Isaiah 19

Chapter 19

A Message about Egypt

1 This message came to me concerning Egypt:
Look! The LORD is advancing against Egypt,
riding on a swift cloud.
The idols of Egypt tremble.
The hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.2 “I will make Egyptian fight against Egyptian—
brother against brother,
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
province against province.3 The Egyptians will lose heart,
and I will confuse their plans.
They will plead with their idols for wisdom
and call on spirits, mediums, and those who consult the spirits of the dead.4 I will hand Egypt over
to a hard, cruel master.
A fierce king will rule them,”
says the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.5 The waters of the Nile will fail to rise and flood the fields.
The riverbed will be parched and dry.6 The canals of the Nile will dry up,
and the streams of Egypt will stink
with rotting reeds and rushes.7 All the greenery along the riverbank
and all the crops along the river
will dry up and blow away.8 The fishermen will lament for lack of work.
Those who cast hooks into the Nile will groan,
and those who use nets will lose heart.9 There will be no flax for the harvesters,
no thread for the weavers.10 They will be in despair,
and all the workers will be sick at heart.11 What fools are the officials of Zoan!
Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong.
Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom?
Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?12 Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh?
Let them tell you what God plans,
what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt.13 The officials of Zoan are fools,
and the officials of Memphist are deluded.
The leaders of the people
have led Egypt astray.14 The LORD has sent a spirit of foolishness on them,
so all their suggestions are wrong.
They cause Egypt to stagger
like a drunk in his vomit.15 There is nothing Egypt can do.
All are helpless—
the head and the tail,
the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.16 In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

17 Just to speak the name of Israel will terrorize them, for the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has laid out his plans against them.

18 In that day five of Egypt’s cities will follow the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun.t
19 In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border.20 It will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies is worshiped in the land of Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD for help against those who oppress them, he will send them a savior who will rescue them.21 The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make a vow to the LORD and will keep it.

22 The LORD will strike Egypt, and then he will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them.
23 In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God.24 And Israel will be their ally. The three will be together, and Israel will be a blessing to them.

25 For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”

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!”