Isaiah 21-23
Expanded Bible
God’s Message to Babylon
21 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Desert by the Sea [C probably Babylon (v. 9), though an unusual description of it]:
·Disaster [or An invader; L It] is coming from the desert
like ·wind [whirlwinds] blowing in the ·south [or Negev].
It is coming from a terrible country.
2 I have seen a ·terrible [terrifying; dire; distressing] vision.
·I see traitors turning against you [L The betrayer betrays]
·and people taking your wealth [the destroyer destroys; or the looter loots].
Elam, ·attack the people [L go up; C Elam sounds like the Hebrew for “go up”]!
Media, ·surround the city and attack it [besiege]!
I will bring an end to ·the pain the city causes [L all the groaning].
3 ·I saw those terrible things, and now [L For this reason; At this] ·I am in pain [my loins/stomach are filled with pain];
my pains ·are [seize me] like the pains of giving birth.
What I hear ·makes me very afraid [distresses/staggers me];
what I see ·causes me to shake with fear [bewilders/horrifies me].
4 ·I am worried [My heart reels/falters/wanders],
and I am shaking with fear.
·My pleasant evening [L The twilight/evening I longed for]
has become a night of ·fear [trembling].
5 They ·set [prepared] the table;
they ·spread the rugs [or post a watchman];
they eat and drink.
Leaders, ·stand up [arise].
·Prepare the shields for battle [L Anoint/oil the shield; C preparation for battle]!
6 The Lord said to me,
“Go, place a ·lookout [guard; watchman] for the city
and have him report what he sees.
7 ·If [or When] he sees chariots and teams of horses,
riders on donkeys, or riders on camels,
he should ·pay very close attention [L be alert, very alert].”
8 Then the lookout[a] called out,
“My master, each day I stand in the watchtower watching;
every night I ·have been on guard [stand at my post].
9 Look, I see a man coming in a chariot
with a team of horses.”
The man gives back the answer,
“Babylon has fallen. It has fallen [Jer. 51:8; Rev. 14:8; 18:2]!
All the ·statues [idols; carved images] of her gods
lie ·broken [shattered] on the ground.”
10 My ·people are crushed like grain on the threshing floor [L trampled one, and son of the threshing floor].
My people, I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
from the God of Israel.
God’s Message to Edom
11 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Dumah [C another name for Edom, meaning “silence” or “stillness”]:
Someone calls to me from ·Edom [L Seir],
“Watchman, how much of the night is left?
Watchman, how much longer will it be night?”
12 The watchman answers,
“Morning is coming, but then night will come again.
If you ·have something to ask [wish to ask],
then come back and ask.”
God’s Message to Arabia
13 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Arabia:
You ·traders [caravans] from Dedan
who spent the night ·near some trees in [in the thickets of] Arabia.
14 Bring water to thirsty travelers;
you people of Tema, give food
to ·those who were escaping [the fugitives].
15 They ·were running [flee] from swords,
from ·swords ready to kill [L the drawn sword],
from ·bows ready to shoot [the bent bow],
from ·a hard [the distress/terrors/hardship of] battle.
16 This is what the Lord said to me: “Within a year all the ·glory [splendor] of the country of Kedar will be gone. (This is a year as a hired helper counts time [C carefully calculated; 16:14].) 17 ·At that time [L In that day] only a few of the archers, the ·soldiers [warriors; mighty men] of [L the sons of] Kedar, will be left alive.” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
God’s Message to Jerusalem
22 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about the Valley of Vision [C perhaps the Hinnom Valley near Jerusalem; the prophecy concerns Jerusalem]:
·What is wrong with you people [or What is the reason; L What to you, then]?
Why are you on your roofs [C roofs were flat and used for living and storage space]?
2 This city was ·a very busy city [L full of noise],
·full of noise and wild parties [town of tumult and revelry].
Now your people have been ·killed [slain],
but not with swords,
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders ·ran away [fled] together,
but they have been captured without using a bow.
All you who were captured
tried to run ·away before the enemy came [or far away; or while the enemy was far away].
4 So I say, “Don’t look at me.
Let me ·cry loudly [weep bitterly].
Don’t hurry to ·comfort [console] me
about the destruction of ·Jerusalem [or my vulnerable people; L the daughter of my people].”
5 The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·chosen a special day [L a day]
of ·riots [tumult] and confusion.
·People will trample each other […and trampling] in the Valley of Vision.
The city walls will be knocked down,
and the people will cry out to the mountain.
6 ·The soldiers from Elam [L Elam] will ·gather their arrows [L pick up its quiver]
and their chariots and men on horses.
Kir will ·prepare [L uncover] their shields.
7 Your ·nicest [choicest; fairest] valleys will be filled with chariots.
Horsemen ·will be ordered to guard [take their positions at] the gates of the city.
8 ·The walls protecting Judah will fall [L He removed defenses/covering from Judah; C “He” could be the Lord or the invading army].
·At that time [L In that day] the people of Jerusalem ·depended on [looked to]
the weapons kept at the ·Palace [L house] of the Forest [C probably the royal armory; 1 Kin. 7:2–5; 10:16–17].
9 You saw that the walls of Jerusalem
had many ·cracks that needed repairing [breaches; breaks].
You stored up water in the lower pool [C preparation for a siege].
10 You ·counted [surveyed] the houses of Jerusalem,
and you tore down houses to ·repair the walls with their stones [L strengthen/fortify the wall].
11 You made a ·pool [reservoir] between the two walls
to save water from the old pool,
but you did not ·trust [look to] the ·God who made these things [L one who made it; C the “it” could be the pool, the wall or the whole city of Jerusalem];
you did not ·respect [consider; have regard for] the One who ·planned [or fashioned; formed] ·them [it] long ago.
12 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] ·told the people
to cry and be sad [L called for weeping and mourning],
·to shave their heads [L for baldness] and ·wear rough cloth [for wearing burlap/sackcloth; C signs of sorrow and repentance].
13 But look, ·the people are happy
and are having wild parties [L joy and revelry].
They slaughter cattle and kill sheep;
they eat ·the food [meat; flesh] and drink the wine.
They say, “Let us eat and drink,
because tomorrow we will die.”
14 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said to me: “You people will die before this ·guilt is forgiven [sin is atoned for].” The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] said this.
God’s Message to Shebna
15 This is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Go to this ·servant [steward; administrator] Shebna [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:37; 19:2],
·the manager of the palace [L who is over the house].
16 Say to him, ‘What ·are you doing here [or right do you have to be here]?
Who said you could ·cut out [carve; hew] a tomb for yourself here?
Why are you ·preparing [carving; hewing] your tomb in a high place?
Why are you ·carving out [cutting; inscribing] a ·tomb [L dwelling place] from the rock?
17 Look, ·mighty one [or mere man; L man]! The Lord ·will throw you away [L hurling will hurl you].
·He will take firm hold of [L Seizing he will seize] you
18 and roll you tightly into a ball
and throw you into another country.
There you will die,
and there your ·fine [glorious; splendid] chariots will remain.
You ·are a disgrace [bring shame] to your master’s house.
19 I will force you out of your ·important job [office],
and you will be thrown down from your ·important place [position].’
20 “·At that time [L In that day] I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah [36:3, 11, 22; 37:2; 2 Kin. 18:18, 26, 37]. 21 I will take your robe and put it on him and ·give him [tie around him; or strengthen him with] your ·belt [sash]. I will hand over to him ·the important job you have [your authority], and he will be like a father to the ·people [inhabitants] of Jerusalem and the ·family [L house] of Judah. 22 I will put the key to the house of David [C a sign of authority, indicating access to the king; Rev. 3:7] around his neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it; if he closes a door, no one will be able to open it. 23 I will make him like a peg that is hammered into a strong board [C a symbol of strength]. He will be like an ·honored chair in [or throne of honor for] his father’s house. 24 All the ·honored and important things of his family [L glory of the house of his father] will ·depend on him [or be given to him; L hang on him; C continuing the “peg” imagery in v. 23, meaning either honor or responsibility]; ·all the adults and little children will depend on him [L its offspring and offshoots]. ·They will be like bowls and jars hanging on him [L …all the small utensils, from the bowls to the jars].
25 “·At that time [L In that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], “the peg hammered into the strong board will weaken. It will ·break [or be cut off] and fall, and everything hanging on it will be destroyed [C Eliakim’s authority would also eventually be taken away].” The Lord says this.
God’s Message to Lebanon
23 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Tyre [C port city in Phoenicia, north of Israel; present-day Lebanon]:
You ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; C western port city, probably in Spain; 2:16], ·cry [wail]!
The houses and harbor of Tyre are ·destroyed [devastated; laid waste].
This news came to the ships
from the land of ·Cyprus [L the Kittim; C the people of Cyprus, an island west of Israel].
2 ·Be silent [or Mourn in silence], you who live on the ·island of Tyre [or coastland];
you merchants of Sidon [C port city of Phoenica], be silent.
·Sailors have made you rich [or …whose messengers have crossed the sea].
3 They traveled ·the sea [the great waters; or many seas] to bring ·grain from Egypt [L the grain of Shihor; C the east branch of the Nile in Egypt];
the harvest of the Nile was Tyre’s ·profit [revenue];
she was the marketplace of the nations.
4 Sidon, be ashamed.
·Strong city [Fortress] of the sea, be ashamed, because the sea says:
“I have not ·felt the pain of giving birth [gone into labor or given birth];
I have not reared young men or women.”
5 Egypt will hear the news about Tyre,
and it will make Egypt ·hurt with sorrow [be in anguish].
6 ·You ships should return [Travel; or Send word; L Cross over] to Tarshish [v. 1].
·Be sad [Wail], you people ·living near the sea [of the coast].
7 ·Look at [L Is this…?] your ·once happy [boisterous] city,
·founded so long ago [whose beginning was from days of antiquity].
·People from that city have traveled […whose feet have taken her]
far away to live.
8 Who planned Tyre’s destruction?
Tyre ·made others rich [bestower of crowns; or wearer of crowns].
Its merchants ·were treated like [L were; or are] princes,
and its traders were ·greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
9 It was the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] who planned this.
He decided to ·make these proud people unimportant [L bring down the pride of all her glory/splendor];
he decided to ·disgrace [humble] ·those who were greatly respected [L the honored/renowned of the earth].
10 Go through[b] [or Cultivate; Till] your land, ·people [L daughter] of Tarshish [v. 1],
like ·the Nile goes through Egypt [or they do along the Nile].
There is no ·harbor [or marketplace; or restraint; or strength] for you now!
11 The Lord has stretched his hand over the sea
and made its kingdoms tremble.
He commands that Canaan’s
·strong, walled cities [fortresses; strongholds] be destroyed.
12 He said, “·Sidon [L Virgin daughter Sidon], you will not ·rejoice [celebrate] any longer,
because you are ·destroyed [crushed; oppressed].
·Even if you cross the sea [L Arise, cross over] to ·Cyprus [L Kittim],
[but] you will not find a place to rest.”
13 Look at the land of the ·Babylonians [Chaldeans];
·it is not a country now [this people is no more].
Assyria has made it a place for ·wild [desert] animals.
Assyria built ·towers to attack it [siege towers];
the soldiers ·took all the treasures from its cities [stripped bare/tore down its fortresses/palaces],
and they turned it into ruins.
14 ·So be sad [Wail], you ·trading ships [L ships of Tarshish; v. 1; 2:16],
because your ·strong city [fortress; stronghold] is destroyed.
15 ·At that time [L In that day] Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, which is the length of a king’s life. ·After [L At the end of] seventy years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:
16 “Oh ·woman [prostitute; harlot], you are forgotten.
Take your harp and walk through the city.
Play your harp well. Sing ·your song often [many songs].
Then people will remember you.”
17 ·After [L At the end of] seventy years the Lord will ·deal with [visit] Tyre, and it will again ·have trade [earn wages]. It will be like a prostitute for all the ·nations [kingdoms] of the earth. 18 The profits will be ·saved [set apart; holy] for the Lord. Tyre will not ·keep [store up or hoard] the money she earns but will give them to the people who ·serve [worship; L dwell before] the Lord, so they will have plenty of food and ·nice clothes [beautiful coverings].
Footnotes
- Isaiah 21:8 lookout The Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac copies read “lookout.” Some Hebrew copies read “the lion.”
- Isaiah 23:10 Go through Hebrew copies read “Go through.” The Dead Sea Scrolls and some Greek copies read “Cultivate.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
