Isaiah, 23

1. The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

1. An oracle concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is destroyed! When you return from Kittim you will hear the news and wonder.

2. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.

2. Keep silent, merchants of Sidon, all you inhabitants of the coast. Your messengers passed over the sea,

3. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, [is] her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

3. across the wide oceans; the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was your income and you were the fair of the nations.

4. Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, [even] the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, [nor] bring up virgins.

4. Be ashamed, O Sidon, refuge on the sea! The queen of the sea wonders: "Have I not had labor pains and brought forth children? Have I not nourished young men and brought up daughters?"

5. As at the report concerning Egypt, [so] shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

5. Those in Egypt will be in anguish when they learn the fate of Tyre.

6. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

6. You who dwell on the coastlands, wail as you pass over to Tarshish.

7. [Is] this your joyous [city], whose antiquity [is] of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

7. Is this the ancient city, your pride, whose feet had carried her afar to found colonies in distant lands?

8. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning [city], whose merchants [are] princes, whose traffickers [are] the honourable of the earth?

8. Who has planned this against Tyre, the imperial city whose merchants are princes, whose traders are among the great ones of the world?

9. The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, [and] to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

9. It is Yahweh Sabaoth who has planned it, to bring down her proud majesty, to humble the great ones of the world.

10. Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: [there is] no more strength.

10. Till your land like the valley of the Nile O Daughter of Tarshish, you have no more shipbuilding yard.

11. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant [city], to destroy the strong holds thereof.

11. Yahweh has stretched out his hand over the sea to make kingdoms tremble. He has ordered the destruction of the fortresses of Phoenicia.

12. And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

12. He has said, "Rejoice no longer, ravished virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest."

13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, [till] the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; [and] he brought it to ruin.

13. Look at the land of the Chaldeans, a people now of no account. The Assyrians have destined the land to be a place for wild beasts. They have erected siege towers and demolished her bastions, razed her palaces, completely reducing her to ruins.

14. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.

14. Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your haven is destroyed.

15. And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.

15. On that day, Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, about the span of a king's life. Then at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in a harlot's song:

16. Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

16. Take a harp, go about the city, forgotten harlot, sing your sweetest song, play your best melody, that they may remember you.

17. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

17. At the end of seventy years, Yahweh will visit Tyre. She will return to her hire and once again play whore with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.

18. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

18. But her wages and activities as harlot will be dedicated to Yahweh, instead of being stored or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live in the presence of Yahweh, that they may have abundant food and beautiful clothes.