Isaiah 19
Isaiah pronounces the burden against Egypt. The LORD rides on a swift cloud into Egypt, and the idols tremble. Egypt will be given over to a fierce king, the Nile will dry up, and the wise counselors of Pharaoh will become fools. In that day Egypt and Assyria will worship the LORD together with Israel, and Egypt will be called the LORD's people.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. | The burden of Egypt. The LORD is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before Him, and the heart of Egypt melts within it. |
| 2 | And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. | I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they shall fight — each against His brother and each against His neighbor — city against city, kingdom against kingdom. |
| 3 | And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. | The spirit of Egypt shall fail within it, and I will confuse their counsel. They shall seek guidance from the idols, from the charmers, and from those who have familiar spirits, and from the wizards. |
| 4 | And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. | I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a harsh master, and a fierce king shall rule over them, declares the Lord, the LORD of hosts. |
| 5 | And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. | The waters of the Nile shall be dried up; the river shall be parched and dry. |
| 6 | And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. | Its canals shall stink; the streams of Egypt shall dry up. The reeds and rushes shall wither. |
| 7 | The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. | The plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the Nile, and everything sown by the Nile shall dry up and blow away and be no more. |
| 8 | The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. | The fishermen shall mourn; all who cast hooks into the Nile shall grieve; those who spread nets on the water shall waste away. |
| 9 | Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. | Those who work with combed flax and those who weave white cloth shall be put to shame. |
| 10 | And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish. | The weavers of Egypt shall be crushed; all who make wages shall be grieved. |
| 11 | Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? | The princes of Zoan are complete fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings"? |
| 12 | Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. | Where then are Your wise men? Let them tell You and make known what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt. |
| 13 | The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. | The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deluded. Those who are the cornerstone of her tribes have led Egypt astray. |
| 14 | The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. | The LORD has mixed into her a spirit of confusion, and they have made Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunkard staggers in His vomit. |
| 15 | Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. | There shall be nothing for Egypt to do — neither head nor tail, palm branch nor reed. |
| 16 | In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. | In that day the Egyptians shall be like women — trembling with fear because of the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them. |
| 17 | And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it. | The land of Judah shall become a terror to Egypt. Whenever anyone mentions it, Egypt shall dread it because of the purpose the LORD of hosts has purposed against it. |
| 18 | In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. | In that day there shall be five cities in Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One shall be called the City of Destruction. |
| 19 | In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. | In that day there shall be an altar to the LORD in the midst of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. |
| 20 | And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. | It shall be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and He will deliver them. |
| 21 | And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. | The LORD will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day. They will worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and keep them. |
| 22 | And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. | The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing. They shall turn to the LORD, and He will respond to their pleas and heal them. |
| 23 | In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. | In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. |
| 24 | In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: | In that day Israel shall be the third with Egypt and with Assyria — a blessing in the midst of the earth, |
| 25 | Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. | whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance." |