Isaiah 19

1 The doom of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and is coming to Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved because of his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in its inward parts.

THE VISION OF EGYPT. Behold, the Lord sits on a swift cloud, and shall come to Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and their heart shall faint within them.

2 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his fellow; city against city, kingdom against kingdom.

And the Egyptians shall be stirred up against the Egyptians: and a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, and law against law.

3 And the spirit of Egypt shall be emptied out in its inward parts, and its counsel will I frustrate; and they will inquire of the idols, and of the charmers, and of those that have familiar spirits, and of the wizards.

And the spirit of the Egyptians shall be troubled within them; and I will frustrate their counsel: and they shall enquire of their gods and their images, and them that speak out of the earth, and them that have in them a divining spirit.

4 And I will surrender the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a rigorous king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the Eternal of hosts.

And I will deliver Egypt into the hands of men, of cruel lords; and cruel kings shall rule over them: thus says the Lord of hosts.

5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

And the Egyptians shall drink the water that is by the sea, but the river shall fail, and be dried up.

6 And the rivers shall become foul; and shallow and dried up shall become the deep streams: reeds and flags shall wither.

And the streams shall fail, and the canals of the river; and every reservoir of water shall be dried up, in every marsh also of reed and papyrus.

7 The well-rooted plants by the stream, by the mouth of the stream, and every thing sown by the stream, shall dry up, be scattered [by the wind, ] and be no more.

And all the green herbage round about the river, and everything sown by the side of the river, shall be blasted with the wind and dried up.

8 The fishermen also shall lament, and all they that cast an angle into the stream shall mourn; and they that spread nets upon the face of the waters shall languish.

And the fishermen shall groan, and all that cast a hook into the river shall groan; they also that cast nets, and the anglers shall mourn.

9 And ashamed shall be they that work in fine flax, and they that weave white cloth.

And shame shall come upon them that work fine flax, and them that make fine linen.

10 And its foundations shall be beaten down, all that build sluices shall be grieved in soul.

And they that work at them shall be in pain, and all that make beer shall be grieved, and be pained in their souls.

11 Surely fools are the princes of Zo'an! the wise of the counsellors of Pharaoh [impart] silly counsel: how can ye say unto Pharaoh, I am a son of the wise, a son of the ancient kings?

And the princes of Tanis shall be fools: [as for] the king's wise counselors, their counsel shall be turned into folly: how will you say to the king, we are sons of wise men, sons of ancient kings?

12 Where are they, these, thy wise men? that they may tell thee now, that they know what the Lord of hosts hath resolved on over Egypt.

Where are now your wise men? and let them declare to you, and say, What has the Lord of hosts purposed upon Egypt?

13 The princes of Zo'an are become fools, deceived are the princes of Noph; and Egypt is led astray by the chiefs of its tribes.

The princes of Tanis have failed, and the princes of Memphis are lifted up [with pride], and they shall cause Egypt to wander by tribes.

14 The Lord hath poured out in the midst thereof a spirit of perverseness: and they have led Egypt astray in all its work, as a drunkard reeleth astray in his vomit.

For the Lord has prepared for them a spirit of error, and they have caused Egypt to err in all their works, as one staggers who is drunken and vomits also.

15 And there shall not be for Egypt [successful] work, which the head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.

And there shall be no work to the Egyptians, which shall make head or tail, or beginning or end.

16 On that day shall Egypt be like the women: and it shall tremble and be in dread because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he waveth over it.

But in that day the Egyptians shall be as women, in fear and in trembling because of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he shall bring upon them.

17 And the land of Judah shall become unto Egypt a terror, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be in dread, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts, which he hath resolved against it.

And the land of the Jews shall be for a terror to the Egyptians: whoever shall name it to them, they shall fear, because of the counsel which the Lord of hosts has purposed concerning it.

18 On that day shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing by the Lord of hosts; “The city of destruction” shall one be called.

In that day there shall be five cities in Egypt speaking the language of Chanaan, and swearing by the name of the Lord of hosts; one city shall be called the city of Asedec.

19 On that day shall there be all altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to the Lord.

In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of the Egyptians, and a pillar to the Lord by its border.

20 And it shall be for a sign and for a testimony unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he will send them a helper, and a chief, and he shall deliver them.

And it shall be for a sign to the Lord for ever in the land of Egypt: for they shall presently cry to the Lord by reason of them that afflict them, and he shall send them a man who shall save them; he shall judge and save them.

21 And the Lord will be made known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord on that day, and will do service [with] sacrifice and oblation; yea, they will make vows unto the Lord and perform [them].

And the Lord shall be known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day; and they shall offer sacrifices, and shall vow vows to the Lord, and pay [them].

22 And the Lord will thus strike Egypt, striking and healing it: and they will return unto the Lord, and he will be entreated of them, and heal them.

And the Lord shall strike the Egyptians with a stroke, and shall completely heal them: and they shall return to the Lord, and he shall hear them, and thoroughly heal them.

23 On that day there shall be a highway out of Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptians into Asshur, and the Egyptians shall serve with Asshur [the Lord].

In that day there shall be a way from Egypt to the Assyrians, and the Assyrians shall enter into Egypt, and the Egyptians shall go to the Assyrians, and the Egyptians shall serve the Assyrians.

24 On that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth.

In that day shall Israel be third with the Egyptians and the Assyrians, blessed in the land which the Lord of hosts has blessed,

25 Whom the Lord of hosts will have blessed, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt, and Asshur the work of my hands, and my heritage Israel.

saying, Blessed be my people that is in Egypt, and that is among the Assyrians, and Israel mine inheritance.