Isaiah 19

English Standard Version

1 An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. (Ex 12:12; Jos 2:11; 1Sa 5:3; Ps 18:10; Ps 104:3; Isa 13:1; Isa 13:7; Jer 43:12; Jer 46:13; Jer 50:2; Eze 29:1; Eze 31:18; Joe 3:19; Mt 26:64; Re 1:7)2 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another and each against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom; (Jud 7:22)3 and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound[1] their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers; (Isa 8:19; Isa 19:11)4 and I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a hard master, and a fierce king will rule over them, declares the Lord God of hosts. (Isa 20:4; Jer 46:26; Eze 29:19)5 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched,6 and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away.7 There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.8 The fishermen will mourn and lament, all who cast a hook in the Nile; and they will languish who spread nets on the water. (Nu 11:5)9 The workers in combed flax will be in despair, and the weavers of white cotton. (Eze 27:7)10 Those who are the pillars of the land will be crushed, and all who work for pay will be grieved. (Jer 46:21; Ga 2:9)11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”? (Nu 13:22; Ps 78:43; Isa 30:4)12 Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you that they might know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt. (1Ki 4:30; Ac 7:22)13 The princes of Zoan have become fools, and the princes of Memphis are deluded; those who are the cornerstones of her tribes have made Egypt stagger. (Isa 19:11; Jer 2:16; Jer 44:1; Jer 46:14; Jer 46:19; Eze 30:13; Eze 30:16; Zec 10:4)14 The Lord has mingled within her a spirit of confusion, and they will make Egypt stagger in all its deeds, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. (1Ki 22:22; Isa 24:20; Isa 29:9)15 And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do. (Isa 9:14)16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. (Isa 10:32; Jer 50:37; Jer 51:30; Na 3:13)17 And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.18 In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.[2] (2Ki 7:13; Isa 19:21; Isa 30:17; Zep 3:9)19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. (Ge 28:18; 2Ki 5:17)20 It will 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 deliver them. (Isa 19:19; Ob 1:21)21 And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. (Isa 2:2; Isa 19:25; Zec 14:16)22 And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. (Jer 46:25)23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. (Isa 11:16; Isa 19:18; Isa 19:21; Zep 3:9)24 In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, (Ge 12:2)25 whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (De 32:9; Isa 29:23; Ho 2:23)

Isaiah 19

New International Version

1 A prophecy against Egypt: See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.2 ‘I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian – brother will fight against brother, neighbour against neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.3 The Egyptians will lose heart, and I will bring their plans to nothing; they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, the mediums and the spiritists.4 I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.5 The waters of the river will dry up, and the river bed will be parched and dry.6 The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up. The reeds and rushes will wither,7 also the plants along the Nile, at the mouth of the river. Every sown field along the Nile will become parched, will blow away and be no more.8 The fishermen will groan and lament, all who cast hooks into the Nile; those who throw nets on the water will pine away.9 Those who work with combed flax will despair, the weavers of fine linen will lose hope.10 The workers in cloth will be dejected, and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counsellors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, ‘I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings’?12 Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the Lord Almighty has planned against Egypt.13 The officials of Zoan have become fools, the leaders of Memphis are deceived; the cornerstones of her peoples have led Egypt astray.14 The Lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they make Egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers around in his vomit.15 There is nothing Egypt can do – head or tail, palm branch or reed.16 In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the Lord Almighty raises against them.17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the Lord Almighty is planning against them.18 In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[1]19 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border.20 It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a saviour and defender, and he will rescue them.21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing[2] on the earth. (Ge 48:20)25 The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.’