Isaiah 23

An Oracle against Tyre

23An oracle ^eagainst Tyre: ^f

Wail, ships of Tarshish, ^g

for your haven has been destroyed.

Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus. ^hi

²Mourn, inhabitants of the coastland,

you merchants of Sidon; ^j

your agents have crossed the sea ^k

³on many waters.

Tyre’s revenue was the grain from Shihor—

the harvest of the Nile.

She was the merchant among the nations. ^l

⁴Be ashamed Sidon, the stronghold of the sea,

for the sea has spoken:

“I have not been in labor or given birth.

I have not raised young men

or brought up young women.”

⁵When the news reaches Egypt,

they will be in anguish over the news about Tyre. ^m

⁶Cross over to Tarshish;

wail, inhabitants of the coastland!

⁷Is this your jubilant city,

whose origin was in ancient times,

whose feet have taken her

to settle far away?

⁸Who planned this against Tyre,

the bestower of crowns,

whose traders are princes,

whose merchants are the honored ones of the earth?

⁹The Lord of Hosts planned it,

to desecrate all its glorious beauty,

to disgrace all the honored ones of the earth.

¹⁰Overflow ⁿyour land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish;

there is no longer anything to restrain you. ^o

¹¹He stretched out His hand over the sea; ^p

He made kingdoms tremble.

The Lord has commanded

that the Canaanite fortresses be destroyed.

¹²He said,

“You will not rejoice anymore,

ravished young woman, daughter of Sidon.

Get up and cross over to Cyprus ^q—

even there you will have no rest!”

¹³Look at the land of the Chaldeans—

a people who no longer exist.

Assyria destined it for desert creatures.

They set up their siege towers

and stripped its palaces.

They made it a ruin.

¹⁴Wail, ships of Tarshish,

because your fortress is destroyed!

¹⁵On that day Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years—the life span of one king. At the end of 70 years, what the song says about the prostitute will happen to Tyre:

¹⁶Pick up your lyre,

stroll through the city,

prostitute forgotten by men.

Play skillfully,

sing many a song,

and you will be thought of again.

¹⁷And at the end of the 70 years, ^rthe Lord will restore Tyre ^sand she will go back into business, prostituting herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. ¹⁸But her profits and wages will be dedicated to the Lord. They will not be stored or saved, for her profit will go to those who live in the Lord’s presence, to provide them with ample food and sacred clothing.