1The oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus[1] it is revealed to them. (Ge 10:4; 1Ki 10:22; 1Ki 22:48; Isa 13:1; Isa 23:14; Isa 24:10; Jer 2:10; Jer 25:22; Jer 27:2; Eze 26:2; Joe 3:4; Am 1:9; Zec 9:2)2Be still, O inhabitants of the coast; the merchants of Sidon, who cross the sea, have filled you. (Ge 10:15; Jos 19:28; Isa 23:4; Isa 23:12; Jer 25:22; Jer 27:3; Eze 27:8; Eze 32:30; Joe 3:4; Zec 9:2)3And on many waters your revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; you were the merchant of the nations. (Eze 27:3)4Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: “I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women.” (Isa 23:2)5When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish[2] over the report about Tyre.6Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coast! (Isa 23:12)7Is this your exultant city whose origin is from days of old, whose feet carried her to settle far away? (Ge 10:15)8Who has purposed this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?9The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to defile the pompous pride of all glory,[3] to dishonor all the honored of the earth. (Eze 28:7)10Cross over your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no restraint anymore.11He has stretched out his hand over the sea; he has shaken the kingdoms; the Lord has given command concerning Canaan to destroy its strongholds. (Ex 14:21)12And he said: “You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon; arise, cross over to Cyprus, even there you will have no rest.” (Isa 23:1; Isa 23:2; Isa 23:6)13Behold the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people that was not;[4] Assyria destined it for wild beasts. They erected their siege towers, they stripped her palaces bare, they made her a ruin. (2Ki 25:1; Isa 47:1; Isa 48:14)14Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste. (Isa 23:1)15In that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, like the days[5] of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: (Jer 25:11; Jer 25:22)16“Take a harp; go about the city, O forgotten prostitute! Make sweet melody; sing many songs, that you may be remembered.”17At the end of seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. (Jer 25:11; Jer 25:22; Re 17:1)18Her merchandise and her wages will be holy to the Lord. It will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the Lord.
Isaiah 23
New International Version
A prophecy against Tyre
1A prophecy against Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbour. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them.2Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched.3On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile[1] was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the market-place of the nations.4Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: ‘I have neither been in labour nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.’5When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre.6Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island.7Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands?8Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth?9The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring down her pride in all her splendour and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.10Till[2] your land as they do along the Nile, Daughter Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbour.11The Lord has stretched out his hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble. He has given an order concerning Phoenicia that her fortresses be destroyed.12He said, ‘No more of your revelling, Virgin Daughter Sidon, now crushed! ‘Up, cross over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.’13Look at the land of the Babylonians,[3] this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin.14Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed!15At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:16‘Take up a harp, walk through the city, you forgotten prostitute; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered.’17At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.18Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes.