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Isaiah Dramatizes the Conquest of Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the commander-in-chief, who was sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and took it(A) at that time the Lord had spoken to Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take your sandals off your feet,” and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.(B) Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,(C) so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as captives and the Cushites as exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.(D) And they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast.(E) On that day the inhabitants of this coastland will say, ‘See, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’ ”(F)

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A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the field commander[a] sent by Sargon king of Assyria came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord delivered a message through Isaiah son of Amoz. The Lord said, “Take off the sackcloth around your waist and remove the sandals from your feet.” Isaiah did this and went naked and barefoot. The Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and an omen concerning Egypt and Cush,[b] so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with bare buttocks, to Egypt’s shame. They will be overwhelmed and ashamed because of Cush, their hope, and Egypt, their source of confidence. On that day those who live on this coast will say, “Look what happened to our hope, to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How can we escape?”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 20:1 Literally the Tartan
  2. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region, roughly corresponding to present-day Sudan