Isaiah 23
1A prophecy against Tyre:Wail, you ships of Tarshish!For Tyre is destroyedand left without house or harbor.From the land of Cyprusword has come to them. 2Be silent, you people of the islandand you merchants of Sidon,whom the seafarers have enriched. 3On the great waterscame the grain of the Shihor;the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre,and she became the marketplace of the nations. 4Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea,for the sea has spoken:“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.” 5When word comes to Egypt,they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre. 6Cross over to Tarshish;wail, you people of the island. 7Is this your city of revelry,the old, old city,whose feet have taken herto settle in far-off lands? 8Who planned this against Tyre,the bestower of crowns,whose merchants are princes,whose traders are renowned in the earth? 9The Lord Almighty planned it,to bring down her pride in all her splendorand to humble all who are renowned on the earth. 10Till your land as they do along the Nile,Daughter Tarshish,for you no longer have a harbor. 11The Lord has stretched out his hand over the seaand made its kingdoms tremble.He has given an order concerning Phoeniciathat her fortresses be destroyed. 12He said, “No more of your reveling,Virgin Daughter Sidon, now crushed!“Up, cross over to Cyprus;even there you will find no rest.” 13Look at the land of the Babylonians,this people that is now of no account!The Assyrians have made ita place for desert creatures;they raised up their siege towers,they stripped its fortresses bareand turned it into a ruin. 14Wail, you ships of Tarshish;your fortress is destroyed! 15At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 16“Take up a harp, walk through the city,you forgotten prostitute;play the harp well, sing many a song,so that you will be remembered.” 17At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes.
Study Context for Isaiah 23
As you study Isaiah 23, keep in mind the overarching themes of this old testament book: Judgment, Comfort, Messiah. Observe how the specific events or teachings in this chapter contribute to the book's broader message.
JudgmentComfortMessiah
Observation: What does Isaiah 23 reveal about the character and nature of God? What does it reveal about humanity?
Application: How does the truth presented in this chapter change how you should live, think, or pray today?
Study introductions and prompts are supplementary aids, not Scripture. They do not replace prayerful reading, the authority of Scripture, a faithful local church, or pastoral care.
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