Isaiah 19

מַשָּׂ֖א מִצְרָ֑יִם הִנֵּ֨ה יְהֹוָ֜ה רֹכֵ֨ב עַל־עָ֥ב קַל֙ וּבָ֣א מִצְרַ֔יִם וְנָע֞וּ אֱלִילֵ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו וּלְבַ֥ב מִצְרַ֖יִם יִמַּ֥ס בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

The “Egypt” Pronouncement. Mounted on a swift cloud, G OD will come to Egypt; Egypt’s idols shall tremble in response, And the heart of the Egyptians shall sink within them.

וְסִכְסַכְתִּ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֖יו וְאִ֣ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ עִ֣יר בְּעִ֔יר מַמְלָכָ֖ה בְּמַמְלָכָֽה׃

“I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian: They shall war with each other, Neighbor with neighbor, City with city And kingdom with kingdom.

וְנָבְקָ֤ה רוּחַ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲצָת֖וֹ אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ וְדָרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָֽאֱלִילִים֙ וְאֶל־הָ֣אִטִּ֔ים וְאֶל־הָאֹב֖וֹת וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִֽים׃

Egypt shall be drained of spirit, And I will confound its plans; So they will consult the idols and the shades And the ghosts and the familiar spirits.

וְסִכַּרְתִּי֙ אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּיַ֖ד אֲדֹנִ֣ים קָשֶׁ֑ה וּמֶ֤לֶךְ עַז֙ יִמְשׇׁל־בָּ֔ם נְאֻ֥ם הָאָד֖וֹן יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

And I will place the Egyptians At the mercy of a harsh master, And a ruthless king shall rule them” —declares the Sovereign, G OD of Hosts.

וְנִשְּׁתוּ־מַ֖יִם מֵֽהַיָּ֑ם וְנָהָ֖ר יֶחֱרַ֥ב וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃

Water shall fail from the seas, Rivers dry up and be parched,

וְהֶאֶזְנִ֣יחוּ נְהָר֔וֹת דָּלְל֥וּ וְחָרְב֖וּ יְאֹרֵ֣י מָצ֑וֹר קָנֶ֥ה וָס֖וּף קָמֵֽלוּ׃

Channels turn foul as they ebb, And Egypt’s canals run dry. Reed and rush shall decay,

עָר֥וֹת עַל־יְא֖וֹר עַל־פִּ֣י יְא֑וֹר וְכֹל֙ מִזְרַ֣ע יְא֔וֹר יִיבַ֥שׁ נִדַּ֖ף וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃

And the Nile papyrus by the Nile-side And everything sown by the Nile Shall wither, blow away, and vanish.

וְאָנוּ֙ הַדַּיָּגִ֔ים וְאָ֣בְל֔וּ כׇּל־מַשְׁלִיכֵ֥י בַיְא֖וֹר חַכָּ֑ה וּפֹרְשֵׂ֥י מִכְמֹ֛רֶת עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֖יִם אֻמְלָֽלוּ׃

The fishermen shall lament; All who cast lines in the Nile shall mourn, And those who spread nets on the water shall languish.

וּבֹ֛שׁוּ עֹבְדֵ֥י פִשְׁתִּ֖ים שְׂרִיק֑וֹת וְאֹרְגִ֖ים חוֹרָֽי׃

The flax workers, too, shall be dismayed, Both carders and weavers chagrined.

וְהָי֥וּ שָׁתֹתֶ֖יהָ מְדֻכָּאִ֑ים כׇּל־עֹ֥שֵׂי שֶׂ֖כֶר אַגְמֵי־נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Her foundations shall be crushed, And all who make dams shall be despondent.

אַךְ־אֱוִלִים֙ שָׂ֣רֵי צֹ֔עַן חַכְמֵי֙ יֹעֲצֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה עֵצָ֖ה נִבְעָרָ֑ה אֵ֚יךְ תֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה בֶּן־חֲכָמִ֥ים אֲנִ֖י בֶּן־מַלְכֵי־קֶֽדֶם׃

Utter fools are the nobles of Tanis; The sagest of Pharaoh’s advisers [Have made] absurd predictions. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am a scion of sages, A scion of Kedemite kings”?

אַיָּם֙ אֵפ֣וֹא חֲכָמֶ֔יךָ וְיַגִּ֥ידוּ נָ֖א לָ֑ךְ וְיֵ֣דְע֔וּ מַה־יָּעַ֛ץ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת עַל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Where, indeed, are your sages? Let them tell you, let them discover What G OD of Hosts has planned against Egypt.

נֽוֹאֲלוּ֙ שָׂ֣רֵי צֹ֔עַן נִשְּׁא֖וּ שָׂ֣רֵי נֹ֑ף הִתְע֥וּ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם פִּנַּ֥ת שְׁבָטֶֽיהָ׃

The nobles of Tanis have been fools, The nobles of Memphis deluded; Egypt has been led astray By the chiefs of her tribes.

יְהֹוָ֛ה מָסַ֥ךְ בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ ר֣וּחַ עִוְעִ֑ים וְהִתְע֤וּ אֶת־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בְּכׇֽל־מַעֲשֵׂ֔הוּ כְּהִתָּע֥וֹת שִׁכּ֖וֹר בְּקִיאֽוֹ׃

G OD has mixed within her A spirit of distortion, Which shall lead Egypt astray in all her undertakings As a vomiting drunkard goes astray;

וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר יַעֲשֶׂ֛ה רֹ֥אשׁ וְזָנָ֖ב כִּפָּ֥ה וְאַגְמֽוֹן׃

Nothing shall be achieved in Egypt By either head or tail, Palm branch or reed.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִהְיֶ֥ה מִצְרַ֖יִם כַּנָּשִׁ֑ים וְחָרַ֣ד׀ וּפָחַ֗ד מִפְּנֵי֙ תְּנוּפַת֙ יַד־יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא מֵנִ֥יף עָלָֽיו׃

In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because G OD of Hosts will raise a divine hand against them.

וְ֠הָיְתָ֠ה אַדְמַ֨ת יְהוּדָ֤ה לְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לְחׇגָּ֔א כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַזְכִּ֥יר אֹתָ֛הּ אֵלָ֖יו יִפְחָ֑ד מִפְּנֵ֗י עֲצַת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא יוֹעֵ֥ץ עָלָֽיו׃ {ס}

And the land of Judah shall also be the dread of the Egyptians; they shall quake whenever anybody mentions it to them, because of what G OD of Hosts is planning against them.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֡וּא יִהְיוּ֩ חָמֵ֨שׁ עָרִ֜ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם מְדַבְּרוֹת֙ שְׂפַ֣ת כְּנַ֔עַן וְנִשְׁבָּע֖וֹת לַיהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת עִ֣יר הַהֶ֔רֶס יֵאָמֵ֖ר לְאֶחָֽת׃ {ס}

In that day, there shall be several towns in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing loyalty to G OD of Hosts; one shall be called Town of Heres., “sun,” which may refer to Heliopolis, i.e., Sun City, in Egypt. Targum’s “Beth Shemesh” (cf. Jer. 43.13) has the same meaning.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶ֤ה מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה בְּת֖וֹךְ אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וּמַצֵּבָ֥ה אֵצֶל־גְּבוּלָ֖הּ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃

In that day, there shall be an altar to G OD inside the land of Egypt and a pillar to G OD at its border.

וְהָיָ֨ה לְא֥וֹת וּלְעֵ֛ד לַיהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־יִצְעֲק֤וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י לֹחֲצִ֔ים וְיִשְׁלַ֥ח לָהֶ֛ם מוֹשִׁ֥יעַ וָרָ֖ב וְהִצִּילָֽם׃

They shall serve as a symbol and reminder of G OD of Hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when [the Egyptians] cry out to G OD against oppressors, a savior and champion will be sent to deliver them.

וְנוֹדַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ לְמִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְעָֽבְדוּ֙ זֶ֣בַח וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְנָדְרוּ־נֵ֥דֶר לַיהֹוָ֖ה וְשִׁלֵּֽמוּ׃

For the Egyptians will be made to know G OD , and the Egyptians shall acknowledge G OD in that day, and they shall serve with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to G OD and fulfill them.

וְנָגַ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם נָגֹ֣ף וְרָפ֑וֹא וְשָׁ֙בוּ֙ עַד־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְנֶעְתַּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם וּרְפָאָֽם׃ {ס}

G OD will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians: when they turn back, G OD will respond to their entreaties and heal them.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא תִּהְיֶ֨ה מְסִלָּ֤ה מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ אַשּׁ֔וּרָה וּבָא־אַשּׁ֥וּר בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִצְרַ֣יִם בְּאַשּׁ֑וּר וְעָבְד֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם אֶת־אַשּֽׁוּר׃ {ס}

In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve [G OD ].

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ שְׁלִ֣ישִׁיָּ֔ה לְמִצְרַ֖יִם וּלְאַשּׁ֑וּר בְּרָכָ֖ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth;

אֲשֶׁ֧ר בֵּרְכ֛וֹ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּר֨וּךְ עַמִּ֜י מִצְרַ֗יִם וּמַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יָדַי֙ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְנַחֲלָתִ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס}

for G OD of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be My people Egypt, My handiwork Assyria, and My very own Israel.”