An Oracle Concerning Egypt

19 An (A)oracle concerning (B)Egypt.

Behold, the Lord (C)is riding on a swift cloud
    and comes to Egypt;
and (D)the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
    and the heart of the Egyptians will (E)melt within them.
And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,
    (F)and they will fight, each against another
    and each against his neighbor,
    city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,
    and I will confound[a] their (G)counsel;
and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers,
    and (H)the mediums and the necromancers;
and I will give over the Egyptians
    into the hand of (I)a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
    declares the Lord God of hosts.

And the waters of the sea will be dried up,
    and the river will be dry and parched,
and its canals will become foul,
    and the branches of Egypt's Nile will diminish and dry up,
    reeds and rushes will rot away.
There will be bare places by the Nile,
    on the brink of the Nile,
and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched,
    will be driven away, and will be no more.
The (J)fishermen will mourn and lament,
    all who cast a hook in the Nile;
and they will languish
    who spread nets on the water.
The workers in (K)combed flax will be in despair,
    and the weavers of white cotton.
10 Those who are the (L)pillars of the land will be crushed,
    and all who (M)work for pay will be grieved.

11 The princes of (N)Zoan are utterly foolish;
    the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I am a son of the wise,
    a son of ancient kings”?
12 Where then are your (O)wise men?
    Let them tell you
    that they might know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
13 The princes of (P)Zoan have become fools,
    and the princes of (Q)Memphis are deluded;
those who are the (R)cornerstones of her tribes
    have made Egypt stagger.
14 The Lord has mingled within her (S)a spirit of confusion,
and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds,
    (T)as a drunken man staggers in his vomit.
15 And there will be nothing for Egypt
    that (U)head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.

Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed

16 In that day the Egyptians will be (V)like women, and (W)tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. 17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.

18 (X)In that day there will be (Y)five cities in the land of Egypt that (Z)speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.[b]

19 In that day there will be an (AA)altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a (AB)pillar to the Lord at its border. 20 (AC)It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, (AD)he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. 21 (AE)And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day (AF)and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. 22 (AG)And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

23 (AH)In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, (AI)and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, (AJ)a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt (AK)my people, and Assyria (AL)the work of my hands, and (AM)Israel my inheritance.”

A Sign Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that (AN)the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to (AO)Ashdod and fought against it and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking (AP)naked and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years (AQ)as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,[c] so shall the (AR)king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. (AS)Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. And the inhabitants of (AT)this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and (AU)to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

21 The (AV)oracle concerning the wilderness of (AW)the sea.

(AX)As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
    it comes from the wilderness,
    from a terrible land.
A stern vision is told to me;
    (AY)the traitor betrays,
    and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O (AZ)Elam;
    lay siege, O (BA)Media;
all the (BB)sighing she has caused
    I bring to an end.
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
    (BC)pangs have seized me,
    like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
    I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
    (BD)the twilight I longed for
    has been turned for me into trembling.
(BE)They prepare the table,
    they spread the rugs,[d]
    they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
    (BF)oil the shield!
For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
    let him announce what he sees.
When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
    riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
    very diligently.”
Then he who saw cried out:[e]
(BG)“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
    continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
    whole nights.
And behold, here come riders,
    horsemen in pairs!”
(BH)And he answered,
    (BI)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
(BJ)and all the carved images of her gods
    he has shattered to the ground.”
10 O (BK)my threshed and winnowed one,
    what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
    the God of Israel, I announce to you.

11 The (BL)oracle concerning (BM)Dumah.

One is calling to me from (BN)Seir,
    “Watchman, what time of the night?
    Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also (BO)the night.
    If you will inquire, (BP)inquire;
    come back again.”

13 The (BQ)oracle concerning (BR)Arabia.

In the thickets in (BS)Arabia you will lodge,
    O (BT)caravans of (BU)Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
    meet the fugitive with bread,
    O inhabitants of the land of (BV)Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
    and from the press of battle.

16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, (BW)according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of (BX)Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of (BY)Kedar will be few, (BZ)for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 19:3 Or I will swallow up
  2. Isaiah 19:18 Dead Sea Scroll and some other manuscripts City of the Sun
  3. Isaiah 20:3 Probably Nubia
  4. Isaiah 21:5 Or they set the watchman
  5. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion

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)

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,(BT) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(BU) and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(BV) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(BW) from your body and the sandals(BX) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(BY) and barefoot.(BZ)

Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(CA) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(CB) as a sign(CC) and portent(CD) against Egypt(CE) and Cush,[c](CF) so the king(CG) of Assyria will lead away stripped(CH) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(CI) and Cushite(CJ) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(CK)—to Egypt’s shame.(CL) Those who trusted(CM) in Cush(CN) and boasted in Egypt(CO) will be dismayed and put to shame.(CP) In that day(CQ) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(CR) to those we relied on,(CS) those we fled to for help(CT) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(CU)’”

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy(CV) against the Desert(CW) by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds(CX) sweeping through the southland,(CY)
    an invader comes from the desert,
    from a land of terror.

A dire(CZ) vision has been shown to me:
    The traitor betrays,(DA) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(DB) attack! Media,(DC) lay siege!
    I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

At this my body is racked with pain,(DD)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(DE)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered(DF) by what I see.
My heart(DG) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;(DH)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror(DI) to me.

They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!(DJ)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!(DK)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout(DL)
    and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots(DM)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,(DN)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

And the lookout[d](DO) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
Look, here comes a man in a chariot(DP)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon(DQ) has fallen,(DR) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(DS)
    lie shattered(DT) on the ground!’”

10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(DU)
    I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
    from the God of Israel.

A Prophecy Against Edom

11 A prophecy against Dumah[e]:(DV)

Someone calls to me from Seir,(DW)
    “Watchman, what is left of the night?
    Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
    “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
    and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

13 A prophecy(DX) against Arabia:(DY)

You caravans of Dedanites,(DZ)
    who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14     bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(EA)
    bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(EB) from the sword,(EC)
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
    and from the heat of battle.

16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(ED) would count it, all the splendor(EE) of Kedar(EF) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(EG)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(EH)

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
  3. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
  4. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
  5. Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.

By Grace Through Faith

(A)And you were (B)dead in the trespasses and sins (C)in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following (D)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in (E)the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in (F)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and (G)were by nature (H)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] But[c] God, being (I)rich in mercy, (J)because of the great love with which he loved us, even (K)when we were dead in our trespasses, (L)made us alive together with Christ—(M)by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and (N)seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable (O)riches of his grace in (P)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For (Q)by grace you have been saved (R)through faith. And this is (S)not your own doing; (T)it is the gift of God, (U)not a result of works, (V)so that no one may boast. 10 For (W)we are his workmanship, (X)created in Christ Jesus (Y)for good works, (Z)which God prepared beforehand, (AA)that we should walk in them.

One in Christ

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called (AB)the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember (AC)that you were at that time separated from Christ, (AD)alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to (AE)the covenants of promise, (AF)having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were (AG)far off have been brought near (AH)by the blood of Christ. 14 For (AI)he himself is our peace, (AJ)who has made us both one and has broken down (AK)in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in (AL)ordinances, that he might create in himself one (AM)new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might (AN)reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and (AO)preached peace to you who were (AP)far off and peace to those who were (AQ)near. 18 For (AR)through him we both have (AS)access in (AT)one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer (AU)strangers and aliens,[d] but you are (AV)fellow citizens with the saints and (AW)members of the household of God, 20 (AX)built on the foundation of the (AY)apostles and prophets, (AZ)Christ Jesus himself being (BA)the cornerstone, 21 (BB)in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into (BC)a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him (BD)you also are being built together (BE)into a dwelling place for God by[e] the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 Greek flesh
  2. Ephesians 2:3 Greek like the rest
  3. Ephesians 2:4 Or And
  4. Ephesians 2:19 Or sojourners
  5. Ephesians 2:22 Or in

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,(A) in which you used to live(B) when you followed the ways of this world(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.(E) All of us also lived among them at one time,(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,(H) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.(J) And God raised us up with Christ(K) and seated us with him(L) in the heavenly realms(M) in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,(N) expressed in his kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace(P) you have been saved,(Q) through faith(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,(S) so that no one can boast.(T) 10 For we are God’s handiwork,(U) created(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

11 Therefore, remember that formerly(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)(Y) 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners(Z) to the covenants of the promise,(AA) without hope(AB) and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once(AC) were far away have been brought near(AD) by the blood of Christ.(AE)

14 For he himself is our peace,(AF) who has made the two groups one(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,(AK) by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace(AL) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.(AM) 18 For through him we both have access(AN) to the Father(AO) by one Spirit.(AP)

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,(AQ) but fellow citizens(AR) with God’s people and also members of his household,(AS) 20 built(AT) on the foundation(AU) of the apostles and prophets,(AV) with Christ Jesus himself(AW) as the chief cornerstone.(AX) 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple(AY) in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.