Isaiah 19
An Altar to the Lord in the Midst of Egypt
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A Vision of Egypt
19:1A vision of Egypt. Look, the Lord sits upon a light cloud and will come into Egypt; Egypt’s handmade objects will be shaken before Him, and their heart overcome within them.
19:2Egyptians will be roused against Egyptians; each will fight his brother and each his neighbor, city against city and district against district.
19:3The Egyptians’ spirit will be troubled within them, and I will scatter their counsel. They will inquire of their gods, their statues, those speaking from the earth and the belly-speakers.
19:4I will hand Egypt into the hands of harsh human masters, and harsh kings will rule them. Thus says the Lord Sabaoth.
The Waters of Egypt Will Fail
19:5The Egyptians will drink water beside the sea, but the river will fail and dry up.
19:6Rivers and the river’s canals will fail, and every gathering of water dry up, in every marsh of reed and papyrus,
19:7and all the green marsh growth around the river and everything sown by the river will dry up, destroyed by wind.
19:8Fishermen will groan, and all casting a hook into the river will groan; those casting seines and those using casting nets will mourn.
19:9Shame will seize those working split flax and those working fine linen,
19:10and those warping them will be in pain, and all who make beer will be grieved and suffer in their souls.
19:11Tanis’s rulers will be fools; the king’s wise counselors—their counsel will become foolish. How will you say to the king, “We are sons of the discerning, sons of kings from the beginning”?
19:12Where are your wise men now? Let them announce to you and say what the Lord Sabaoth has counseled against Egypt.
The Rulers of Tanis and Memphis Failed
19:13Tanis’s rulers failed, and Memphis’s rulers were exalted; they will lead Egypt astray tribe by tribe.
19:14For the Lord mixed for them a spirit of wandering; they led Egypt astray in all their works, as someone drunk and vomiting at once wanders.
19:15There will be no work for the Egyptians that will produce a head and tail, a beginning and end.
The Egyptians Will Be Like Women
19:16On that day the Egyptians will be like women in fear and trembling before the Lord Sabaoth’s hand, which He Himself will bring upon them.
19:17The Judeans’ country will become a terror to the Egyptians; whenever anyone names her to them, they will fear because of the counsel the Lord has counseled against her.
19:18On that day five cities in Egypt will speak the Canaanite language and swear by the Lord’s name. One city will be called City-Asedek.
An Altar to the Lord in Egypt
19:19On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the Egyptians’ country and a pillar to the Lord by its border,
19:20and it will be an everlasting sign to the Lord in Egypt’s country, because they will cry to the Lord on account of their oppressors. The Lord will send them a man who will save them; judging, he will save them.
19:21The Lord will be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord on that day. They will make sacrifices, vow vows to the Lord and pay them.
19:22The Lord will strike the Egyptians with a great blow and heal them with healing. They will turn back to the Lord, and He will listen to them and heal them.
A Road from Egypt to the Assyrians
19:23On that day there will be a road from Egypt toward the Assyrians. Assyrians will enter Egypt, and Egyptians go toward the Assyrians, and the Egyptians will serve the Assyrians.
19:24On that day Israel will be third among the Assyrians and Egyptians, blessed upon the earth,
19:25which the Lord Sabaoth blessed, saying, “Blessed be My people in Egypt and among the Assyrians, and My inheritance Israel.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.