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Isaiah 23
1599 Geneva Bible
Isaiah 23
1599 Geneva Bible
23 1 A Prophecy against Tyre. 17 A promise that it shall be restored.
1 The [a]burden of Tyre. Howl ye ships of [b]Tarshish: for [c]it is destroyed, so that there is none house: none shall come from the land of [d]Kittim: it is [e]revealed unto them.
2 Be still, ye that dwell in the isles: the merchants of Sidon, and such as pass over the sea, have [f]replenished thee.
3 The [g]seed of Nile growing by the abundance of waters, and the harvest of the river was her revenues, and she was a mart of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, thou Sidon: for the [h]sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I have not [i]travailed, nor brought forth children, neither nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.
5 When the fame cometh to the Egyptians, they shall be [j]sorry, concerning the rumor of Tyre.
6 Go you over to [k]Tarshish: howl, ye that dwell in the isles.
7 Is not this that your glorious city? her antiquity is of ancient days: her own feet shall lead her afar off to be a sojourner.
8 Who hath decreed this against Tyre (that [l]crowneth men) whose merchants are princes? whose chapmen are the nobles of the world?
9 The Lord of hosts hath decreed this, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring to contempt all them that be glorious in the earth.
10 Pass through thy land like a flood to the [m]daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
11 He stretched out his hand upon the sea: he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment concerning the place of merchandise, to destroy the power thereof.
12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice when thou art oppressed: [n]O virgin [o]daughter of Sidon: rise up, go out unto Kittim: yet there thou shalt have no rest.
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans: this was no people: [p]Assyria founded it by the inhabitants of the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof: they raised the palaces thereof, and he [q]brought it to ruin.
14 Howl ye ships of Tarshish, for your [r]strength is destroyed.
15 And in that day shall Tyre be forgotten seventy years (according to the years of one King) at the end of [s]seventy years shall Tyre [t]sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp and go about the city (thou harlot that hast been forgotten) [u]make sweet melody, sing more songs that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And at the end of seventy years shall the Lord visit Tyre, and she shall return to her [v]wages, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth, that are in the world.
18 Yet her occupying and her wages shall be [w]holy unto the Lord: it shall not be laid up nor kept in store, but her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and to have durable clothing.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 23:1 Read Isa. 13:1.
- Isaiah 23:1 Ye of Cilicia that come thither for merchandise.
- Isaiah 23:1 Tyre is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
- Isaiah 23:1 By Kittim they meant all the isles and countries Westward from Palestine.
- Isaiah 23:1 All men know of this destruction.
- Isaiah 23:2 Have haunteth thee, and enriched thee.
- Isaiah 23:3 Meaning, the corn of Egypt, which was fed by the overflowing of the Nile.
- Isaiah 23:4 That is, Tyre, which was the chief part of the sea.
- Isaiah 23:4 I have no people left in me, and am as a barren woman that never had children.
- Isaiah 23:5 Because these two countries were joined in league together.
- Isaiah 23:6 Tyre willeth other merchants to go to Cilicia, and to come no more there.
- Isaiah 23:8 Who maketh her merchants like princes.
- Isaiah 23:10 Thy strength will no more serve thee: therefore flee to other countries for succor.
- Isaiah 23:12 For Tyre was never touched nor afflicted before.
- Isaiah 23:12 Because Tyre was built by them of Sidon.
- Isaiah 23:13 The Chaldeans which dwelt in tents in the wilderness, were gathered by the Assyrians into cities.
- Isaiah 23:13 The people of the Chaldeans destroyed the Assyrians: whereby the Prophet meaneth, that seeing the Chaldeans were able to overcome the Assyrians which were so great a nation, much more shall these two nations of Chaldea and Assyria be able to overthrow Tyre.
- Isaiah 23:14 That is, Tyre by whom ye are enriched.
- Isaiah 23:15 Tyre shall lie destroyed seventy years which he calleth the reign of one King, or a man’s age.
- Isaiah 23:15 Shall use all craft and subtlety to entice men again unto her.
- Isaiah 23:16 She shall labor by all means to recover her first credit: as an harlot when she is long forgotten, seeketh by all means to entertain her lovers.
- Isaiah 23:17 Though she have been chastised of the Lord, yet she shall return to her old wicked practices, and for gain shall give herself to all men’s lusts like an harlot.
- Isaiah 23:18 He showeth that God yet by the preaching of the Gospel will call Tyre to repentance, and turn her heart from avarice and filthy gain, unto the true worshipping of God, and liberality toward his Saints.
Isaiah 23
English Standard Version
Isaiah 23
English Standard Version
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.
2 Be still, O inhabitants of the coast;
the merchants of (F)Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you.
3 And on many waters
your revenue was the grain of Shihor,
the harvest of the Nile;
you were (G)the merchant of the nations.
4 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.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish[b] over the report about Tyre.
6 (I)Cross over to Tarshish;
wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
7 Is this your exultant city
(J)whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
to settle far away?
8 Who has purposed this
against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 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
- Isaiah 23:1 Hebrew Kittim; also verse 12
- Isaiah 23:5 Hebrew they will have labor pains
- Isaiah 23:9 The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike
- Isaiah 23:13 Or that has become nothing
- Isaiah 23:15 Or lifetime
Isaiah 23
New International Version
Isaiah 23
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Tyre
23 A prophecy against Tyre:(A)
Wail,(B) you ships(C) of Tarshish!(D)
For Tyre is destroyed(E)
and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus
word has come to them.
2 Be silent,(F) you people of the island
and you merchants(G) of Sidon,(H)
whom the seafarers have enriched.
3 On the great waters
came the grain of the Shihor;(I)
the harvest of the Nile[a](J) was the revenue of Tyre,(K)
and she became the marketplace of the nations.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon,(L) and you fortress of the sea,
for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;(M)
I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
5 When word comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish(N) at the report from Tyre.(O)
6 Cross over to Tarshish;(P)
wail, you people of the island.
7 Is this your city of revelry,(Q)
the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
to settle in far-off lands?
8 Who planned this against Tyre,
the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants(R) are princes,
whose traders(S) are renowned in the earth?
9 The Lord Almighty planned(T) it,
to bring down(U) her pride in all her splendor
and to humble(V) all who are renowned(W) on the earth.
10 Till[b] your land as they do along the Nile,
Daughter Tarshish,
for you no longer have a harbor.
11 The Lord has stretched out his hand(X) over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.(Y)
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
that her fortresses be destroyed.(Z)
12 He said, “No more of your reveling,(AA)
Virgin Daughter(AB) Sidon, now crushed!
“Up, cross over to Cyprus;(AC)
even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Babylonians,[c](AD)
this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians(AE) have made it
a place for desert creatures;(AF)
they raised up their siege towers,(AG)
they stripped its fortresses bare
and turned it into a ruin.(AH)
15 At that time Tyre(AL) will be forgotten for seventy years,(AM) the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:
16 “Take up a harp, walk through the city,
you forgotten prostitute;(AN)
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”
17 At the end of seventy years,(AO) the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution(AP) and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.(AQ) 18 Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord;(AR) they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord,(AS) for abundant food and fine clothes.(AT)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 23:3 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls Sidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys 3 are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,
- Isaiah 23:10 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text Go through
- Isaiah 23:13 Or Chaldeans
Isaiah 23
Good News Translation
Isaiah 23
Good News Translation
A Message about Phoenicia
23 (A)This is a message about Tyre.
Howl with grief, you sailors out on the ocean! Your home port of Tyre has been destroyed; its houses and its harbor are in ruins. As your ships return from Cyprus, you learn the news. 2 Wail, you merchants of Sidon! You sent agents 3 across the sea to buy and sell the grain that grew in Egypt and to do business with all the nations.
4 City of Sidon, you are disgraced! The sea and the great ocean depths disown you and say, “I never had any children. I never raised sons or daughters.”
5 Even the Egyptians will be shocked and dismayed when they learn that Tyre has been destroyed.
6 Howl with grief, you people of Phoenicia! Try to escape to Spain! 7 Can this be the joyful city of Tyre, founded so long ago? Is this the city that sent settlers across the sea to establish colonies? 8 Who was it that planned to bring all this on Tyre, that imperial city, whose merchant princes were the most honored men on earth? 9 The Lord Almighty planned it. He planned it in order to put an end to their pride in what they had done and to humiliate their honored ones.
10 Go and farm the land, you people in the colonies in Spain! There is no one to protect you any more.[a] 11 The Lord has stretched out his hand over the sea and overthrown kingdoms. He has commanded that the Phoenician centers of commerce be destroyed. 12 City of Sidon, your happiness has ended, and your people are oppressed. Even if they escape to Cyprus, they will still not be safe.
13 (It was the Babylonians, not the Assyrians, who let the wild animals overrun Tyre. It was the Babylonians who put up siege towers, tore down the fortifications of Tyre, and left the city in ruins.[b])
14 Howl with grief, you sailors out on the ocean! The city you relied on has been destroyed.
15 A time is coming when Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of a king. When those years are over, Tyre will be like the prostitute in the song:
16 Take your harp, go round the town,
you poor forgotten whore!
Play and sing your songs again
to bring men back once more.
17 When the seventy years are over, the Lord will let Tyre go back to her old trade, and she will hire herself out to all the kingdoms of the world. 18 The money she earns by commerce will be dedicated to the Lord. She will not store it away, but those who worship the Lord will use her money to buy the food and the clothing they need.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 23:10 Verse 10 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Isaiah 23:13 Verse 13 in Hebrew is unclear.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.