The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Isaiah 23
1 The burden of Tyre.
Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is
laid waste, so that there is no house, no
entering in. From the land of Kittim it is
revealed to them.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coast,
you whom the merchants of Sidon that
pass over the sea have replenished.
3 On great waters, the seed of the Shihor,
the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue.
She was the market of nations.
4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has
spoken,the stronghold ofthe sea, saying, “I
have nottravailed, nor given birth, neither
have I nourished young men, nor brought
up virgins.”
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they
will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
6 Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity
is of ancient days, whose feet carried her
far away to travel?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre,
the giver of crowns, whose merchants are
princes, whose traders are the honorable
of the earth?
9 Yahweh of Armies has planned it, to
stain the pride of all glory, to bring into
contempt all the honorable of the earth.
10 Pass through your land like the Nile,
daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint
any more.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the
sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. Yahweh
has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s
strongholds.
12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more,
you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon.
Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you
will have no rest.”
13 Behold,the landoftheChaldeans. This
people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded
it for those who dwell in the wilderness.
They set up their towers. They overthrew
its palaces. They made it a ruin.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your
stronghold is laid waste!
15 It will come to pass in that day that
Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the
end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like
in the song of the prostitute.
16 Take a harp; go about the city, you
prostitute that has been forgotten. Make
sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you
may be remembered.
17 It will happen after the end of seventy
years that Yahweh will visit Tyre. She will
return to her wages, and will play the prostitute withallthe kingdoms ofthe world on
the surface of the earth.
18 Her merchandise and her wages will
be holiness to Yahweh. It will not be treasurednor laidup;forhermerchandise will
be for those who dwell before Yahweh, to
eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.