18 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:

That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.

They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.

Proclamation Against Ethiopia

18 Woe (A)to the land shadowed with buzzing wings,
Which is beyond the rivers of [a]Ethiopia,
Which sends ambassadors by sea,
Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,
“Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin,
To a people terrible from their beginning onward,
A nation powerful and treading down,
Whose land the rivers divide.”

All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth:
(B)When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it;
And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it.
For so the Lord said to me,
“I will take My rest,
And I will [b]look from My dwelling place
Like clear heat in sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”
For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect
And the sour grape is ripening in the flower,
He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks
And take away and cut down the branches.
They will be left together for the mountain birds of prey
And for the beasts of the earth;
The birds of prey will summer on them,
And all the beasts of the earth will winter on them.

In that time (C)a present will be brought to the Lord of hosts
[c]From a people tall and smooth of skin,
And from a people terrible from their beginning onward,
A nation powerful and treading down,
Whose land the rivers divide—
To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts,
To Mount Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 18:1 Heb. Cush
  2. Isaiah 18:4 watch
  3. Isaiah 18:7 So with DSS, LXX, Vg.; MT omits From; Tg. To

18 Ah,(A) ang lupain ng pakpak na pumapagaspas,
    na nasa kabila ng mga ilog ng Etiopia;
na nagpapadala ng mga sugo sa gilid ng Nilo,
    sa mga sasakyang-papiro sa ibabaw ng karagatan!
Humayo kayo, maliliksing sugo,
    sa bansang mataas at patag,
sa bayang kinatatakutan sa malayo at malapit;
    isang bansang makapangyarihan at nananakop,
    na ang lupain ay hinahati ng mga ilog!

Kayong lahat na nananahan sa sanlibutan,
    at kayong mga naninirahan sa lupa,
kapag ang isang hudyat ay itinaas sa mga bundok, ay inyong tingnan!
    Kapag ang trumpeta ay hinipan, makinig kayo!
Sapagkat ganito ang sinabi ng Panginoon sa akin,
“Ako'y tahimik na titingin mula sa aking tinitirhan,
    gaya ng malinaw na init sa sikat ng araw,
    gaya ng ulap na hamog sa init ng pag-aani.”
Sapagkat bago mag-ani, kapag ang pamumulaklak ay tapos na,
    at ang bulaklak ay nagiging ubas na nahihinog,
kanyang puputulin ng karit na pangkapon ang mga usbong,
    at ang nakaladlad na mga sanga ay kanyang puputulin.
Ang mga iyon ay pawang maiiwan
    sa mga ibong mandaragit sa mga bundok,
    at sa mga hayop sa lupa.
At kakainin ang mga iyon ng mga ibong mandaragit sa panahon ng tag-init,
    at kakainin ang mga iyon ng lahat na hayop sa lupa sa taglamig.

Sa panahong iyon ay dadalhin ang mga kaloob sa Panginoon ng mga hukbo
    ng mga taong matataas at makikisig,
    at mula sa bayang kinatatakutan sa malapit at malayo;
    isang bansang makapangyarihan at nananakop,
    na ang lupain ay hinahati ng mga ilog,
    sa Bundok ng Zion, sa dako ng pangalan ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo.