Isaiah 19-21

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)
³The 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)
⁴I 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.

⁵The waters of the river will dry up,^(L)
    and the riverbed will be parched and dry.^(M)
⁶The 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)
⁸The fishermen^(U) will groan and lament,
    all who cast hooks^(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
    will pine away.
⁹Those who work with combed flax^(W) will despair,
    the weavers of fine linen^(X) will lose hope.
¹⁰The workers in cloth will be dejected,
    and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

¹¹The 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”?

¹²Where are your wise men^(AC) now?
    Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
    has planned^(AD) against Egypt.
¹³The officials of Zoan^(AE) have become fools,
    the leaders of Memphis^(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones^(AG) of her peoples
    have led Egypt astray.
¹⁴The 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.
¹⁵There is nothing Egypt can do—
    head or tail, palm branch or reed.^(AJ)

¹⁶In 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. ¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸In 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)

¹⁹In 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. ²⁰It 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. ²¹So 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) ²²The 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.

²³In 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. ²⁴In that day^(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,^(BN) a blessing^[b]^(BO) on the earth. ²⁵The Lord Almighty will bless^(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,^(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,^(BR) and Israel my inheritance.^(BS)”

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,^(BT) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod^(BU) and attacked and captured it— ²at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.^(BV) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth^(BW) from your body and the sandals^(BX) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped^(BY) and barefoot.^(BZ)

³Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant^(CA) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,^(CB) as a sign^(CC) and portent^(CD) against Egypt^(CE) and Cush,^[c]^(CF) ⁴so the king^(CG) of Assyria will lead away stripped^(CH) and barefoot the Egyptian captives^(CI) and Cushite^(CJ) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared^(CK)—to Egypt’s shame.^(CL) ⁵Those who trusted^(CM) in Cush^(CN) and boasted in Egypt^(CO) will be dismayed and put to shame.^(CP) ⁶In that day^(CQ) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened^(CR) to those we relied on,^(CS) those we fled to for help^(CT) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?^(CU)’”

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy^(CV) against the Desert^(CW) by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds^(CX) sweeping through the southland,^(CY)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.

²A dire^(CZ) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,^(DA) the looter takes loot.
Elam,^(DB) attack! Media,^(DC) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

³At this my body is racked with pain,^(DD)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;^(DE)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered^(DF) by what I see.
⁴My heart^(DG) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;^(DH)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror^(DI) to me.

⁵They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!^(DJ)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!^(DK)

⁶This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout^(DL)
    and have him report what he sees.
⁷When he sees chariots^(DM)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,^(DN)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

⁸And the lookout^[d]^(DO) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
⁹Look, here comes a man in a chariot^(DP)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon^(DQ) has fallen,^(DR) has fallen!
All the images of its gods^(DS)
    lie shattered^(DT) on the ground!’”

¹⁰My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,^(DU)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.

A Prophecy Against Edom

¹¹A prophecy against Dumah^[e]:^(DV)

Someone calls to me from Seir,^(DW)
    “Watchman, what is left of the night?
    Watchman, what is left of the night?”
¹²The watchman replies,
    “Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
    and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

¹³A prophecy^(DX) against Arabia:^(DY)

You caravans of Dedanites,^(DZ)
    who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
¹⁴    bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,^(EA)
    bring food for the fugitives.
¹⁵They flee^(EB) from the sword,^(EC)
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
    and from the heat of battle.

¹⁶This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract^(ED) would count it, all the splendor^(EE) of Kedar^(EF) will come to an end. ¹⁷The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.^(EG)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.^(EH)

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
Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.

Galatians 2:1-16

New International Version

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,^(A) this time with Barnabas.^(B) I took Titus^(C) along also. ²I went in response to a revelation^(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.^(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race^(F) in vain. ³Yet not even Titus,^(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.^(H) ⁴This matter arose because some false believers^(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on^(J) the freedom^(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel^(L) might be preserved for you.

⁶As for those who were held in high esteem^(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism^(N)—they added nothing to my message.^(O) ⁷On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task^(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,^[a]^(Q) just as Peter^(R) had been to the circumcised.^[b] ⁸For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle^(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle^(T) to the Gentiles. ⁹James,^(U) Cephas^[c]^(V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,^(W) gave me and Barnabas^(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.^(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,^(Z) and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,^(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹When Cephas^(AB) came to Antioch,^(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹²For before certain men came from James,^(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^(AF) ¹³The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(AG) was led astray.

¹⁴When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(AH) I said to Cephas^(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(AK)

¹⁵“We who are Jews by birth^(AL) and not sinful Gentiles^(AM) ¹⁶know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(AP)

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Footnotes

Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14
Galatians 2:16 Or but through the faithfulness of … justified on the basis of the faithfulness of

Psalm 59

New International Version

Psalm 59^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house^(A) in order to kill him.

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O God;^(B)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.^(C)
²Deliver me from evildoers^(D)
and save me from those who are after my blood.^(E)

³See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire^(F) against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
⁴I have done no wrong,^(G) yet they are ready to attack me.^(H)
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!^(I)
⁵You, Lord God Almighty,
    you who are the God of Israel,^(J)
rouse yourself^(K) to punish all the nations;^(L)
    show no mercy to wicked traitors.^[c]^(M)

⁶They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,^(N)
    and prowl about the city.
⁷See what they spew from their mouths^(O)—
    the words from their lips are sharp as swords,^(P)
    and they think, “Who can hear us?”^(Q)
⁸But you laugh at them, Lord;^(R)
    you scoff at all those nations.^(S)

⁹You are my strength,^(T) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,^(U)
¹⁰ my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
    and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
¹¹But do not kill them, Lord our shield,^[d]^(V)
    or my people will forget.^(W)
In your might uproot them
    and bring them down.^(X)
¹²For the sins of their mouths,^(Y)
    for the words of their lips,^(Z)
    let them be caught in their pride.^(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
¹³    consume them in your wrath,
    consume them till they are no more.^(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
    that God rules over Jacob.^(AC)

¹⁴They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,
    and prowl about the city.
¹⁵They wander about for food^(AD)
    and howl if not satisfied.
¹⁶But I will sing^(AE) of your strength,^(AF)
    in the morning^(AG) I will sing of your love;^(AH)
for you are my fortress,^(AI)
    my refuge in times of trouble.^(AJ)

¹⁷You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.^(AK)

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Footnotes

Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign

Proverbs 23:13-14

New International Version

Saying 13

¹³Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
¹⁴Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.^(A)

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New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 19-21

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Egypt

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

A Prophecy Against Babylon

A Prophecy Against Edom

A Prophecy Against Arabia

Footnotes

Cross references

Galatians 2:1-16

New International Version

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Paul Opposes Cephas

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 59

New International Version

Psalm 59^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house^(A) in order to kill him.

Footnotes

Cross references

Proverbs 23:13-14

New International Version

Saying 13

Cross references

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Isaiah 19-21 New International Version

A Prophecy Against Egypt

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

A Prophecy Against Babylon

A Prophecy Against Edom

A Prophecy Against Arabia

Footnotes

Cross references

Galatians 2:1-16 New International Version

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Paul Opposes Cephas

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 59 New International Version

Psalm 59[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.

Footnotes

Cross references

Proverbs 23:13-14 New International Version

Saying 13

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Isaiah 19-21

New International Version

Galatians 2:1-16

New International Version

Psalm 59

New International Version

Psalm 59^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house^(A) in order to kill him.

Proverbs 23:13-14

New International Version