Isaiah 23

¹The birthun of Tire. Ye schippis of the see, yelle, for the hous is distried, fro whennus coumfort was wont to come; fro the lond of Cethym, and was schewid to hem.

²Be ye stille, that dwellen in the ile, the marchaundie of Sidon; men passynge the see filliden thee in many watris;

³the seed of Nylus is heruest, the flood is the corn therof, and it is maad the marchaundie of hethene men.

⁴Thou, Sidon, be aschamed, seide the see, the strengthe of the see, and seide, Y trauelide not of child, and Y childide not, and Y nurschide not yonge men, and Y brouyte not fulli virgyns to encreessyng.

⁵Whanne it schal be herd in Egipt, thei schulen make sorewe, whanne thei heren of Tire.

⁶Passe ye the sees; yelle ye, that dwellen in the ile.

⁷Whether this citee is not youre, that hadde glorie fro elde daies in his eldnesse? the feet therof schulen lede it fer, to go in pilgrymage.

⁸Who thouyte this thing on Tire sum tyme crownede, whos marchauntis weren princes, the selleris of marchaundie therof weren noble men of erthe?

⁹The Lord of oostis thouyte this thing, that he schulde drawe doun the pride of al glorie, and that he schulde bringe to schenschipe alle the noble men of erthe.

¹⁰Thou douyter of the see, passe thi lond as a flood; a girdil is no more to thee.

¹¹It stretchide forth his hond aboue the see, and disturblide rewmes. The Lord sente ayenes Canaan, for to al to-breke the stronge men therof;

¹²and he seide, Thou maide, the douyter of Sidon, that suffrist caleng, schalt no more adde, that thou haue glorie. Rise thou, and passe ouer the see in to Sechym; there also no reste schal be to thee.

¹³Lo! the lond of Caldeis, sich a puple was not; Assur foundide that Tyre; thei ledden ouer in to caitifte the strong men therof; thei myneden the housis therof, thei settiden it in to fallyng.

¹⁴Yelle, ye schippis of the see, for youre strengthe is distried.

¹⁵And it schal be, in that dai, thou Tire, schalt be in foryetyng bi seuenti yeer, as the daies of o king; but aftir seuenti yeer, as the song of an hoore schal be to Tyre.

¹⁶Thou hoore, youun to foryetyng, take an harpe, cumpasse the citee; synge thou wel, vse thou ofte a song, that mynde be of thee.

¹⁷And it schal be, aftir seuenti yeer, the Lord schal visite Tire, and schal brynge it ayen to hise hiris; and eft it schal be, whanne it schal do fornycacioun with alle rewmes of erthe, on the face of erthe.

¹⁸And the marchaundies therof and the meedis therof schulen be halewid to the Lord; tho schulen not be hid, nethir schulen be leid vp; for whi the marchaundie therof schal be to hem that dwellen bifore the Lord, that thei ete to fulnesse, and be clothid `til to eldnesse.

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.