Isaiah 18

A Message About Cush

18How terrible it will be for the land

whose armies are like large numbers of flying insects!

That land is along the rivers of Cush.

²Its people send messengers on the Nile River.

They travel over the water in papyrus boats.

Messengers, hurry back home!

Go back to your people,

who are tall and have smooth skin.

Everyone is afraid of them.

They are warriors.

Their language is different from ours.

Their land is divided up by rivers.

³Pay attention, all you people of the world!

Listen, all you who live on earth!

Banners will be lifted up on the mountains.

And you will see them.

Trumpets will be blown.

And you will hear them.

⁴The Lord says to me,

“I will look down from heaven, where I live.

I will be as quiet as summer heat in the sunshine.

I will be as quiet as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

⁵A farmer cuts off new growth with pruning knives.

He cuts down spreading branches and takes them away.

He does it before the grapes are harvested.

That’s when the blooms are gone and the grapes are ripe.

In the same way, the Lord will cut off the nations

that are gathered against his people.

⁶Their dead bodies will be left for the birds of the mountains to eat.

They will be left for the wild animals.

The birds will eat the dead bodies all summer long.

The wild animals will eat them all through the winter.

⁷At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord who rules over all.

The people who are tall and have smooth skin will bring them.

Everyone is afraid of those people.

They are warriors. Their language is different from ours.

Their land is divided up by rivers.

They will bring their gifts to Mount Zion. That’s where the Lord who rules over all has put his Name.