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20 In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it; at that time Yahweh spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loosen the sackcloth from off your waist, and take your sandals from off your feet.” He did so, walking naked and barefoot. Yahweh said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia, so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. They will be dismayed and confounded, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. The inhabitants of this coast land will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is our expectation, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria. And we, how will we escape?’”

A Sign regarding Egypt and Cush

20 In the year the commander-in-chief came[a] to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and he took it, at that time, Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying,

“Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins,
    and take off your sandals[b] from your feet,”

and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.

Then[c] Yahweh said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead the captives[d] of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks,[e] the shame of Egypt.

And they shall be dismayed,
    and they shall be ashamed
because of Cush, their hope,
    and because of Egypt, their pride.

And the inhabitant[f] of the coastland will say this on that day:

‘Look! This is our hope to whom we fled for help, to be delivered from[g] the king of Assyria, and how shall we escape?’”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Literally “of the coming of the commander in chief”
  2. Isaiah 20:2 Hebrew “sandal”
  3. Isaiah 20:3 Or “And”
  4. Isaiah 20:4 Hebrew “captive”
  5. Isaiah 20:4 Literally “and bare of buttocks”
  6. Isaiah 20:6 Hebrew “inhabitant”
  7. Isaiah 20:6 Literally “from the face of”