Isaiah 19

1 This is the burden [message from God, prophecy] against Egypt: Behold [look, see], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] rides [is seated, mounted] on a swift [quick, fast-moving] cloud; He is coming [will enter, approaching] to Egypt. The idols [false gods, worthless things] of Egypt will tremble [shake, be moved] before Him, and the hearts [innermost part, mind and emotions] of the Egyptians will melt [waste away, become weak] within them. word study 2 “So I will incite [stir up, provoke] Egyptian [the people of Egypt] against Egyptian [their own countrymen]; brother [close relative, fellow citizen] will fight [engage in battle, struggle] against brother, neighbor [fellow inhabitant, companion] against neighbor, city [town, urban settlement] against city, and kingdom [domain, territory] against kingdom. word study 3 Then the spirit [breath of life, the wind, or a person’s mind and emotions] of the Egyptians will be emptied out [swallowed up, completely destroyed] from among them, and I will frustrate [destroy, make ineffective] their plans [counsel, advice, or purpose], so that they will resort to idols [false gods, worthless things] and spirits of the dead [those who have familiar spirits], to mediums [those who try to contact the dead] and spiritists [wizards, or necromancers]. word study 4 I will deliver the Egyptians [into the hand of a cruel lord, to severe masters] into the hands of harsh masters [severe, cruel], and a fierce [strong, powerful] king will rule [have power over, govern] over them,” declares the Lord [the sovereign Master, ʼâdôwn] GOD [the supreme deity, Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 5 The waters [of the sea, from the Mediterranean] of the Nile [a large body of water, a source of refreshment] will dry up [to wither, become parched], and the riverbed [a river, a flood] will be parched [to dry, desolate] and empty [wasted, dried up]. word study 6 The canals [will become foul, rivers will fail] will stink [to reject, be disgusting]; the streams [watercourses, branches of the Nile] of Egypt [a place of siege] will trickle [become weak, languish] and dry up [be desolate, wither away]; the reeds [water plants, flags] and rushes [papyrus, aquatic plants] will wither [decay, lose strength]. word study 7 The bulrushes [paper reeds, aquatic plants] by the Nile [stream, river], by the mouth [lip, edge] of the river, and all [everything] the fields [sown lands, cultivated areas] sown [planted, cultivated] along the Nile, will wither [dry up, become barren], blow away [be driven away, dispersed], and be no more [nothing, nonexistent]. word study 8 Then the fishermen [who catch fish for a living] will mourn [to lament, expressing deep sadness], all who cast [throw] a hook [fishing hook, used for catching fish] into the Nile [stream, river] will lament [mourn, grieve], and those who spread [throw out, stretch] nets [fishing nets, used for catching fish] on the waters [liquid, source of refreshment] will pine away [weaken, become feeble]. word study 9 The workers [laborers, servants] in flax [combed, carded] will be dismayed [ashamed, confounded], and the weavers [makers, craftsmen] of fine linen [white cloth, net-works] will turn pale [be in despair, be put to shame]. word study 10 The workers [laborers, those who toil] in cloth [fabric, textile goods] will be dejected [crushed, broken in spirit], and all [every single one] the hired workers [those who work for wages, earn a living] will be sick [grieved, heavy] at heart [soul, inner being]. word study 11 The princes [rulers, leaders] of Zoan [Tanis, an ancient city in Egypt] are mere fools [utterly foolish, stupid]; Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] wise [intelligent, skilled] counselors [advisers, guides] give senseless [brutish, worthless] advice [counsel, plan]. How [in what way] can you say to Pharaoh [the powerful leader], “I am one of the wise [a son of the wise, having wisdom], a son [descendant, offspring] of eastern [ancient, early] kings”? word study 12 Where [in what place or situation] are your wise men [intelligent or skilled leaders] now? Let them tell [declare openly, reveal] you and reveal [make known, disclose] what the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people or things] has planned [purposed, advised] against Egypt [the country in northeastern Africa]. word study 13 The princes [rulers, leaders] of Zoan [Tanis, an ancient city in Egypt] have become fools [acted senselessly, shown wicked folly]; the princes [captains, persons in charge] of Memphis [Noph, the capital city of Egypt] are deceived [led astray, misled]. The cornerstones [chief rulers, pivots] of her tribes [clans, families] have led Egypt [the land and its people] astray [into error, wandered]. word study 14 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has poured into her a spirit [the breath of life, a person’s mind and emotions] of confusion [distortion, perversion]. Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] has been led astray [to go astray, wander] in all [everything] she does, as a drunkard [one who is intoxicated] staggers through his own vomit [to throw up, expel from the body]. word study 15 There is [no possibility of] nothing Egypt [the land and its people] can do [whether important or unimportant, high or low]— head [chief or leader] or tail [the end or stump], palm [branch or tree] or reed [bulrush, a type of plant]. word study 16 In that day [before the Lord’s judgment] the Egyptians will be like women [helpless, weak]. They will tremble [shake with fear, mourn] with fear [dread, anxiety] beneath the uplifted hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [army, heavenly forces], when He brandishes [waves, shakes] it against them [over them, upon them]. word study 17 The land [territory, region] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] will bring terror [fear, dread] to Egypt; whenever Judah [the people of Judah] is mentioned, Egypt will tremble [be afraid, shaken] over what the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces] has planned [counselled, purposed] against it. word study 18 In that day [before the end of time, a future era] five cities [towns, communities] in the land [region, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] will speak [communicate, converse] the language [tongue, dialect] of Canaan [the land of the Canaanites, Israel] and swear allegiance [make a vow, promise loyalty] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces, the Lord of all powers]. One of them [a single city, one alone] will be called [named, known as] the City [town, metropolis] of the Sun [Destruction, Heliopolis, a place of desolation]. word study 19 In that day [a future time, a specific period] there will be an altar [a place of sacrifice, for worship] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] in the center [midst, middle] of the land [earth, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], and a pillar [a monument, a memorial stone] to the LORD [the Lord God] near [beside, at the edge of] her border [boundary, limit]. word study 20 It will be a sign [miraculous wonder, beacon] and a witness [testimony, evidence] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, large groups] in the land [earth, country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. When they cry out [call for help, express distress] to the LORD because of their oppressors [those who treat them unfairly, cruelly], He will send them a savior [rescuer, deliverer] and defender [protector, champion] to rescue [snatch away, deliver] them. word study 21 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will make Himself known [be revealed, clearly understood] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], and on that day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] Egypt will acknowledge [recognize, have knowledge of] the LORD. They will worship [serve, offer sacrifices] with sacrifices [animal offerings] and offerings [gifts, donations]; they will make vows [promises, commitments] to the LORD and fulfill [complete, keep] them. word study 22 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] will strike [smite, inflict a plague] Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] with a plague [a scourge, punishment]; He will strike [smiting, punishing] them but heal [mend, cure] them [their physical or emotional hurts]. They will turn [return, come back] to the LORD [Yehovah, their God], and He will hear [be entreated by, listen to] their prayers [supplications, requests] and heal [cure, restore] them [completely, to wholeness]. word study 23 In that day [a future time of fulfillment] there will be a highway [a raised public road, a path] from Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] to Assyria [the land of the Assyrians, an ancient nation]. The Assyrians [the people of Asshur, descendants of Shem] will go [come, travel] to Egypt, and the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a nation in Africa] to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians [the people of both nations, united] will worship [serve, give reverence] together [in unity, with one accord]. word study 24 In that day [a future time of fulfillment] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] will join [be united with, form an alliance] a three-party alliance [a mutual agreement, a covenant] with Egypt [a neighboring nation] and Assyria [a dominant empire, a force of oppression]—a blessing [a gift from God, a source of prosperity] upon [in the midst of, throughout] the earth [the land, the world, all creation]. word study 25 The LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces] will bless [bestow divine favor, pronounce happy] them, saying, “Blessed [praised, highly honored] be Egypt [a nation in northeastern Africa] My people [My chosen ones, My nation], Assyria [a nation in the ancient Near East, the work of My hands] My handiwork [My creation, the work of My hands], and Israel [the descendants of Jacob, My special possession] My inheritance [My special treasure, My own possession].” word study