Isaiah 20-21

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,^(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod^(B) and attacked and captured it— ²at 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)

³Then 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,^[a]^(M) ⁴so the king^(N) 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) ⁵Those who trusted^(T) in Cush^(U) and boasted in Egypt^(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.^(W) ⁶In 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^(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?^(AB)’”

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy^(AC) against the Desert^(AD) by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds^(AE) sweeping through the southland,^(AF)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.

²A dire^(AG) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,^(AH) the looter takes loot.
Elam,^(AI) attack! Media,^(AJ) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

³At this my body is racked with pain,^(AK)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;^(AL)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered^(AM) by what I see.
⁴My heart^(AN) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;^(AO)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror^(AP) to me.

⁵They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!^(AQ)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!^(AR)

⁶This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout^(AS)
    and have him report what he sees.
⁷When he sees chariots^(AT)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,^(AU)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

⁸And the lookout^[b]^(AV) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
⁹Look, here comes a man in a chariot^(AW)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon^(AX) has fallen,^(AY) has fallen!
All the images of its gods^(AZ)
    lie shattered^(BA) on the ground!’”

¹⁰My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,^(BB)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.

A Prophecy Against Edom

¹¹A prophecy against Dumah^[c]:^(BC)

Someone calls to me from Seir,^(BD)
    “Watchman, what is left of the night?
    Watchman, what is left of the night?”
¹²The watchman replies,
    “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
    and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

¹³A prophecy^(BE) against Arabia:^(BF)

You caravans of Dedanites,^(BG)
    who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
¹⁴    bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,^(BH)
    bring food for the fugitives.
¹⁵They flee^(BI) from the sword,^(BJ)
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
    and from the heat of battle.

¹⁶This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract^(BK) would count it, all the splendor^(BL) of Kedar^(BM) will come to an end. ¹⁷The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.^(BN)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.^(BO)