Isaiah 23

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

God's Message to Lebanon

23 <1> This is a message[229] about Tyre:

Ships traveling from Cyprus[230]

heard this message:

"Ships from Tarshish,[231] show your sadness.

Your harbor has been destroyed."

<2> People living near the sea,

you should mourn in silence.

The merchants[232] of Sidon sent traders across the sea,

and they filled the city with riches.

<3> They traveled the seas looking for grain.

The men from Tyre bought grain that grows near the Nile River

and sold it to other nations.

<4> Sidon, you should be very sad

because now the Sea and the Fort of the Sea[233] say:

"I have no children.

I have never felt the pain of birth;

I have never given birth to children.

I have never raised young men and women."

<5> When Egypt hears the news about Tyre,

it will feel the pain of sorrow.

<6> You ships should return to Tarshish.[234]

You people living near the sea should be sad.

<7> Isn't this your happy city

that was founded so long ago?

People traveled great distances to live here.[235]

<8> The city of Tyre produced many leaders.

Merchants from that city are like princes.

Those traders are honored everywhere.

So who made plans against Tyre?

<9> It was the Lord All-Powerful.

He decided to make them unimportant.

<10> Ships from Tarshish, go back home.

Cross the sea as if it were a small river.

No one will stop you now.

<11> The Lord raised his arm over the sea

to make the kingdoms angry enough to fight against Tyre.

He commanded Canaan[236]

to destroy her place of safety.[237]

<12> He said, "Daughter Sidon,[238] you have been hurt badly,

so you will no longer rejoice like a bride.

Go ahead, go to Cyprus[239] for help,

but you will not find a place to rest there either.

<13> As for Babylon,

look at the land of the Chaldeans[240]!

It is not even a country now.

Assyria[241] attacked Babylon

and built war towers around it.

The soldiers took everything from

the beautiful houses.

Assyria destroyed Babylon.

They turned it into a pile of ruins

and made it a place for wild animals.

<14> So be sad, you ships from Tarshish.

Your place of safety has been destroyed.

<15> People will forget about Tyre for 70 years-that is, about the length of a king's rule. After 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:

<16> "Oh, woman who men forgot,

take your harp and walk through the city.

Play your song well

and sing it often.

Maybe someone will remember you."

<17> After 70 years, the Lord will review Tyre's case, and he will give her a decision. Tyre will again have trade. She will be like a prostitute for all the nations on earth. <18> But Tyre will not keep the money she earns. The profit from her trade will be saved for the Lord. Tyre will give that money to the people who serve the Lord to buy good food and nice clothes.