worship [serve] God ·and offer many sacrifices [with sacrifices and offerings]. They will make ·promises [vows] to the Lord and will keep them. 22 The Lord will ·punish [L strike] the Egyptians, but then he will heal them. They will ·come back [return] to the Lord, and he will listen to their ·prayers [pleas] and heal them.

23 ·At that time [L In that day] there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians will go to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship God together. 24 ·At that time [L In that day] ·Israel, Assyria, and Egypt will join together [L Israel will be the third, with Egypt and Assyria; C a great power like them], which will be a blessing for the earth. 25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will bless them, saying, “Egypt, you are my people. Assyria, ·I made you [L the work of my hands]. Israel, ·I own you [my inheritance]. You are all blessed!”

Assyria Will Defeat Egypt and Cush

20 [L In the year that; C about 712 bc] Sargon king of Assyria sent ·a military commander [or his commander-in-chief] to Ashdod [C a Philistine city] to attack that city. So the commander attacked and captured it. ·Then [L At that time] the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Take the ·rough cloth [burlap; sackcloth; C a sign of mourning] off your body, and take your sandals off your feet.” So Isaiah obeyed and walked around ·naked [stripped] and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “[L Just as] Isaiah my servant has walked around naked and barefoot for three years as a ·sign [L sign and omen/portent] against Egypt and Cush [18:1]. [L So; Thus] The king of Assyria will carry away prisoners from Egypt and ·captives [exiles] from Cush. Old people and young people will be led away ·naked [stripped] and barefoot, with their buttocks bare. So the Egyptians will be shamed. People who ·looked to Cush for help [trusted/put hope in Cush] will be ·afraid [dismayed; disillusioned], and those who ·were amazed by [boasted/took pride in] Egypt’s glory will be shamed. People who live ·near the sea [in this coastland] will say, ‘Look at what happened to those ·we trusted in for help [in whom we hoped]. We ·ran [fled] to them so they would ·save [rescue] us from the king of Assyria. So how will we be able to escape?’”

God’s Message to Babylon

21 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Desert by the Sea [C probably Babylon (v. 9), though an unusual description of it]:

·Disaster [or An invader; L It] is coming from the desert
    like ·wind [whirlwinds] blowing in the ·south [or Negev].
    It is coming from a terrible country.
I have seen a ·terrible [terrifying; dire; distressing] vision.
    ·I see traitors turning against you [L The betrayer betrays]
    ·and people taking your wealth [the destroyer destroys; or the looter loots].

Elam, ·attack the people [L go up; C Elam sounds like the Hebrew for “go up”]!
    Media, ·surround the city and attack it [besiege]!
I will bring an end to ·the pain the city causes [L all the groaning].

·I saw those terrible things, and now [L For this reason; At this] ·I am in pain [my loins/stomach are filled with pain];
    my pains ·are [seize me] like the pains of giving birth.
What I hear ·makes me very afraid [distresses/staggers me];
    what I see ·causes me to shake with fear [bewilders/horrifies me].
·I am worried [My heart reels/falters/wanders],
    and I am shaking with fear.
·My pleasant evening [L The twilight/evening I longed for]
    has become a night of ·fear [trembling].

They ·set [prepared] the table;
    they ·spread the rugs [or post a watchman];
    they eat and drink.
Leaders, ·stand up [arise].
    ·Prepare the shields for battle [L Anoint/oil the shield; C preparation for battle]!

The Lord said to me,
“Go, place a ·lookout [guard; watchman] for the city
    and have him report what he sees.
·If [or When] he sees chariots and teams of horses,
    riders on donkeys, or riders on camels,
he should ·pay very close attention [L be alert, very alert].”

Then the lookout[b] called out,
“My master, each day I stand in the watchtower watching;
    every night I ·have been on guard [stand at my post].
Look, I see a man coming in a chariot
    with a team of horses.”
The man gives back the answer,
    “Babylon has fallen. It has fallen [Jer. 51:8; Rev. 14:8; 18:2]!
All the ·statues [idols; carved images] of her gods
    lie ·broken [shattered] on the ground.”
10 My ·people are crushed like grain on the threshing floor [L trampled one, and son of the threshing floor].
    My people, I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
    from the God of Israel.

God’s Message to Edom

11 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Dumah [C another name for Edom, meaning “silence” or “stillness”]:

Someone calls to me from ·Edom [L Seir],
    “Watchman, how much of the night is left?
    Watchman, how much longer will it be night?”
12 The watchman answers,
    “Morning is coming, but then night will come again.
If you ·have something to ask [wish to ask],
    then come back and ask.”

God’s Message to Arabia

13 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Arabia:

You ·traders [caravans] from Dedan
    who spent the night ·near some trees in [in the thickets of] Arabia.
14 Bring water to thirsty travelers;
    you people of Tema, give food
    to ·those who were escaping [the fugitives].
15 They ·were running [flee] from swords,
    from ·swords ready to kill [L the drawn sword],
from ·bows ready to shoot [the bent bow],
    from ·a hard [the distress/terrors/hardship of] battle.

16 This is what the Lord said to me: “Within a year all the ·glory [splendor] of the country of Kedar will be gone. (This is a year as a hired helper counts time [C carefully calculated; 16:14].) 17 ·At that time [L In that day] only a few of the archers, the ·soldiers [warriors; mighty men] of [L the sons of] Kedar, will be left alive.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.

God’s Message to Jerusalem

22 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Valley of Vision [C perhaps the Hinnom Valley near Jerusalem; the prophecy concerns Jerusalem]:

·What is wrong with you people [or What is the reason; L What to you, then]?
    Why are you on your roofs [C roofs were flat and used for living and storage space]?
This city was ·a very busy city [L full of noise],
    ·full of noise and wild parties [town of tumult and revelry].
Now your people have been ·killed [slain],
    but not with swords,
    nor did they die in battle.
All your leaders ·ran away [fled] together,
    but they have been captured without using a bow.
All you who were captured
    tried to run ·away before the enemy came [or far away; or while the enemy was far away].
So I say, “Don’t look at me.
    Let me ·cry loudly [weep bitterly].
Don’t hurry to ·comfort [console] me
    about the destruction of ·Jerusalem [or my vulnerable people; L the daughter of my people].”
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·chosen a special day [L a day]
    of ·riots [tumult] and confusion.
    ·People will trample each other […and trampling] in the Valley of Vision.
The city walls will be knocked down,
    and the people will cry out to the mountain.
·The soldiers from Elam [L Elam] will ·gather their arrows [L pick up its quiver]
    and their chariots and men on horses.
    Kir will ·prepare [L uncover] their shields.
Your ·nicest [choicest; fairest] valleys will be filled with chariots.
    Horsemen ·will be ordered to guard [take their positions at] the gates of the city.
    ·The walls protecting Judah will fall [L He removed defenses/covering from Judah; C “He” could be the Lord or the invading army].

·At that time [L In that day] the people of Jerusalem ·depended on [looked to]
    the weapons kept at the ·Palace [L house] of the Forest [C probably the royal armory; 1 Kin. 7:2–5; 10:16–17].
You saw that the walls of Jerusalem
    had many ·cracks that needed repairing [breaches; breaks].
    You stored up water in the lower pool [C preparation for a siege].
10 You ·counted [surveyed] the houses of Jerusalem,
    and you tore down houses to ·repair the walls with their stones [L strengthen/fortify the wall].
11 You made a ·pool [reservoir] between the two walls
    to save water from the old pool,
but you did not ·trust [look to] the ·God who made these things [L one who made it; C the “it” could be the pool, the wall or the whole city of Jerusalem];
    you did not ·respect [consider; have regard for] the One who ·planned [or fashioned; formed] ·them [it] long ago.

12 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] ·told the people
    to cry and be sad [L called for weeping and mourning],
    ·to shave their heads [L for baldness] and ·wear rough cloth [for wearing burlap/sackcloth; C signs of sorrow and repentance].
13 But look, ·the people are happy
    and are having wild parties [L joy and revelry].
They slaughter cattle and kill sheep;
    they eat ·the food [meat; flesh] and drink the wine.
They say, “Let us eat and drink,
    because tomorrow we will die.”

14 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said to me: “You people will die before this ·guilt is forgiven [sin is atoned for].” The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said this.

God’s Message to Shebna

15 This is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:

“Go to this ·servant [steward; administrator] Shebna [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:37; 19:2],
    ·the manager of the palace [L who is over the house].
16 Say to him, ‘What ·are you doing here [or right do you have to be here]?
    Who said you could ·cut out [carve; hew] a tomb for yourself here?
Why are you ·preparing [carving; hewing] your tomb in a high place?
    Why are you ·carving out [cutting; inscribing] a ·tomb [L dwelling place] from the rock?
17 Look, ·mighty one [or mere man; L man]! The Lord ·will throw you away [L hurling will hurl you].
    ·He will take firm hold of [L Seizing he will seize] you
18 and roll you tightly into a ball
    and throw you into another country.
There you will die,
    and there your ·fine [glorious; splendid] chariots will remain.
    You ·are a disgrace [bring shame] to your master’s house.
19 I will force you out of your ·important job [office],
    and you will be thrown down from your ·important place [position].’

20 “·At that time [L In that day] I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:18, 26, 37]. 21 I will take your robe and put it on him and ·give him [tie around him; or strengthen him with] your ·belt [sash]. I will hand over to him ·the important job you have [your authority], and he will be like a father to the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem and the ·family [L house] of Judah. 22 I will put the key to the house of David [C a sign of authority, indicating access to the king; Rev. 3:7] around his neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it; if he closes a door, no one will be able to open it. 23 I will make him like a peg that is hammered into a strong board [C a symbol of strength]. He will be like an ·honored chair in [or throne of honor for] his father’s house. 24 All the ·honored and important things of his family [L glory of the house of his father] will ·depend on him [or be given to him; L hang on him; C continuing the “peg” imagery in v. 23, meaning either honor or responsibility]; ·all the adults and little children will depend on him [L its offspring and offshoots]. ·They will be like bowls and jars hanging on him [L …all the small utensils, from the bowls to the jars].

25 “·At that time [L In that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], “the peg hammered into the strong board will weaken. It will ·break [or be cut off] and fall, and everything hanging on it will be destroyed [C Eliakim’s authority would also eventually be taken away].” The Lord says this.

God’s Message to Lebanon

23 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Tyre [C port city in Phoenicia, north of Israel; present-day Lebanon]:

You ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; C western port city, probably in Spain; 2:16], ·cry [wail]!
    The houses and harbor of Tyre are ·destroyed [devastated; laid waste].
This news came to the ships
    from the land of ·Cyprus [L the Kittim; C the people of Cyprus, an island west of Israel].
·Be silent [or Mourn in silence], you who live on the ·island of Tyre [or coastland];
    you merchants of Sidon [C port city of Phoenica], be silent.
    ·Sailors have made you rich [or …whose messengers have crossed the sea].
They traveled ·the sea [the great waters; or many seas] to bring ·grain from Egypt [L the grain of Shihor; C the east branch of the Nile in Egypt];
    the harvest of the Nile was Tyre’s ·profit [revenue];
she was the marketplace of the nations.

Sidon, be ashamed.
    ·Strong city [Fortress] of the sea, be ashamed, because the sea says:
“I have not ·felt the pain of giving birth [gone into labor or given birth];
    I have not reared young men or women.”
Egypt will hear the news about Tyre,
    and it will make Egypt ·hurt with sorrow [be in anguish].

·You ships should return [Travel; or Send word; L Cross over] to Tarshish [v. 1].
    ·Be sad [Wail], you people ·living near the sea [of the coast].
·Look at [L Is this…?] your ·once happy [boisterous] city,
    ·founded so long ago [whose beginning was from days of antiquity].
·People from that city have traveled […whose feet have taken her]
    far away to live.
Who planned Tyre’s destruction?
    Tyre ·made others rich [bestower of crowns; or wearer of crowns].
Its merchants ·were treated like [L were; or are] princes,
    and its traders were ·greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
It was the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] who planned this.
    He decided to ·make these proud people unimportant [L bring down the pride of all her glory/splendor];
    he decided to ·disgrace [humble] ·those who were greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
10 Go through[c] [or Cultivate; Till] your land, ·people [L daughter] of Tarshish [v. 1],
    like ·the Nile goes through Egypt [or they do along the Nile].
    There is no ·harbor [or marketplace; or restraint; or strength] for you now!
11 The Lord has stretched his hand over the sea
    and made its kingdoms tremble.
He commands that Canaan’s
    ·strong, walled cities [fortresses; strongholds] be destroyed.
12 He said, “·Sidon [L Virgin daughter Sidon], you will not ·rejoice [celebrate] any longer,
    because you are ·destroyed [crushed; oppressed].
·Even if you cross the sea [L Arise, cross over] to ·Cyprus [L Kittim],
    [but] you will not find a place to rest.”
13 Look at the land of the ·Babylonians [Chaldeans];
    ·it is not a country now [this people is no more].
Assyria has made it a place for ·wild [desert] animals.
    Assyria built ·towers to attack it [siege towers];
the soldiers ·took all the treasures from its cities [stripped bare/tore down its fortresses/palaces],
    and they turned it into ruins.
14 ·So be sad [Wail], you ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; v. 1; 2:16],
    because your ·strong city [fortress; stronghold] is destroyed.

15 ·At that time [L In that day] Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, which is the length of a king’s life. ·After [L At the end of] seventy years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:

16 “Oh ·woman [prostitute; harlot], you are forgotten.
    Take your harp and walk through the city.
Play your harp well. Sing ·your song often [many songs].
    Then people will remember you.”

17 ·After [L At the end of] seventy years the Lord will ·deal with [visit] Tyre, and it will again ·have trade [earn wages]. It will be like a prostitute for all the ·nations [kingdoms] of the earth. 18 The profits will be ·saved [set apart; holy] for the Lord. Tyre will not ·keep [store up or hoard] the money she earns but will give them to the people who ·serve [worship; L dwell before] the Lord, so they will have plenty of food and ·nice clothes [beautiful coverings].

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:18 City of Destruction Most Hebrew copies read “City of Destruction.” The Dead Sea Scrolls, some Hebrew copies and other translations read “City of the Sun.”
  2. Isaiah 21:8 lookout The Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac copies read “lookout.” Some Hebrew copies read “the lion.”
  3. Isaiah 23:10 Go through Hebrew copies read “Go through.” The Dead Sea Scrolls and some Greek copies read “Cultivate.”

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