Isaiah 23
23
1A message about Tyre. Howl, people on the ships of Tarshish! Tyre has been destroyed—nothing is left of the houses and the harbor. They heard the news from the people of Cyprus. 2Stay shocked into silence, people of the coastlands, merchants of Sidon, and sailors. 3Egyptian grain#23:3. “Egyptian grain”: literally, “the grain of Shihor.” came across the wide oceans. The Nile's harvest was what made Tyre money; she was the merchant to the nations.
4Feel the shame, Sidon! For the fortress of the sea says,#23:4. Tyre was called the daughter of Sidon (Isaiah 23:12), so the words that follow could be Sidon mourning the loss of her “daughter.” Alternatively it could be Tyre, mourning the loss of her children (inhabitants). “I have no children, having never been in labor or given birth. I have not brought up young men or brought up young women.”
5When the news about Tyre reaches Egypt they will be in agony.
6Sail across to Tarshish! Howl, people of the coastlands! 7Is this really your triumphant city, whose beginnings are from the distant past, who has sent out people to colonize faraway places? 8Who planned this attack on Tyre? Tyre, who created kingdoms, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were honored around the world! 9The Lord Almighty planned it, to humble its pride in all its glory, and to bring down all who receive worldly honor.
10Work your land, people of Tarshish, as they do beside the Nile, for you don't have a harbor anymore.#23:10. The Hebrew of this verse is unclear. It apparently suggests that the people of Tarshish should turn to agriculture now that there won't be any more trade from the mother city of Tyre. 11The Lord held his hand out over the sea and shook kingdoms.#23:11. “Kingdoms”: presumably the other Phoenician kingdoms along the coast from Tyre. He has condemned Phoenicia, giving the order to destroy their fortresses. 12He said, “Don't celebrate any more, mistreated virgin daughter of Sidon. Go and sail over to Cyprus—however, even there you won't find rest.”
13Look at the country of the Babylonians, this people that are not as they used to be! The Assyrians have turned it into a place for desert animals. They set up their siege towers, they demolished the fortresses, and ruined the country.
14Howl, people on the ships of Tarshish because your fortress is destroyed!
15At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, a king's lifetime, as it were. But at the end of these seventy years, Tyre will be like the song about a prostitute, 16“Take a lyre and walk around the city, forgotten prostitute! Play and sing so people will remember you!” 17After seventy years, the Lord will restore Tyre. But then she will go back to hiring herself out as a prostitute, selling herself to all the kingdoms of the world. 18However, her profits and what she earns will be consecrated to the Lord. They won't be kept or saved up, for her business earnings will go to those who worship the Lord, to provide them with plenty of food and good clothes.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 23
23
God’s Message to Lebanon
1This is a message about Tyre:
You trading ships, cry!
The houses and harbor of Tyre are destroyed.
This news came to the ships
from the land of Cyprus.
2Be silent, you who live on the island of Tyre;
you merchants of Sidon, be silent.
Sailors have made you rich.
3They traveled the sea to bring grain from Egypt;
the sailors of Tyre brought grain from the Nile Valley
and sold it to other nations.
4Sidon, be ashamed.
Strong city of the sea, be ashamed, because the sea says:
“I have not felt the pain of giving birth;
I have not reared young men or women.”
5Egypt will hear the news about Tyre,
and it will make Egypt hurt with sorrow.
6You ships should return to Tarshish.
You people living near the sea should be sad.
7Look at your once happy city!
Look at your old, old city!
People from that city have traveled
far away to live.
8Who planned Tyre’s destruction?
Tyre made others rich.
Its merchants were treated like princes,
and its traders were greatly respected.
9It was the Lord All-Powerful who planned this.
He decided to make these proud people unimportant;
he decided to disgrace those who were greatly respected.
10Go through your land, people of Tarshish,
like the Nile goes through Egypt.
There is no harbor for you now!
11The Lord has stretched his hand over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He commands that Canaan’s
strong, walled cities be destroyed.
12He said, “Sidon, you will not rejoice any longer,
because you are destroyed.
Even if you cross the sea to Cyprus,
you will not find a place to rest.”
13Look at the land of the Babylonians;
it is not a country now.
Assyria has made it a place for wild animals.
Assyria built towers to attack it;
the soldiers took all the treasures from its cities,
and they turned it into ruins.
14So be sad, you trading ships,
because your strong city is destroyed.
15At that time people will forget about Tyre for seventy years, which is the length of a king’s life. After seventy years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:
16“Oh woman, you are forgotten.
Take your harp and walk through the city.
Play your harp well. Sing your song often.
Then people will remember you.”
17After seventy years the Lord will deal with Tyre, and it will again have trade. It will be like a prostitute for all the nations of the earth. 18The profits will be saved for the Lord. Tyre will not keep the money she earns but will give them to the people who serve the Lord, so they will have plenty of food and nice clothes.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.