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18 Woe to the land, (where) the cymbal(-sound) of wings (is heard), which is beyond the flood of Ethiopia (which land is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia);

that sendeth messengers by the sea, and in vessels of papyrus on waters. Go, ye messengers, to the folk drawn up and rent; to a fearedful people, after which is none other; to the folk abiding and defouled, whose land the floods have ravished; to the hill of the name of the Lord of hosts, to the hill of Zion. (that sendeth messengers by the sea, and in papyrus vessels upon the waters. Go, ye messengers, to a tall and smooth-skinned nation; to a people feared above all others; to a nation lying in wait, and defiled, whose land the rivers have made subject.)

All ye dwellers of the world, that dwell in the land, shall see when a sign shall be raised [up] in the hills, and ye shall hear the cry of a trump. (All ye inhabitants of the world, who live on the earth, shall see when a sign shall be raised up in the mountains, and ye shall hear the cry of the trumpet.)

For why the Lord saith these things to me, I shall rest, and I shall behold in my place, as the midday light is clear, and as a cloud of dew in the day of harvest. (For the Lord saith these things to me, I shall rest, and I shall look out from my place, like the clear midday light, and like a cloud of dew on the day of harvest.)

For why all flowered out before harvest, and unripe perfection burgeoned; and the little branches thereof shall be cut down with scythes, and those that be left, shall be cut away (shall be cut off, and cleared away).

They shall be shaken out, and shall be left together to the birds of (the) hills, and to the beasts of (the) earth; and birds shall be on him by a summer everlasting, and all the beasts of (the) earth shall dwell by winter on him. (They shall be left together for the birds of the hills, and for the beasts of the earth; and the birds shall be upon them all summer, and all the beasts of the earth shall live under them in the winter.)

In that time a gift shall be brought to the Lord of hosts, of the people drawn up and rent; of the people fearedful, after which was none other; of the folk abiding and defouled, whose land (the) floods ravished; the gift shall be brought to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to the hill of Zion. (At that time, a gift shall be brought to the Lord of hosts, from the tall and smooth-skinned people; from the people feared above all others; from the nation lying in wait and defiled, whose land the rivers have made subject; the gift shall be brought to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, to Mount Zion.)

A Prophecy Against Cush

18 Woe(A) to the land of whirring wings[a]
    along the rivers of Cush,[b](B)
which sends envoys(C) by sea
    in papyrus(D) boats over the water.

Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,(E)
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive(F) nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.(G)

All you people of the world,(H)
    you who live on the earth,
when a banner(I) is raised on the mountains,
    you will see it,
and when a trumpet(J) sounds,
    you will hear it.
This is what the Lord says to me:
    “I will remain quiet(K) and will look on from my dwelling place,(L)
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,(M)
    like a cloud of dew(N) in the heat of harvest.”
For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off(O) the shoots with pruning knives,
    and cut down and take away the spreading branches.(P)
They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey(Q)
    and to the wild animals;(R)
the birds will feed on them all summer,
    the wild animals all winter.

At that time gifts(S) will be brought to the Lord Almighty

from a people tall and smooth-skinned,(T)
    from a people feared(U) far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers(V)

the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the Lord Almighty.(W)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 18:1 Or of locusts
  2. Isaiah 18:1 That is, the upper Nile region