Add parallel Print Page Options

A Message about Egypt and Ethiopia

20 In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod,[a] the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign—a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.[b] For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians[c] as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt. Then the Philistines will be thrown into panic, for they counted on the power of Ethiopia and boasted of their allies in Egypt! They will say, ‘If this can happen to Egypt, what chance do we have? We were counting on Egypt to protect us from the king of Assyria.’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 20:1 Ashdod was captured by Assyria in 711 B.c.
  2. 20:3 Hebrew Cush; also in 20:5.
  3. 20:4 Hebrew Cushites.

A Prophecy About Egypt and Ethiopia

20 In the year that the [a](A)commander came to (B)Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it, at that time Yahweh spoke by the hand of (C)Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the (D)sackcloth from your hips and take your (E)shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going (F)naked and barefoot. And Yahweh said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a (G)sign and wonder against Egypt and [b](H)Ethiopia, so the (I)king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, (J)young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the [c]shame of Egypt. Then they will be (K)dismayed and ashamed because of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their (L)boast. So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled (M)for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, (N)how shall we escape?’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Heb Tartan
  2. Isaiah 20:3 Or Cush, so in vv 4, 5, cf. Gen 10:6
  3. Isaiah 20:4 Lit nakedness