An Oracle against Egypt

19 An oracle(A) against Egypt:(B)

Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble before Him,(D)
and Egypt’s heart will melt within it.(E)
I will provoke Egypt against Egypt;
each will fight against his brother(F)
and each against his friend,
city against city, kingdom against kingdom.(G)
Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it,
and I will frustrate its plans.
Then they will seek idols, ghosts,
spirits of the dead, and spiritists.(H)
I will deliver Egypt into the hands of harsh masters,(I)
and a strong king will rule it.
This is the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts.

The waters of the sea will dry up,
and the river will be parched and dry.
The channels will stink;
they will dwindle, and Egypt’s canals will be parched.
Reed and rush will die.[a]
The reeds by the Nile, by the mouth of the river,
and all the cultivated areas of the Nile
will wither, blow away, and vanish.
Then the fishermen will mourn.
All those who cast hooks into the Nile will lament,
and those who spread nets on the water will shrivel up.
Those who work with flax will be dismayed;(J)
the combers and weavers will turn pale.[b]
10 Egypt’s weavers[c] will be dejected;
all her wage earners will be demoralized.

11 The princes of Zoan are complete fools;(K)
Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice!
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one[d] of the wise,
a student of eastern[e] kings”?
12 Where then are your wise men?
Let them tell you and reveal
what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt.
13 The princes of Zoan have been fools;
the princes of Memphis are deceived.(L)
Her tribal chieftains have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of confusion.
The leaders have made Egypt stagger in all she does,
as a drunkard staggers in his vomit.
15 No head or tail, palm or reed,(M)
will be able to do anything for Egypt.

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Notas al pie

  1. Isaiah 19:6 Or wilt, or become black
  2. Isaiah 19:9 DSS, Tg; MT reads weavers of white cloth
  3. Isaiah 19:10 Or foundations
  4. Isaiah 19:11 Lit a son
  5. Isaiah 19:11 Lit a son of ancient

Concerning Egypt

19 An oracle about Egypt.

Look! The Lord is riding upon a swift cloud,
    and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble before God;
    the Egyptians’ hearts will melt within them.
I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian,
    and they will fight,
    one against another,
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.
Egypt’s spirit will fail from within;
        I will frustrate their plans.
    They will consult the idols and spirits
        and ghosts and fortune-tellers.
I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
    a strong king will rule them, says the Lord God of heavenly forces.

The waters of the sea will dry up;
    the river will be parched and bare.
The rivers will stink;
    the streams will shrink and dry;
    reeds and rushes will decay.
Grass around the Nile, the grass at the mouth of the Nile,
    and all the sown land of the Nile
    will dry up, blow away, and be no more.
Those who fish will lament;
    all who cast fishhooks in the Nile will mourn,
    and those who spread nets on the water will pine away.
Workers with flax will be dismayed;
    carders and weavers will grow pale.[a]
10 Makers of cloth will be crushed;
    all who earn money will become distressed.

11 The officials of Tanis are fools;
    the wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors give stupid advice.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I’m a wise person,
    one of the ancient kings”?
12 Where now are your wise ones?
    Let them tell you,
    let them inform you what the Lord of heavenly forces has planned concerning Egypt.
13 The officials of Tanis have become fools;
    the princes of Memphis are deluded;
    the tribal chiefs have led Egypt astray.
14     The Lord has poured into them a spirit of confusion.
    They will make Egypt stumble in everything it does,
    just as a drunk stumbles in his vomit.
15 Neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reed
    will be able to do anything for Egypt.

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Notas al pie

  1. Isaiah 19:9 DSS (1QIsaa)