A Sign regarding Egypt and Cush

20 In the year ⌊the commander-in-chief came⌋a to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and he took it, 2 at that time, Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Isaiah son of Amoz, saying,

“Go and loosen the sackcloth from your loins,

and take off your sandalsb from your feet,”

and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot.

3 Thenc Yahweh said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead the captivesd of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, ⌊with bared buttocks⌋,e the shame of Egypt.

5 And they shall be dismayed,

and they shall be ashamed

because of Cush, their hope,

and because of Egypt, their pride.

6 And the inhabitantf of the coastland will say this on that day:

‘Look! This is our hope to whom we fled for help, to be delivered ⌊from⌋g the king of Assyria, and how shall we escape?’ ”

The Fall of Babylon

21 The oracle of the wilderness of the sea:

As storm winds passing over in the Negev,

⌊it comes⌋a from the desert,

from a frightful land.

2 A hard revelation is told to me;

the treacherous deals treacherously,

and the destroyer destroys.

Go up, Elam;

lay siege, Media!

I put an end to all of her sighing.

3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;

pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.

I am ⌊too bent to hear⌋,b

I am ⌊too dismayed to see⌋.c

4 My ⌊mind⌋d staggers; fear terrifies me;

the twilight ⌊I desired⌋e ⌊brought⌋f me fear.

5 Set out the table in order!

Spread out the rugs!g

Eat! drink!

Rise up, commanders;

smearh the shield!

6 For the Lord said this to me:

“Go, set a watchman in position.

He must announce what he sees.

7 Wheni he sees riders,j

a pair of horsemen,

ridersk of donkeys,l

ridersm of camels,n

⌊then⌋o he must listen attentively,

paying attention, paying ⌊special⌋p attention.”

8 Thenq the ⌊watchman⌋r called,

“Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day,

and I am standing at my post ⌊throughout⌋s the night.

9 And look at this! A man’s chariot is coming,

a pair of horsemen!”

Thent he responded and said,

“It has fallen! Babylon has fallen!

And all the images of her gods areu smashed on the ground!”

10 My downtrodden people

and the son of my threshing floor,

I will announce to you what I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel.