Isaiah 19
Names of God Bible
Egypt Will Be Punished
19 This is the divine revelation about Egypt.
Yahweh is riding on a fast-moving cloud and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble in his presence.
Egypt’s courage will fail.
2 “I will turn one Egyptian against another.
They will fight—
brother against brother,
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.
3 The Egyptians will lose courage.
I will unravel their plans.
They will turn to idols, ghosts,
mediums, and fortunetellers.
4 I will hand over the Egyptians to a harsh master.
A strong king will rule them,”
declares Adonay Yahweh Tsebaoth.
5 The water in the Nile River will be dried up,[a]
and the river will be dry and empty.
6 The canals will stink.
Egypt’s streams will be emptied and dried up.
The reeds and cattails will wither.
7 The rushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile,
and all the fields planted beside the Nile
will dry up, be blown away, and disappear.
8 Fishermen will cry.
All who cast their lines into the Nile will mourn.
Those who spread their nets on the water will sigh.
9 Linenworkers and weavers will be ashamed.
10 Egypt’s weavers will be crushed.
Those who work for money will be distressed.
11 The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools.
The wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors gives stupid advice.
How can you tell Pharaoh,
“I’m a descendant of wise men,
a descendant of ancient kings”?
12 Where are your wise men now?
Let them tell you.
Let them explain what Yahweh Tsebaoth
is planning against Egypt.
13 The leaders of Zoan are acting foolishly.
The leaders of Memphis are led astray.
The leaders who are the cornerstones of its tribes mislead the Egyptians.
14 Yahweh mixes up their minds.
So they lead the Egyptians astray
like a drunk who staggers in his vomit.
15 No one—leaders or followers, important or unimportant—
can do anything for Egypt.
16 At that time Egyptians will act like women. They will tremble and be terrified because Yahweh Tsebaoth will shake his fist at them. 17 The land of Judah will terrify the Egyptians. Whenever they are reminded of Judah, they will be terrified of it because of what Yahweh Tsebaoth is planning against it.
18 When that day comes, five cities in Egypt will have people that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to Yahweh Tsebaoth. One of the cities will be called Heliopolis.[b]
19 When that day comes, an altar for Yahweh will be in the middle of Egypt, and a stone marker for Yahweh will be near its border. 20 These objects will be a sign and a witness that Yahweh Tsebaoth is in Egypt. When the people cry to Yahweh because of those who oppress them, he will send a savior and defender to rescue them. 21 So Yahweh will make himself known to the Egyptians. The Egyptians will know Yahweh when that day comes. They will worship with sacrifices and food offerings. They will make vows to Yahweh and carry them out. 22 Yahweh will strike Egypt with a plague. When he strikes them, he will also heal them. Then they will come back to Yahweh. And he will respond to their prayers and heal them.
23 When that day comes, a highway will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24 When that day comes, Israel will be one-third of God’s people, along with Egypt and Assyria. They will be a blessing on the earth. 25 Yahweh Tsebaoth will bless them, saying, “My people Egypt, the work of my hands Assyria, and my possession Israel are blessed.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 19:5 Or “Then the water of the sea will be dried up.”
- Isaiah 19:18 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Hebrew manuscripts, Greek, Targum, Latin, Egyptian; Masoretic Text “City of Destruction.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
