Isaiah 20

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

In the year that the supreme commander,^a sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod^b and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.^c He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth^d from your body and the sandals^e from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped^f and barefoot.^g

Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant^h Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,ⁱ as a sign^j and portent^k against Egypt^l and Cush,^m so the kingⁿ of Assyria will lead away stripped^o and barefoot the Egyptian captives^p and Cushite^q exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared^r—to Egypt’s shame.^s Those who trusted^t in Cush^u and boasted in Egypt^v will be dismayed and put to shame.^w In that day^x the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened^y to those we relied on,^z those we fled to for help^a and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?^b’ ”