Isaiah - The Old Testament

¹ Proclamation about Egypt: Look! Yahweh, riding a swift cloud, is coming to Egypt. The false gods of Egypt totter before him and Egypt's heart quails within her.

² I shall stir up Egypt against Egypt, they will fight one another, brother against brother, friend against friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

³ Egypt's spirit will fail within her and I shall confound her deliberations. They will consult false gods and wizards, ghosts and sorcerers.

⁴ And I shall hand Egypt over to the clutches of a cruel master, a ruthless king will rule them -- declares Yahweh Sabaoth.

⁵ The waters will ebb from the sea, the river will dry up and run low,

⁶ the streams will become foul, the rivers of Egypt sink and dry up. Rush and reed will turn black,

⁷ the Nile-plants on the banks of the Nile; all the vegetation of the Nile, will wither, blow away and be no more.

⁸ The fishermen will groan, it will be mourning for all who cast hook in the Nile; those who spread nets on the waters will lose heart.

⁹ The workers of carded flax and the weavers of white cloth will be confounded,

¹⁰ the weavers dismayed, all the workmen dejected.

¹¹ Yes, the princes of Zoan are fools, Pharaoh's wisest councillors make up a stupid council. How dare you say to Pharaoh, 'I am descended from sages, I am descended from bygone kings'?

¹² Where are these sages of yours? Let them tell you, so that all may know, the plans Yahweh Sabaoth has made against Egypt!

¹³ The princes of Zoan are fools, the princes of Noph, self-deceivers, the top men of her provinces have led Egypt astray.

¹⁴ Yahweh has infused them with a giddy spirit; they have led Egypt astray in all she undertakes like a drunkard straying about as he vomits.

¹⁵ Nowadays no one does for Egypt what top and tail, palm and reed used to do.

¹⁶ That day Egypt will be like women, trembling and terrified at the threatening hand of Yahweh Sabaoth, when he raises it against her.

¹⁷ The land of Judah will become Egypt's shame; whenever she is reminded of it, she will be terrified, because of the plan which Yahweh Sabaoth has laid against her.

¹⁸ That day in Egypt there will be five towns speaking the language of Canaan and pledging themselves to Yahweh Sabaoth; one of them will be called City of the Sun.

¹⁹ That day there will be an altar dedicated to Yahweh in the centre of Egypt and, close to the frontier, a pillar dedicated to Yahweh,

²⁰ and this will be a sign and a witness to Yahweh Sabaoth in Egypt. When they cry to Yahweh for help because of oppressors, he will send them a Saviour and leader to deliver them.

²¹ Yahweh will reveal himself to Egypt, and the Egyptians will acknowledge Yahweh that day and will offer sacrifices and cereal offerings, and will make vows to Yahweh and perform them.

²² And if Yahweh strikes Egypt, having struck he will heal, and they will turn to Yahweh who will hear their prayers and heal them.

²³ That day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will have access to Egypt and Egypt have access to Assyria. Egypt will serve with Assyria.

²⁴ That day Israel will make a third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing at the centre of the world,

²⁵ and Yahweh Sabaoth will bless them in the words, 'Blessed be my people Egypt, Assyria my creation, and Israel my heritage.'