Isaiah 23

¹The prophecy concerning Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste; No house, no entrance is left! From the land of the Chittaeans were the tidings brought to them.

²Be amazed, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast, Which the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, did crowd!

³Upon the wide waters, the corn of the Nile, The harvest of the river, was her revenue; She was the mart of the nations.

⁴Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, The fortress of the sea hath spoken thus: "I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; I have not nourished youths, nor brought up virgins."

⁵When the tidings shall reach Egypt, They shall be filled with anguish at the tidings concerning Tyre.

⁶Pass ye over to Tarshish; Howl, ye inhabitants of the sea-coast!

⁷Is this your joyous city, Whose antiquity is of ancient days? Now her own feet bear her To sojourn far away.

⁸Who hath purposed this against Tyre, The dispenser of crowns, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders the nobles of the earth?

⁹Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, To bring down the pride of all glory, To humble the nobles of the earth.

¹⁰Go over thy land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! Now thy bonds are broken.

¹¹He hath stretched out his hand over the sea, He hath made the kingdoms tremble; Jehovah hath given commandment concerning Canaan To destroy her strong holds.

¹²He hath said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, Thou ravished virgin, daughter of Sidon! Arise, pass over to the Chittaeans; Yet even there shalt thou have no rest.

¹³Behold the land of the Chaldaeans, Who, not long ago, were not a people,—The Assyrian assigned it to the inhabitants of the wilderness,—They raise their watch-towers; They destroy her palaces; They make her a heap of ruins.

¹⁴Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For your stronghold is destroyed.

¹⁵And it shall come to pass in that day, That Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, According to the days of one king; But at the end of seventy years It shall be with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:

¹⁶"Take thy lyre, go about the city, O harlot, long forgotten; Make sweet melody; sing many songs, That thou mayst again be remembered!"

¹⁷At the end of seventy years shall Jehovah show regard to Tyre, And she shall return to her hire, And play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the world, That are upon the face of the earth.

¹⁸But her gain and her hire shall be holy to Jehovah; It shall not be treasured, nor laid up in store; But it shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, For abundant food, and for splendid clothing.

Isaiah 23

¹The 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.

²Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

³And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

⁴Be 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.

⁵As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

⁶Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

⁷Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

⁸Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?

⁹The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

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

¹¹He 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.

¹²And 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.

¹³Behold 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.

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

¹⁵And 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.

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

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸And 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.