23 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

10 Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

11 He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.

12 And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

Mensagem contra Tiro e Sidom

23 Esta é a mensagem contra Tiro:

Chorem, marinheiros que estão em alto mar,
pois a cidade de Tiro está arrasada!
Não há nenhuma casa de pé, e o porto foi destruído.
Vocês receberam essa notícia na ilha de Chipre.
Soltem gemidos de tristeza, vocês, moradores do litoral,
negociantes de Sidom!
Os seus viajantes atravessavam o mar,
navegavam nos oceanos imensos.
Do rio Nilo, no Egito, vinham os cereais
que vocês vendiam a todas as nações,
tirando disso grandes lucros.
Fique envergonhada, cidade de Sidom,
e você também, Tiro, fortaleza da beira do mar!
Pois o mar disse:
“Nunca tive dores de parto, nem dei à luz;
nunca criei filhos ou filhas.”
E o povo do Egito ficará aflito
quando souber o que aconteceu com Tiro.

Moradores da Fenícia, chorem de dor!
Fujam para a Espanha!
Será esta a alegre cidade de Tiro,
que foi fundada há séculos?
Será esta a cidade que enviou os seus filhos
para fundarem colônias em regiões distantes?
Tiro era uma cidade importante;
os seus negociantes eram como príncipes,
os seus comerciantes eram respeitados no mundo inteiro.
Quem foi que planejou tudo isso contra Tiro?
Foi o Senhor Todo-Poderoso que fez esses planos
a fim de humilhar os orgulhosos
e rebaixar os mais poderosos do mundo.

10 Moradores das colônias que ficam na Espanha,
cultivem as suas terras
como se faz nas margens do rio Nilo.
Pois o porto de vocês já não existe mais.
11 O Senhor levantou a mão para castigar o mar;
ele derrubou reinos
e deu ordem para que as fortalezas da Fenícia fossem destruídas.
12 Ele disse a Sidom:
“Pobre cidade, tão perseguida,
pare de se divertir!
Mesmo que os seus moradores fujam para Chipre,
não ficarão seguros.”

13 Vejam esta cidade, que agora está arrasada! Foram os babilônios, e não os assírios, que construíram rampas de ataque em volta dela, destruíram as suas fortalezas e deixaram tudo em ruínas. 14 Chorem, marinheiros que estão em alto mar! A cidade de Tiro foi destruída, e agora vocês não têm um porto seguro. 15 Está chegando o tempo em que Tiro ficará esquecida por setenta anos, que é o tempo de vida de um rei. Mas, depois desses setenta anos, Tiro será como a prostituta daquela canção que diz assim:

16 “Ó prostituta, esquecida por todos,
pegue a harpa e dê voltas pela cidade.
Toque música bonita
e cante as suas canções,
para que todos lembrem de novo de você.”

17 Depois desses setenta anos, o Senhor lembrará outra vez da cidade de Tiro, e ela voltará a ser prostituta, vendendo-se a todas as nações do mundo. 18 Mas o dinheiro que ela ganhar com a sua profissão será dedicado a Deus, o Senhor. Ela não poderá ficar com esse dinheiro; aqueles que adoram o Senhor o usarão para comprar muita comida e roupas finas.

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