Isaiah 23:1-14

The Oracle concerning Tyre

23¹ The word about Tyre. Let a cry of sorrow go up, O ships of Tarshish, because your strong place is made waste; on the way back from the land of Kittim the news is given to them. ² Send out a cry of grief, you men of the sea-land, traders of Zidon, who go over the sea, whose representatives are on great waters; ³ Who get in the seed of Shihor, whose wealth is the trade of the nations. ⁴ Be shamed, O Zidon: for the sea, the strong place of the sea has said, I have not been with child, or given birth; I have not taken care of young men, or kept watch over the growth of virgins. ⁵ When the news comes to Egypt they will be bitterly pained at the fate of Tyre. ⁶ Go over to Tarshish; give cries of sorrow, O men of the sea-land. ⁷ Is this the town which was full of joy, whose start goes back to times long past, whose wanderings took her into far-off countries? ⁸ By whom was this purposed against Tyre, the crowning town, whose traders are chiefs, whose business men are honoured in the land? ⁹ It was the purpose of the Lord of armies to put pride to shame, to make sport of the glory of those who are honoured in the earth. ¹⁰ Let your land be worked with the plough, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no longer any harbour. ¹¹ His hand is stretched out over the sea, the kingdoms are shaking: the Lord has given orders about Canaan, to make waste its strong places. ¹² And he said, There is no more joy for you, O crushed virgin daughter of Zidon: up! go over to Kittim; even there you will have no rest. ¹³ ... ¹⁴ Let a cry of sorrow go up, O ships of Tarshish: because your strong place is made waste.