Isaiah 23 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in; from the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in. From the land of Kittim it is revealed to them.
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the coast-land; thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished.
2 Be still, you inhabitants of the coast, you whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished.
3 And on great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue; and she was the mart of nations.
3 On great waters, the seed of the Shihor, the harvest of the Nile, was her revenue. She was the market of nations.
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: 'I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I reared young men, nor brought up virgins.'
4 Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, “I have not travailed, nor given birth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.”
5 When the report cometh to Egypt, they shall be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.
5 When the report comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report of Tyre.
6 Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the coast-land.
6 Pass over to Tarshish! Wail, you inhabitants of the coast!
7 Is this your joyous city, whose feet in antiquity, in ancient days, carried her afar off to sojourn?
7 Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?
8 Who hath devised this against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
8 Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
9 The LORD of hosts hath devised it, to pollute the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
9 Yahweh of Armies has planned it, to stain the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
10 Overflow thy land as the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish! there is no girdle any more.
10 Pass through your land like the Nile, daughter of Tarshish. There is no restraint any more.
11 He hath stretched out His hand over the sea, He hath shaken the kingdoms; the LORD hath given commandment concerning Canaan, to destroy the strongholds thereof;
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea. He has shaken the kingdoms. Yahweh has ordered the destruction of Canaan’s strongholds.
12 And He said: 'Thou shalt no more rejoice.' O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Zidon, arise, pass over to Kittim; even there shalt thou have no rest.
12 He said, “You shall rejoice no more, you oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Kittim. Even there you will have no rest.”
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans — this is the people that was not, when Asshur founded it for shipmen — they set up their towers, they overthrew the palaces thereof; it is made a ruin.
13 Behold, the land of the Chaldeans. This people didn’t exist. The Assyrians founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up their towers. They overthrew its palaces. They made it a ruin.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste.
14 Howl, you ships of Tarshish, for your stronghold is laid waste!
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; after the end of seventy years it shall fare with Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
15 It will come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. After the end of seventy years it will be to Tyre like in the song of the prostitute.
16 Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
16 Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will remember Tyre, and she shall return to her hire, and shall have commerce with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
17 It will happen after the end of seventy years that Yahweh will visit Tyre. She will return to her wages, and will play the prostitute with all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth.
18 And her gain and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her gain shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat their fill, and for stately clothing.
18 Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to Yahweh. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before Yahweh, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Joel 3:4–8; Genesis 10:4; Amos 1:9–10; Jeremiah 25:22; Isaiah 2:16
- 2 Isaiah 47:5; Ezekiel 27:8–36; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 41:1
- 3 1 Chronicles 13:5; Jeremiah 2:18; Ezekiel 27:3–23; Isaiah 23:8; Joel 3:5
- 4 Revelation 18:23; Genesis 10:15; Jeremiah 47:3–4; Ezekiel 26:3–6; Hosea 9:11–14
- 5 Joshua 2:9–11; Exodus 15:14–16; Ezekiel 28:19; Ezekiel 27:29–36; Ezekiel 26:15–21
- 6 Isaiah 23:12; Isaiah 21:15; Isaiah 16:7; Isaiah 23:10; Isaiah 23:1–2
- 7 Isaiah 22:2; Joshua 19:29; Ecclesiastes 10:7; Isaiah 47:1–2; Isaiah 32:13
- 8 Ezekiel 28:2–6; Isaiah 10:8; Jeremiah 50:44–45; Deuteronomy 29:24–28; Isaiah 36:9
- 9 James 4:6; Isaiah 13:11; Job 40:11–12; Isaiah 2:11; Daniel 4:37
- 10 1 Samuel 28:20; Isaiah 23:14; Job 12:21; Psalm 18:32; Romans 5:6
- 11 Zechariah 9:3–4; Exodus 14:21; Mark 11:17; Hosea 12:7–8; Exodus 15:8–10
- 12 Revelation 18:22; Ezekiel 26:13–14; Isaiah 23:1–2; Isaiah 47:1; Isaiah 23:7
- 13 Habakkuk 1:6; Isaiah 13:19; Daniel 4:30; 2 Kings 20:12; Ezekiel 29:18
- 14 Isaiah 23:1; Ezekiel 27:25–30; Isaiah 2:16; Isaiah 23:6; Revelation 18:11–19
- 15 Jeremiah 25:22; Hosea 2:15; Jeremiah 27:3–7; Daniel 8:21; Jeremiah 29:10
- 16 Proverbs 7:10–12; Jeremiah 30:14
- 17 Nahum 3:4; Ezekiel 27:6–36; Revelation 19:2; Ezekiel 16:26; Jeremiah 29:10
- 18 Psalm 72:10; Deuteronomy 26:12–14; Philippians 4:17–18; Galatians 6:6; Deuteronomy 12:18–19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For in the Prophet Isaiah it is thus found: "Howl, ye ships of Carthage." But in Ezekiel by some interpreters the word is translated Carthage, by some Tarshish: and from this diversity it can be understood that the same which was called Carthage, is called Tharsus.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)