Isaiah 19

Egypt Will Be Punished

1 This is the divine revelation about Egypt.The Lord is riding on a fast-moving cloud and is coming to Egypt.Egypt’s idols will tremble in his presence.Egypt’s courage will fail.2 “I will turn one Egyptian against another.They will fight—brother against brother,neighbor against neighbor,city against city,kingdom against kingdom.3 The Egyptians will lose courage.I will unravel their plans.They will turn to idols, ghosts,mediums, and fortunetellers.4 I will hand over the Egyptians to a harsh master.A strong king will rule them,”declares the Almighty Lord of Armies.5 The water in the Nile River will be dried up,tand the river will be dry and empty.6 The canals will stink.Egypt’s streams will be emptied and dried up.The reeds and cattails will wither.7 The rushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile,and all the fields planted beside the Nilewill dry up, be blown away, and disappear.8 Fishermen will cry.All who cast their lines into the Nile will mourn.Those who spread their nets on the water will sigh.9 Linenworkers and weavers will be ashamed.10 Egypt’s weavers will be crushed.Those who work for money will be distressed.11 The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools.The wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors gives stupid advice.How can you tell Pharaoh,“I’m a descendant of wise men,a descendant of ancient kings”?12 Where are your wise men now?Let them tell you.Let them explain what the Lord of Armiesis planning against Egypt.13 The leaders of Zoan are acting foolishly.The leaders of Memphis are led astray.The leaders who are the cornerstones of its tribes mislead the Egyptians.14 The LORD mixes up their minds.So they lead the Egyptians astraylike a drunk who staggers in his vomit.15 No one—leaders or followers, important or unimportant—can do anything for Egypt.16 At that time Egyptians will act like women. They will tremble and be terrified because the Lord of Armies will shake his fist at them.

17 The land of Judah will terrify the Egyptians. Whenever they are reminded of Judah, they will be terrified of it because of what the Lord of Armies is planning against it.
18 When that day comes, five cities in Egypt will have people that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Armies. One of the cities will be called Heliopolis.t19 When that day comes, an altar for the Lord will be in the middle of Egypt, and a stone marker for the Lord will be near its border.20 These objects will be a sign and a witness that the Lord of Armies is in Egypt. When the people cry to the Lord because of those who oppress them, he will send a savior and defender to rescue them.21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians. The Egyptians will know the Lord when that day comes. They will worship with sacrifices and food offerings. They will make vows to the Lord and carry them out.

22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague. When he strikes them, he will also heal them. Then they will come back to the Lord. And he will respond to their prayers and heal them.
23 When that day comes, a highway will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.24 When that day comes, Israel will be one-third of God’s people, along with Egypt and Assyria. They will be a blessing on the earth.

25 The Lord of Armies will bless them, saying, “My people Egypt, the work of my hands Assyria, and my possession Israel are blessed.”

Isaiah 19

The Lord Will Judge Egypt

1 Here is a message 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.t

2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt,t
brothers will fight with each other,
as will neighbors,
cities, and kingdoms.t

3 The Egyptians will panic,t
and I will confuse their strategy.t
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.t

4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master;
a powerful king will rule over them,”
says the sovereign master,t the Lord who commands armies.

5 The water of the sea will be dried up,
and the river will dry up and be empty.t

6 The canalst will stink;t
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.t
All the cultivated land near the river
will turn to dust and be blown away.t

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.t

9 Those who make clothes from combed flax will be embarrassed;
those who weave will turn pale.t

10 Those who make clotht will be demoralized;t
all the hired workers will be depressed.t

11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools;t
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?”t

12 But where, oh where, are your wise men?t
Let them tell you, let them find out
what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
the officials of Memphist are misled;
the rulerst of her tribes lead Egypt astray.

14 The Lord has made them undiscerning;t
they lead Egypt astray in all she does,
so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit.t

15 Egypt will not be able to do a thing,
head or tail, shoots and stalk.t
16 At that timet the Egyptianst will be like women.s They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them.t

17 The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them.t
18 At that time five citiess in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun.s19 At that time there will be an altar for the Lord in the middle of the land of Egypt, as well as a sacred pillart dedicated to the Lord at its border.20 Itt will become a visual reminder in the land of Egypt oft the Lord who commands armies. When they cry out to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a deliverer and defendert who will rescue them.21 The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and theyt will acknowledge the Lord’s authorityt at that time.t 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 prayerst 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.t24 At that time Israel will be the third member of the group, along with Egypt and Assyria, and will be a recipient of blessingt in the earth.t

25 The Lord who commands armies will pronounce a blessing over the earth, saying,t “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession,t Israel!”