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Isaiah 19
New International Reader's Version
Isaiah 19
New International Reader's Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt
19 Here is a prophecy against Egypt that the Lord gave me.
The Lord is coming to Egypt.
He’s riding on a cloud that moves very fast.
The statues of the gods in Egypt tremble with fear because of him.
The hearts of the people there melt with fear.
2 The Lord says, “I will stir up one Egyptian against another.
Relatives will fight against relatives.
Neighbors will fight against one another.
Cities will fight against cities.
Kingdoms will fight against one another.
3 The people of Egypt will lose hope.
I will keep them from doing what they plan to do.
They will ask their gods for advice.
They will turn to the spirits of dead people for help.
They will go to people who get messages from those who have died.
They will ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead.
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
to a mean and unkind master.
A powerful king will rule over them,” announces the Lord.
He is the Lord who rules over all.
5 The waters of the Nile River will dry up.
The bottom of it will be cracked and dry.
6 Its canals will stink.
And the streams of Egypt will get smaller and smaller
until they dry up.
The tall grass that grows along the river will dry up.
7 So will the plants along the banks of the Nile.
Even the planted fields along the Nile will dry up.
Everything that grows there will blow away and disappear.
8 The fishermen will moan.
All those who drop hooks into the Nile will weep.
Those who throw their nets on the water
will become very sad.
9 Those who make clothes out of flax will lose hope.
So will those who weave fine linen.
10 Those who work with cloth will be unhappy.
And all those who work for money will be sick at heart.
11 The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish.
Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense.
How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,
“We’re among the wise men”?
How can they say to him,
“We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?
12 Pharaoh, where are your wise men now?
Let them tell you
what the Lord who rules over all
has planned against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan have become foolish.
The leaders of Memphis have been lied to.
The most important leaders in Egypt
have led its people astray.
14 The Lord has given them
a spirit that makes them feel dizzy.
They make Egypt unsteady in everything it does.
Egypt is like a person who drinks too much.
He throws up and then walks around in the mess he’s made.
15 No one in Egypt can do anything to help them.
Its elders and important leaders can’t help them.
Its prophets and priests can’t do anything.
Those who rule over others can’t help.
And those who bow down to them can’t help either.
16 In days to come, the people of Egypt will become weak. The Lord who rules over all will raise his hand against them. Then they will tremble with fear. 17 The people of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians. Everyone in Egypt who hears the name of Judah will be terrified. That’s because of what the Lord who rules over all is planning to do to them.
18 At that time the people of five cities in Egypt will worship the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all. They will use the Hebrew language when they worship him. They will promise to be faithful to him. One of those cities will be called the City of the Sun.
19 At that time there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of Egypt. There will be a monument to him at its border. 20 They will remind people that the Lord who rules over all is worshiped in Egypt. The people there will cry out to the Lord. They will cry out because of those who treat them badly. He will send someone to stand up for them and save them. And he will set them free. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the people of Egypt. At that time they will recognize that he is the Lord. They will worship him by bringing sacrifices and grain offerings to him. They will make promises to the Lord. And they will keep them. 22 The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague. But then he will heal them. They will turn to the Lord. And he will answer their prayers and heal them.
23 At that time there will be a wide road from Egypt to Assyria. The people of Assyria will go to Egypt. And the people of Egypt will go to Assyria. The people of Egypt and Assyria will worship the Lord together. 24 At that time Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be a blessing to the whole earth. 25 The Lord who rules over all will bless those three nations. He will say, “Let the Egyptians be blessed. They are my people. Let the Assyrians be blessed. My hands created them. And let the Israelites be blessed. They are my very own people.”
Isaiah 19
New International Version
Isaiah 19
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt
19 A prophecy(A) against Egypt:(B)
See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
and the hearts of the Egyptians melt(D) with fear.
2 “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
brother will fight against brother,(E)
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.(F)
3 The Egyptians will lose heart,(G)
and I will bring their plans(H) to nothing;(I)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
the mediums and the spiritists.(J)
4 I will hand the Egyptians over
to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king(K) will rule over them,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
5 The waters of the river will dry up,(L)
and the riverbed will be parched and dry.(M)
6 The canals will stink;(N)
the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.(O)
The reeds(P) and rushes will wither,(Q)
7 also the plants(R) along the Nile,
at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field(S) along the Nile
will become parched, will blow away and be no more.(T)
8 The fishermen(U) will groan and lament,
all who cast hooks(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
will pine away.
9 Those who work with combed flax(W) will despair,
the weavers of fine linen(X) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected,
and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.
11 The officials of Zoan(Y) are nothing but fools;
the wise counselors(Z) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.(AA)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the wise men,(AB)
a disciple of the ancient kings”?
12 Where are your wise men(AC) now?
Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
has planned(AD) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan(AE) have become fools,
the leaders of Memphis(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones(AG) of her peoples
have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has poured into them
a spirit of dizziness;(AH)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
as a drunkard staggers(AI) around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
head or tail, palm branch or reed.(AJ)
16 In that day(AK) the Egyptians will become weaklings.(AL) They will shudder with fear(AM) at the uplifted hand(AN) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,(AO) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning(AP) against them.
18 In that day(AQ) five cities(AR) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance(AS) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a](AT)
19 In that day(AU) there will be an altar(AV) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,(AW) and a monument(AX) to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness(AY) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior(AZ) and defender, and he will rescue(BA) them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge(BB) the Lord. They will worship(BC) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.(BD) 22 The Lord will strike(BE) Egypt with a plague;(BF) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn(BG) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal(BH) them.
23 In that day(BI) there will be a highway(BJ) from Egypt to Assyria.(BK) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship(BL) together. 24 In that day(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,(BN) a blessing[b](BO) on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,(BR) and Israel my inheritance.(BS)”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 19:18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destruction
- Isaiah 19:24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blessed
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.