Isa 19

1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, YHWH rides upon a swift cloud, and comes to Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. 2 And I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbor; city against city, [and] kingdom against kingdom. 3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. 4 And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, says the Lord, YHWH of hosts. 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and become dry. 6 And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither away. 7 The meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile, shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more. 8 And the fishers shall lament, and all they that cast angle into the Nile shall mourn, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. 9 Moreover they that work in combed flax, and they that weave white cloth, shall be confounded. 10 And the pillars [of Egypt] shall be broken in pieces; all they that work for hire [shall be] grieved in soul. 11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say you to Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? 12 Where then are your wise men? and let them tell you now; and let them know what YHWH of hosts has purposed concerning Egypt. 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Memphis are deceived; they have caused Egypt to go astray, that are the corner-stone of her tribes. 14 YHWH has mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst of her; and they have caused Egypt to go astray in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit. 15 Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do. 16 In that day shall the Egyptians be like to women; and they shall tremble and fear because of the shaking of the hand of YHWH of hosts, which he shakes over them. 17 And the land of Judah shall become a terror to Egypt; every one to whom mention is made thereof shall be afraid, because of the purpose of YHWH of hosts, which he purposes against it. 18 In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to YHWH of hosts; one shall be called The city of destruction. 19 In that day shall there be an altar to YHWH in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at its border to YHWH. 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness to YHWH of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry to YHWH because of oppressors, and he will send them a saviour, and a defender, and he will deliver them. 21 And YHWH shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know YHWH in that day; yea, they shall worship with sacrifice and oblation, and shall vow a vow to YHWH, and shall perform it. 22 And YHWH will smite Egypt, smiting and healing; and they shall return to YHWH, and he will be entreated of them, and will heal them. 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth; 25 for that YHWH of hosts has blessed them, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.