Isaiah 23

The City of Tyre Will Be Punished

1 *Ez 26.1—28.19;Jl 3.4-8;Am 1.9,10;Zec 9.1-4;Mt 11.21,22;Lk 10.13,14. This is a message from distant islands about the city of Tyre:*23.1 Tyre: A fortress city built on an island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of what is now Lebanon.

Cry, you seagoing ships!*23.1 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.

Tyre and its houses

lie in ruins.*23.1 Tyre … ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

2 Mourn in silence,

you shop owners of Sidon,*23.2 Sidon: A coastal city just north of Tyre.

you people on the coast.

Your sailors crossed oceans,

making your city rich.

3 Your merchants sailed the seas,

making you wealthy by trading

with nation after nation.

They brought back grain

that grew along the Nile.*23.3 along the Nile: The Hebrew text has "grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile," but Shihor is probably a name for a region near the lower part of the Nile.

4 Sidon, you are a mighty fortress

built along the sea.

But you will be disgraced

like a married woman

who never had children.*23.4 children: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

5 When Egypt hears about Tyre,

it will tremble.

6 All of you along the coast

had better cry and sail

far across the ocean.*23.6 far across the ocean: The Hebrew text has "to Tarshish," probably meaning a long distance.

7 Can this be the happy city

that has stood for centuries?

Its people have spread

to distant lands;

8 its merchants were kings

honored all over the world.

Who planned to destroy Tyre?

9 The Lord All-Powerful planned it

to bring shame and disgrace

to those who are honored

by everyone on earth.

10 People of Tyre,*23.10 People of Tyre: The Hebrew text has "the people of Tarshish," which stands for the colonies of Tyre.

your harbor is destroyed!

You will have to become farmers

just like the Egyptians.*23.10 Egyptians: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.

Tyre Will Be Forgotten

11 The Lord's hand has reached

across the sea,

upsetting the nations.

He has given a command

to destroy fortresses

in the land of Canaan.

12 The Lord has said

to the people of Sidon,

"Your celebrating is over—

you are crushed.

Even if you escape to Cyprus,

you won’t find peace."

13 Look what the Assyrians have done to Babylonia! They have attacked, destroying every palace in the land. Now wild animals live among the ruins.*23.13 ruins: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.14 Not a fortress will be left standing, so tell all the seagoing ships*23.14 seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16. to mourn.

15 The city of Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, which is the lifetime of a king. Then Tyre will be like that evil woman in the song:

16 You’re gone and forgotten,

you evil woman!

So strut through the town,

singing and playing

your favorite tune

to be remembered again.

17 At the end of those 70 years, the Lord will let Tyre get back into business. The city will be like a woman who sells her body to everyone of every nation on earth, 18 but none of what is earned will be kept in the city. That money will belong to the Lord, and it will be used to buy more than enough food and good clothes for those who worship the Lord.