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An Oracle concerning Tyre

23 The oracle concerning Tyre.

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.[a]
When they came in from Cyprus
    they learned of it.(A)
Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,
    O merchants of Sidon;
your messengers crossed over the sea[b](B)
    and were on the mighty waters;
your revenue[c] was the grain of Shihor,
    the harvest of the Nile;
    you were the merchant of the nations.(C)
Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
    the fortress of the sea, saying:
“I have neither labored nor given birth;
    I have neither reared young men
    nor brought up young women.”(D)
When the report comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
Cross over to Tarshish—
    wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
Is this your exultant city
    whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
    to settle far away?(E)
Who has planned this
    against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
    whose traders were the honored of the earth?
The Lord of hosts has planned it—
    to defile the pride of all glory,
    to shame all the honored of the earth.(F)
10 Cross over to your own land,
    O ships of[d] Tarshish;
    this is a harbor[e] no more.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea;
    he has shaken the kingdoms;
the Lord has given command concerning Canaan,
    to destroy its fortresses.(G)
12 He said:
“You will exult no longer,
    O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;
rise, cross over to Cyprus—
    even there you will have no rest.”(H)

13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined it for wild animals.[f] They erected their siege towers; they tore down her palaces; they made her a ruin.(I)

14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for your fortress is destroyed.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.1 Cn: Heb for it is destroyed, without houses
  2. 23.2 Q ms: MT crossing over the sea, they replenished you
  3. 23.3 Heb its
  4. 23.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the Nile, daughter
  5. 23.10 Cn: Heb restraint
  6. 23.13 Or This is the people that was not. Assyria founded it for its fleet.

An Oracle concerning Tyre

23 The oracle concerning Tyre.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
    for Tyre is laid waste, without house or haven!
From the land of Cyprus
    it is revealed to them.
Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,
    O merchants of Sidon;
your messengers passed over the sea[a]
    and were on many waters;
your revenue was the grain of Shihor,
    the harvest of the Nile;
    you were the merchant of the nations.
Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
    the stronghold of the sea, saying:
“I have neither travailed nor given birth,
    I have neither reared young men
    nor brought up virgins.”
When the report comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
Pass over to Tarshish,
    wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
Is this your exultant city
    whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
    to settle afar?
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,
    to defile the pride of all glory,
    to dishonor all the honored of the earth.
10 Overflow your land like the Nile,
    O daughter of Tarshish;
    there is no restraint any more.
11 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 Sidon;
arise, pass over to Cyprus,
    even there you will have no rest.”

13 Behold the land of the Chalde′ans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined Tyre for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they razed her palaces, they made her a ruin.[b]

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

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 23:2 One ancient Ms: Heb who passed over the sea, they replenished you
  2. Isaiah 23:13 The Hebrew of this verse is obscure