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Isaiah 17-19
New English Translation

The Lord Will Judge Damascus

17 This is an oracle[a] about Damascus:
“Look, Damascus is no longer a city,
it is a heap of ruins!
2 The cities of Aroer are abandoned.[b]
They will be used for herds,
which will lie down there in peace.[c]
3 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim,
and Damascus will lose its kingdom.[d]
The survivors in Syria
will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
4 “At that time[e]
Jacob’s splendor will be greatly diminished,[f]
and he will become skin and bones.[g]
5 It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,
and his hand gleans the ear of grain.
It will be like one gathering the ears of grain
in the Valley of Rephaim.
6 There will be some left behind,
as when an olive tree is beaten—
two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,”
says the Lord God of Israel.
7 At that time[h] men will trust in their Creator;[i]
they will depend on[j] the Holy One of Israel.[k]
8 They will no longer trust in[l] the altars their hands made,
or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made.[m]
9 At that time[n] their fortified cities will be
like the abandoned summits of the Amorites,[o]
which they abandoned because of the Israelites;
there will be desolation.
10 For you ignore[p] the God who rescues you;
you pay no attention to your strong protector.[q]
So this is what happens:
You cultivate beautiful plants
and plant exotic vines.[r]
11 The day you begin cultivating, you do what you can to make it grow;[s]
the morning you begin planting, you do what you can to make it sprout.
Yet the harvest will disappear[t] in the day of disease
and incurable pain.
12 Beware, you many nations massing together,[u]
those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea’s waves.[v]
Beware, you people making such an uproar,[w]
those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves.[x]
13 Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves,[y]
when he shouts at[z] them, they will flee to a distant land,
driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,
or like dead thistles[aa] before a strong gale.
14 In the evening there is sudden terror;[ab]
by morning they vanish.[ac]
This is the fate of those who try to plunder us,
the destiny of those who try to loot us![ad]

The Lord Will Judge a Distant Land in the South

18 Beware, land of buzzing wings,[ae]
the one beyond the rivers of Cush,
2 that sends messengers by sea,
who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.
Go, you swift messengers,
to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people,[af]
to a people that are feared far and wide,[ag]
to a nation strong and victorious,[ah]
whose land rivers divide.[ai]
3 All you who live in the world,
who reside on the earth,
you will see a signal flag raised on the mountains;
you will hear a trumpet being blown.
4 For this is what the Lord has told me:
“I will wait[aj] and watch from my place,
like scorching heat produced by the sunlight,[ak]
like a cloud of mist[al] in the heat[am] of harvest.”[an]
5 For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted,
and the ripening fruit appears,[ao]
he will cut off the unproductive shoots[ap] with pruning knives;
he will prune the tendrils.[aq]
6 They will all be left[ar] for the birds of the hills
and the wild animals;[as]
the birds will eat them during the summer,
and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.
7 At that time
tribute will be brought to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned,
a people that are feared far and wide,
a nation strong and victorious,
whose land rivers divide.[at]
The tribute[au] will be brought to the place where the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion.[av]

The Lord Will Judge Egypt

19 This is an oracle[aw] about Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud
and approaches Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him;
the Egyptians lose their courage.[ax]
2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt:[ay]
brothers will fight with one another,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms.[az]
3 The Egyptians will panic,[ba]
and I will confuse their strategy.[bb]
They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,
from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians.[bc]
4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty.[bd]
6 The canals[be] will stink;[bf]
the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up;
the bulrushes and reeds will decay,
7 along with the plants by the mouth of the river.[bg]
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away.[bh]
8 The fishermen will mourn and lament;
all those who cast a fishhook into the river,
and those who spread out a net on the water’s surface will grieve.[bi]
9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale.[bj]
10 Those who make cloth[bk] will be demoralized;[bl]
all the hired workers will be depressed.[bm]
11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools;[bn]
Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.
How dare you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the sages,
one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?”[bo]
12 But where, oh where, are your wise men?[bp]
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has planned for Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphis[bq] are misled;
the rulers[br] of her tribes lead Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has made them undiscerning;[bs]
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit.[bt]
15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots or stalk.[bu]

16 At that time[bv] the Egyptians[bw] will be like women.[bx] They will tremble and fear because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies brandishes his fist against them.[by] 17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is planning to do to them.[bz]

18 At that time five cities[ca] in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. One will be called the City of the Sun.[cb] 19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillar[cc] dedicated to the Lord at its border. 20 It[cd] will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt of[ce] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defender[cf] who will rescue them. 21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they[cg] will acknowledge the Lord’s authority[ch] at that time.[ci] They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their prayers[cj] and heal them.

23 At that time there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will visit Egypt, and the Egyptians will visit Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.[ck] 24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessing[cl] in the earth.[cm] 25 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying,[cn] “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession,[co] Israel!”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:1 tn See note at Isa 13:1.
  2. Isaiah 17:2 tn Three cities are known by this name in the OT: (1) an Aroer located near the Arnon, (2) an Aroer in Ammon, and (3) an Aroer of Judah. (See BDB 792-93 s.v. עֲרֹעֵר, and HALOT 883 s.v. II עֲרוֹעֵר.) There is no mention of an Aroer in Syrian territory. For this reason some want to emend the text here to עֲזֻבוֹת עָרַיהָ עֲדֵי עַד (ʿazuvot ʿarayha ʿade ʿad, “her cities are permanently abandoned”). However, Aroer near the Arnon was taken by Israel and later conquered by the Syrians. (See Josh 12:2; 13:9, 16; Judg 11:26; 2 Kgs 10:33). This oracle pertains to Israel as well as Syria (note v. 3), so it is possible that this is a reference to Israelite and/or Syrian losses in Transjordan.
  3. Isaiah 17:2 tn Heb “and they lie down, and there is no one scaring [them].”
  4. Isaiah 17:3 tn Heb “and kingship from Damascus”; cf. NASB “And sovereignty from Damascus.”
  5. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
  6. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “will be tiny.”
  7. Isaiah 17:4 tn Heb “and the fatness of his flesh will be made lean.”
  8. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “in that day” (so ASV, NASB, NIV); KJV “At that day.”
  9. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “man will gaze toward his maker.”
  10. Isaiah 17:7 tn Heb “his eyes will look toward.”
  11. Isaiah 17:7 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
  12. Isaiah 17:8 tn Heb “he will not gaze toward.”
  13. Isaiah 17:8 tn Heb “and that which his fingers made he will not see, the Asherah poles and the incense altars.”
  14. Isaiah 17:9 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).
  15. Isaiah 17:9 tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “like the abandonment of the wooded height and the top one.” The following relative clause appears to allude back to the Israelite conquest of the land, so it seems preferable to emend הַחֹרֶשׁ וְהָאָמִיר (hakhoresh vehaʾamir, “the wooded height and the top one”) to חֹרֵשֵׁי הָאֱמֹרִי (khoreshe haʾemori, “[like the abandonment] of the wooded heights of the Amorites”).
  16. Isaiah 17:10 tn Heb “you have forgotten” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  17. Isaiah 17:10 tn Heb “and the rocky cliff of your strength you do not remember.”
  18. Isaiah 17:10 tn Heb “a vine, a strange one.” The substantival adjective זָר (zar) functions here as an appositional genitive. It could refer to a cultic plant of some type, associated with a pagan rite. But it is more likely that it refers to an exotic, or imported, type of vine, one that is foreign (i.e., “strange”) to Israel.
  19. Isaiah 17:11 tn Heb “in the day of your planting you [?].” The precise meaning of the verb תְּשַׂגְשֵׂגִי (tesagsegi) is unclear. It is sometimes derived from שׂוּג/סוּג (sug, “to fence in”; see BDB 691 s.v. II סוּג). In this case one could translate “you build a protective fence.” However, the parallelism is tighter if one derives the form from שָׂגָא/שָׂגָה (sagaʾ/sagah, “to grow”); see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:351, n. 4. For this verb, see BDB 960 s.v. שָׂגָא.
  20. Isaiah 17:11 tc The Hebrew text has, “a heap of harvest.” However, better sense is achieved if נֵד (ned, “heap”) is emended to a verb. Options include נַד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד [nadad, “flee, depart”]), נָדַד (Qal perfect third masculine singular from נָדַד), נֹדֵד (noded, Qal active participle from נָדַד), and נָד (nad, Qal perfect third masculine singular, or participle masculine singular, from נוּד [nud, “wander, flutter”]). See BDB 626 s.v. נוּד and HALOT 672 s.v. I נדד. One could translate literally: “[the harvest] departs,” or “[the harvest] flies away.”
  21. Isaiah 17:12 tn Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.”
  22. Isaiah 17:12 tn Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
  23. Isaiah 17:12 tn Heb “the uproar of the peoples.”
  24. Isaiah 17:12 tn Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
  25. Isaiah 17:13 tn Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
  26. Isaiah 17:13 tn Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry, which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.
  27. Isaiah 17:13 tn Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (NAB, NIV, CEV); KJV “like a rolling thing.”
  28. Isaiah 17:14 tn Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
  29. Isaiah 17:14 tn Heb “before morning he is not.”
  30. Isaiah 17:14 tn Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”
  31. Isaiah 18:1 sn The significance of the qualifying phrase “buzzing wings” is uncertain. Some suggest that the designation points to Cush as a land with many insects. Another possibility is that it refers to the swiftness with which this land’s messengers travel (v. 2a); they move over the sea as swiftly as an insect flies through the air. For a discussion of the options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:359-60.
  32. Isaiah 18:2 tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (memushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
  33. Isaiah 18:2 tn Heb “from it and onwards.” HALOT 245 s.v. הָלְאָה suggests the translation “far and wide.”
  34. Isaiah 18:2 tn Once more the precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. The expression קַו קָו (qav qav) is sometimes related to a proposed Arabic cognate and taken to mean “strength” (see BDB 876 II קַו). Others, on the basis of Isa 28:10, 13, understand the form as gibberish (literally, “kav, kav”) and take it to be a reference to this nation’s strange, unknown language. The form מְבוּסָה (mevusah) appears to be derived from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”), so lexicographers suggest the meaning “trampling” or “subjugation,” i.e., a nation that subdues others. See BDB 101 s.v. בּוּס and HALOT 541 s.v. מְבוּסָה. These proposals, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.
  35. Isaiah 18:2 tn The precise meaning of the verb בָּזָא (bazaʾ), which occurs only in this oracle (see also v. 7) in the OT, is uncertain. BDB 102 s.v. suggests “divide” on the basis of alleged Aramaic and Arabic cognates; HALOT 117 s.v., citing an alleged Arabic cognate, suggests “wash away.”
  36. Isaiah 18:4 tn Or “be quiet, inactive”; NIV “will remain quiet.”
  37. Isaiah 18:4 tn Heb “like the glowing heat because of light.” The precise meaning of the line is uncertain.
  38. Isaiah 18:4 tn Heb “a cloud of dew,” or “a cloud of light rain.”
  39. Isaiah 18:4 tc Some medieval Hebrew mss, with support from the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, read “the day.”
  40. Isaiah 18:4 sn It is unclear how the comparisons in v. 4b relate to the preceding statement. How is waiting and watching similar to heat or a cloud? For a discussion of interpretive options, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:362.
  41. Isaiah 18:5 tn Heb “and the unripe, ripening fruit is maturing.”
  42. Isaiah 18:5 tn On the meaning of זַלְזַל (zalzal, “shoot [of the vine] without fruit buds”) see HALOT 272 s.v. *זַלְזַל.
  43. Isaiah 18:5 tn Heb “the tendrils he will remove, he will cut off.”
  44. Isaiah 18:6 tn Heb “they will be left together” (so NASB).
  45. Isaiah 18:6 tn Heb “the beasts of the earth” (so KJV, NASB).
  46. Isaiah 18:7 tn On the interpretive difficulties of this verse, see the notes at v. 2, where the same terminology is used.
  47. Isaiah 18:7 tn The words “the tribute” are repeated here in the translation for clarity.
  48. Isaiah 18:7 tn Heb “to the place of the name of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts], Mount Zion.”
  49. Isaiah 19:1 tn See note at Isa 13:1.
  50. Isaiah 19:1 tn Heb “and the heart of Egypt melts within it.”
  51. Isaiah 19:2 tn Heb I will provoke Egypt against Egypt” (NAB similar).
  52. Isaiah 19:2 tn Heb “and they will fight, a man against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Civil strife will extend all the way from the domestic level to the provincial arena.
  53. Isaiah 19:3 tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”
  54. Isaiah 19:3 tn The verb בָּלַע (balaʿ, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (balaʿ, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.
  55. Isaiah 19:3 tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (ʾov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.
  56. Isaiah 19:5 tn Heb “will dry up and be dry.” Two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
  57. Isaiah 19:6 tn Heb “rivers” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, CEV “streams”; TEV “channels.”
  58. Isaiah 19:6 tn The verb form appears as a Hiphil in the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa; the form in MT may be a so-called “mixed form,” reflecting the Hebrew Hiphil stem and the functionally corresponding Aramaic Aphel stem. See HALOT 276 s.v. I זנח.
  59. Isaiah 19:7 tn Heb “the plants by the river, by the mouth of the river.”
  60. Isaiah 19:7 tn Heb “will dry up, [being] scattered, and it will vanish.”
  61. Isaiah 19:8 tn Or perhaps, “will disappear”; cf. TEV “will be useless.”
  62. Isaiah 19:9 tn BDB 301 s.v. חוֹרִי suggests the meaning “white stuff” for חוֹרִי (khori); the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has חָוֵרוּ (khaveru), probably a Qal perfect, third plural form of חוּר, (khur, “be white, pale”). See HALOT 299 s.v. I חור. The latter reading is assumed in the translation above.
  63. Isaiah 19:10 tn Some interpret שָׁתֹתֶיהָ (shatoteha) as “her foundations,” i.e., leaders, nobles. See BDB 1011 s.v. שָׁת. Others, on the basis of alleged cognates in Akkadian and Coptic, repoint the form שְׁתִיתֶיהָ (shetiteha) and translate “her weavers.” See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:370.
  64. Isaiah 19:10 tn Heb “crushed.” Emotional distress is the focus of the context (see vv. 8-9, 10b).
  65. Isaiah 19:10 tn Heb “sad of soul”; cf. NIV, NLT “sick at heart.”
  66. Isaiah 19:11 tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”
  67. Isaiah 19:11 tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.
  68. Isaiah 19:12 tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.
  69. Isaiah 19:13 tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”
  70. Isaiah 19:13 tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.
  71. Isaiah 19:14 tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”
  72. Isaiah 19:14 tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”
  73. Isaiah 19:15 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk, can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots or stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.
  74. Isaiah 19:16 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV); likewise at the beginning of vv. 18 and 19.
  75. Isaiah 19:16 tn Heb “Egypt,” which stands by metonymy for the country’s inhabitants.
  76. Isaiah 19:16 sn As the rest of the verse indicates, the point of the simile is that the Egyptians will be relatively weak physically and will wilt in fear before the Lord’s onslaught.
  77. Isaiah 19:16 tn Heb “and he will tremble and be afraid because of the brandishing of the hand of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, “the Lord of hosts”], which he brandishes against him.” Since according to the imagery here the Lord’s “hand” is raised as a weapon against the Egyptians, the term “fist” has been used in the translation.
  78. Isaiah 19:17 tn Heb “and the land of Judah will become [a source of] shame to Egypt. Everyone to whom one mentions it [i.e., the land of Judah] will fear because of the plan of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, “the Lord of hosts”] which he is planning against him.”
  79. Isaiah 19:18 sn The significance of the number “five” in this context is uncertain. For a discussion of various proposals, see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:376-77.
  80. Isaiah 19:18 tc The Hebrew text has עִיר הַהֶרֶס (ʿir haheres, “City of Destruction”; cf. NASB, NIV) but this does not fit the positive emphasis of vv. 18-22. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and some medieval Hebrew mss read עִיר הָחֶרֶס (ʿir hakheres, “City of the Sun,” i.e., Heliopolis). This reading also finds support from Symmachus’ Greek version, the Targum, and the Vulgate. See HALOT 257 s.v. חֶרֶס and HALOT 355 s.v. II חֶרֶס.
  81. Isaiah 19:19 tn This word is sometimes used of a sacred pillar associated with pagan worship, but here it is associated with the worship of the Lord.
  82. Isaiah 19:20 tn The masculine noun מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeakh, “altar”) in v. 19 is probably the subject of the masculine singular verb הָיָה (hayah) rather than the feminine noun מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “sacred pillar”), also in v. 19.
  83. Isaiah 19:20 tn Heb “a sign and a witness to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, “the Lord of hosts”] in the land of Egypt.”
  84. Isaiah 19:20 tn רָב (rav) is a substantival participle (from רִיב, riv) meaning “one who strives, contends.”
  85. Isaiah 19:21 tn Heb “Egypt.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, the present translation uses the pronoun (“they”) here.
  86. Isaiah 19:21 tn Heb “will know the Lord.”
  87. Isaiah 19:21 tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV); likewise at the beginning of vv. 23 and 24.
  88. Isaiah 19:22 tn Heb “he will be entreated.” The Niphal has a tolerative sense here, “he will allow himself to be entreated.”
  89. Isaiah 19:23 tn The text could be translated, “and Egypt will serve Assyria” (cf. NAB), but subjugation of one nation to the other does not seem to be a theme in vv. 23-25. Rather the nations are viewed as equals before the Lord (v. 25). Therefore it is better to take אֶת (ʾet) in v. 23b as a preposition, “together with,” rather than the accusative sign. The names of the two countries are understood to refer by metonymy to their respective inhabitants.
  90. Isaiah 19:24 tn Heb “will be a blessing” (so NCV).
  91. Isaiah 19:24 tn Or “land” (KJV, NAB).
  92. Isaiah 19:25 tn Heb “which the Lord of Heaven’s Armies [traditionally, “the Lord of hosts”] will bless [it], saying.” The third masculine singular suffix on the form בֵּרֲכוֹ (berakho) should probably be emended to a third feminine singular suffix בֵּרֲכָהּ (berakhah), for its antecedent would appear to be the feminine noun אֶרֶץ (ʾerets, “earth”) at the end of v. 24.
  93. Isaiah 19:25 tn Or “my inheritance” (NAB, NASB, NIV).
Listen to Isaiah 17-19
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Isaiah 17-19
New International Version

A Prophecy Against Damascus

17 A prophecy(A) against Damascus:(B)

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.(C)
2 The cities of Aroer(D) will be deserted
    and left to flocks,(E) which will lie down,(F)
    with no one to make them afraid.(G)
3 The fortified(H) city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory(I) of the Israelites,”(J)
declares the Lord Almighty.

4 “In that day(K) the glory(L) of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste(M) away.
5 It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering(N) the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain(O)
    in the Valley of Rephaim.(P)
6 Yet some gleanings will remain,(Q)
    as when an olive tree is beaten,(R)
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

7 In that day(S) people will look(T) to their Maker(U)
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One(V) of Israel.
8 They will not look to the altars,(W)
    the work of their hands,(X)
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles[a](Y)
    and the incense altars their fingers(Z) have made.

9 In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth.(AA) And all will be desolation.

10 You have forgotten(AB) God your Savior;(AC)
    you have not remembered the Rock,(AD) your fortress.(AE)
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,(AF)
11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning(AG) when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest(AH) will be as nothing(AI)
    in the day of disease and incurable(AJ) pain.(AK)

12 Woe to the many nations that rage(AL)—
    they rage like the raging sea!(AM)
Woe to the peoples who roar(AN)—
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!(AO)
13 Although the peoples roar(AP) like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes(AQ) them they flee(AR) far away,
driven before the wind like chaff(AS) on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.(AT)
14 In the evening, sudden(AU) terror!(AV)
    Before the morning, they are gone!(AW)
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

A Prophecy Against Cush

18 Woe(AX) to the land of whirring wings[b]
    along the rivers of Cush,[c](AY)
2 which sends envoys(AZ) by sea
    in papyrus(BA) boats over the water.

Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,(BB)
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive(BC) nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.(BD)

3 All you people of the world,(BE)
    you who live on the earth,
when a banner(BF) is raised on the mountains,
    you will see it,
and when a trumpet(BG) sounds,
    you will hear it.
4 This is what the Lord says to me:
    “I will remain quiet(BH) and will look on from my dwelling place,(BI)
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,(BJ)
    like a cloud of dew(BK) in the heat of harvest.”
5 For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off(BL) the shoots with pruning knives,
    and cut down and take away the spreading branches.(BM)
6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey(BN)
    and to the wild animals;(BO)
the birds will feed on them all summer,
    the wild animals all winter.

7 At that time gifts(BP) will be brought to the Lord Almighty

from a people tall and smooth-skinned,(BQ)
    from a people feared(BR) far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers(BS)—

the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.(BT)

A Prophecy Against Egypt

19 A prophecy(BU) against Egypt:(BV)

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(BW)
    and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
    and the hearts of the Egyptians melt(BX) with fear.

2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
    brother will fight against brother,(BY)
    neighbor against neighbor,
    city against city,
    kingdom against kingdom.(BZ)
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,(CA)
    and I will bring their plans(CB) to nothing;(CC)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
    the mediums and the spiritists.(CD)
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
    to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king(CE) will rule over them,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

5 The waters of the river will dry up,(CF)
    and the riverbed will be parched and dry.(CG)
6 The canals will stink;(CH)
    the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.(CI)
The reeds(CJ) and rushes will wither,(CK)
7     also the plants(CL) along the Nile,
    at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field(CM) along the Nile
    will become parched, will blow away and be no more.(CN)
8 The fishermen(CO) will groan and lament,
    all who cast hooks(CP) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
    will pine away.
9 Those who work with combed flax(CQ) will despair,
    the weavers of fine linen(CR) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected,
    and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

11 The officials of Zoan(CS) are nothing but fools;
    the wise counselors(CT) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.(CU)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
    “I am one of the wise men,(CV)
    a disciple of the ancient kings”?

12 Where are your wise men(CW) now?
    Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
    has planned(CX) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan(CY) have become fools,
    the leaders of Memphis(CZ) are deceived;
the cornerstones(DA) of her peoples
    have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has poured into them
    a spirit of dizziness;(DB)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
    as a drunkard staggers(DC) around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
    head or tail, palm branch or reed.(DD)

16 In that day(DE) the Egyptians will become weaklings.(DF) They will shudder with fear(DG) at the uplifted hand(DH) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,(DI) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning(DJ) against them.

18 In that day(DK) five cities(DL) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance(DM) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[d](DN)

19 In that day(DO) there will be an altar(DP) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,(DQ) and a monument(DR) to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness(DS) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior(DT) and defender, and he will rescue(DU) them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge(DV) the Lord. They will worship(DW) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.(DX) 22 The Lord will strike(DY) Egypt with a plague;(DZ) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn(EA) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal(EB) them.

23 In that day(EC) there will be a highway(ED) from Egypt to Assyria.(EE) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship(EF) together. 24 In that day(EG) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,(EH) a blessing[e](EI) on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless(EJ) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,(EK) Assyria my handiwork,(EL) and Israel my inheritance.(EM)”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 17:8 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  2. Isaiah 18:1 Or of locusts
  3. Isaiah 18:1 That is, the upper Nile region
  4. Isaiah 19:18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destruction
  5. Isaiah 19:24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blessed
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