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An Oracle concerning Tyre

23 The oracle concerning Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.[a]
When they came in from Cyprus
    they learned of it.
Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,
    O merchants of Sidon;
your messengers crossed over the sea[b]
    and were on the mighty waters;
your revenue was the grain of Shihor,
    the harvest of the Nile;
    you were the merchant of the nations.
Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
    the fortress of the sea, saying:
‘I have neither laboured nor given birth,
    I have neither reared young men
    nor brought up young women.’
When the report comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
Cross over to Tarshish—
    wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
Is this your exultant city
    whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
    to settle far away?
Who has planned this
    against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
    whose traders were the honoured ones of the earth?
The Lord of hosts has planned it—
    to defile the pride of all glory,
    to shame all the honoured ones of the earth.
10 Cross over to your own land,
    O ships of[c] Tarshish;
    this is a harbour[d] no more.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea,
    he has shaken the kingdoms;
the Lord has given command concerning Canaan
    to destroy its fortresses.
12 He said:
You will exult no longer,
    O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;
rise, cross over to Cyprus—
    even there you will have no rest.

13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined Tyre for wild animals. They erected their siege-towers, they tore down her palaces, they made her a ruin.[e]

14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.

15 From that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song about the prostitute:

16 Take a harp,
    go about the city,
    you forgotten prostitute!
Make sweet melody,
    sing many songs,
    that you may be remembered.

17 At the end of seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and she will return to her trade, and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her merchandise and her wages will be dedicated to the Lord; her profits[f] will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who live in the presence of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:1 Cn Compare verse 14: Heb for it is destroyed, without houses
  2. Isaiah 23:2 Q Ms: MT crossing over the sea, they replenished you
  3. Isaiah 23:10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the Nile, daughter
  4. Isaiah 23:10 Cn: Heb restraint
  5. Isaiah 23:13 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. Isaiah 23:18 Heb it

Concerning Tyre

23 An oracle about Tyre.

Wail, ships of Tarshish,
    because your port is destroyed![a]
        When returning from Cyprus, they heard about it.
Be still, inhabitants of the coast, traders of Sidon,
    whose messengers crossed over the sea,[b]
    over the mighty waters.
The grain of Shihor, the Nile’s harvest, was her income;
    she was the marketplace of nations.
Be ashamed, Sidon, because the sea has spoken;
    the fortress of the sea has said,
    “I haven’t been in labor; I didn’t give birth;
    I never raised young men or brought up young women.”
When the Egyptians hear,
    they will be in anguish at the news about Tyre.
Cross over to Tarshish;
    wail, inhabitants of the coast.
Is this your triumphant town,
    whose origin is from ancient times,
    whose feet carried her to settle far away?
Who planned this concerning Tyre,
        the one who gives crowns,
    whose merchants were princes,
    whose traders were the honored of the earth?
The Lord of heavenly forces planned it,
    to defile the pride of all beauty,
    to shame all the honored of the earth.

10 Go through your own land, Daughter Tarshish,
    for the harbor[c] is gone.
11 God’s hand is extended over the sea, shaking nations.
The Lord gave the command to destroy Phoenicia’s fortresses,
12     saying, You will no longer celebrate,
    violated virgin Daughter Sidon.
Get up and head to Cyprus;
    even there you will find no rest.
13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans,
    the people who are no more.
Assyria destined it for wild animals:
    they raised up their siege towers,
    stripped its palaces,
    and made it a ruin.
14 Wail, ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed!

15 On that day, Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, the lifetime of one king. At the end of seventy years, Tyre will become like the prostitute in the song:

16 Take a harp, go around the city, forgotten prostitute.
    Play well, sing many songs, so they’ll remember you.

17 At the end of seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre. She will return to her trade and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms on the earth. 18 Her profits and wages will be sacred to the Lord. They won’t be stored or saved. Her profits will go to those living before the Lord, for plentiful food and elegant clothes.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:1 Heb uncertain
  2. Isaiah 23:2 Correction; MT one crossing over the sea filled you
  3. Isaiah 23:10 Heb uncertain