An Oracle Concerning Tyre and Sidon

23 The (A)oracle concerning (B)Tyre.

Wail, O (C)ships of Tarshish,
    for Tyre is laid waste, (D)without house or harbor!
From (E)the land of Cyprus[a]
    it is revealed to them.
Be still, O inhabitants of the coast;
    the merchants of (F)Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you.
And on many waters
your revenue was the grain of Shihor,
    the harvest of the Nile;
    you were (G)the merchant of the nations.
Be ashamed, O (H)Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
    the stronghold of the sea, saying:
“I have neither labored 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[b] over the report about Tyre.
(I)Cross over to Tarshish;
    wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
Is this your exultant city
    (J)whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
    to settle far away?
Who has purposed this
    against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
    whose traders were the honored of the earth?
The Lord of hosts has purposed it,
    (K)to defile the pompous pride of all glory,[c]
    to dishonor all the honored of the earth.
10 Cross over your land like the Nile,
    O daughter of Tarshish;
    there is no restraint anymore.
11 (L)He has stretched out his hand over the sea;
    he has shaken the kingdoms;
the Lord has given command concerning Canaan
    to destroy its strongholds.
12 And he said:
“You will no more exult,
    O oppressed virgin daughter of (M)Sidon;
arise, (N)cross over to (O)Cyprus,
    even there you will have no rest.”

13 Behold the land of (P)the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not;[d] Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected (Q)their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin.

14 (R)Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your stronghold is laid waste.

15 In that day Tyre will be forgotten for (S)seventy years, like the days[e] of one king. At the end of (T)seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

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

17 At the end of (U)seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and (V)will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the Lord. It will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:1 Hebrew Kittim; also verse 12
  2. Isaiah 23:5 Hebrew they will have labor pains
  3. Isaiah 23:9 The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike
  4. Isaiah 23:13 Or that has become nothing
  5. Isaiah 23:15 Or lifetime

Proclamation Against Tyre

23 The (A)burden[a] against Tyre.

Wail, you ships of Tarshish!
For it is laid waste,
So that there is no house, no harbor;
From the land of [b]Cyprus it is revealed to them.

Be still, you inhabitants of the coastland,
You merchants of Sidon,
[c]Whom those who cross the sea have filled.
And on great waters the grain of Shihor,
The harvest of [d]the River, is her revenue;
And (B)she is a marketplace for the nations.

Be ashamed, O Sidon;
For the sea has spoken,
The strength of the sea, saying,
“I do not labor, nor bring forth children;
Neither do I rear young men,
Nor bring up virgins.”
(C)When the report reaches Egypt,
They also will be in agony at the report of Tyre.

Cross over to Tarshish;
Wail, you inhabitants of the coastland!
Is this your (D)joyous city,
Whose antiquity is from ancient days,
Whose feet carried her far off to dwell?
Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, (E)the crowning city,
Whose merchants are princes,
Whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
The Lord of hosts has (F)purposed it,
To [e]bring to dishonor the (G)pride of all glory,
To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

10 Overflow through your land like [f]the River,
O daughter of Tarshish;
There is no more [g]strength.
11 He stretched out His hand over the sea,
He shook the kingdoms;
The Lord has given a commandment (H)against Canaan
To destroy its strongholds.
12 And He said, “You will rejoice no more,
O you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, (I)cross over to Cyprus;
There also you will have no rest.”

13 Behold, the land of the (J)Chaldeans,
This people which was not;
Assyria founded it for (K)wild beasts of the desert.
They set up its towers,
They raised up its palaces,
And brought it to ruin.

14 (L)Wail, you ships of Tarshish!
For your strength is laid waste.

15 Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

16 “Take a harp, go about the city,
You forgotten harlot;
Make sweet melody, sing many songs,
That you may be remembered.”

17 And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and (M)commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. 18 Her gain and her pay (N)will be set apart for the Lord; it will not be treasured nor laid up, for her gain will be for those who dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for [h]fine clothing.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:1 oracle, prophecy
  2. Isaiah 23:1 Heb. Kittim, western lands, especially Cyprus
  3. Isaiah 23:2 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Tg. Passing over the water; DSS Your messengers passing over the sea
  4. Isaiah 23:3 The Nile
  5. Isaiah 23:9 pollute
  6. Isaiah 23:10 The Nile
  7. Isaiah 23:10 restraint, lit. belt
  8. Isaiah 23:18 choice

Împotriva Tirului

23 Prorocie(A) împotriva Tirului. „Bociţi-vă, corăbii din Tarsis! Căci Tirul a fost nimicit: nu mai are nici case, nici intrare! Din(B) ţara Chitim le-a venit vestea aceasta. Amuţiţi de groază, locuitori ai ţărmului, pe care o umpleau odată negustorii din Sidon, care străbăteau marea! Veniturile lui erau grâul Nilului şi secerişul râului, aduse pe ape mari, aşa că(C) el era târgul neamurilor. Ruşinează-te, Sidoane, căci aşa vorbeşte marea, cetăţuia mării: ‘Eu n-am avut durerile facerii, nici n-am născut, n-am hrănit tineri, nici n-am crescut fete’!” Când(D) vor afla egiptenii vestea aceasta, vor tremura auzind de căderea Tirului şi vor zice: „Treceţi la Tarsis, bociţi-vă, locuitori ai ţărmului! Aceasta este cetatea(E) voastră cea veselă, care avea o obârşie veche şi ale cărei picioare o duceau să locuiască departe.” Cine a luat această hotărâre împotriva Tirului, împărţitorul(F) cununilor, el, ai cărui negustori erau nişte voievozi şi ai cărui târgoveţi erau cei mai bogaţi de pe pământ? Domnul oştirilor a luat această hotărâre, ca să ruşineze mândria a tot ce străluceşte şi să smerească pe toţi cei mari ai pământului: 10 „Străbate-ţi ţara, ca Nilul, niciun brâu nu te mai strânge, fiica Tarsisului! Nu mai este niciun jug! 11 Domnul Şi-a întins mâna asupra mării; a făcut să tremure împărăţii; a poruncit nimicirea cetăţuilor Canaanului 12 şi a zis: ‘De acum nu(G) te vei mai bucura, fecioară necinstită, fiica Sidonului! Scoală-te şi treci(H) în ţara Chitim; dar nici acolo nu vei avea odihnă. 13 Iată pe haldeeni, care nu erau un popor, locuitorii aceştia(I) ai pustiei, cărora asirianul le-a întemeiat o ţară; ei înalţă turnuri, surpă casele împărăteşti ale Tirului, le prefac în dărâmături’.” 14 „Bociţi-vă(J), corăbii din Tarsis! Căci cetăţuia voastră este nimicită.” 15 În vremea aceea, Tirul va fi dat uitării şaptezeci de ani, cât ţine viaţa unui împărat, dar după şaptezeci de ani, se va întâmpla Tirului ca şi curvei despre care vorbeşte cântecul: 16 „Ia harpa şi străbate cetatea, curvă dată uitării; cântă bine, cântă-ţi cântecele de mai multe ori, ca iarăşi să-şi aducă lumea aminte de tine.” 17 Tot aşa, după şaptezeci de ani, Domnul va cerceta Tirul şi se va întoarce iarăşi la câştigul lui; va avea(K) legături cu toate împărăţiile lumii de pe faţa pământului; 18 dar câştigul şi plata lui vor(L) fi închinate Domnului, nu vor fi nici strânse, nici păstrate; ci câştigul lui va aduce celor ce locuiesc înaintea Domnului, o hrană îmbelşugată şi haine strălucite.