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18 Oy to the Eretz Tziltzal Kenafayim (Land of Whirring Wings, i.e., Ethiopia), which is beyond the rivers of Kush;

That sendeth envoys by the yam, even in vessels of gomeh (papyrus) upon the mayim, saying, Go, ye swift malachim, to a Goy (nation) tall and smooth of skin, to an Am Norah far away on the other side; a Goy powerful and treading down, whose land the neharim (rivers) divide!

All ye inhabitants of the Tevel, and dwellers of Eretz, when a nes (battle flag) is lifted up on the harim, look; and when a shofar is blown, listen!

For so Hashem said unto me, I will remain quiet in My rest, and I will consider from My dwelling place like shimmering chom (heat) in the ohr, and like a cloud of tal (dew) in the chom katzir (heat of harvest).

For before katzir (harvest), when the bud is perfect, and the boser (sour grape, ripening grape) is ripening in the flower, He shall both cut off the zalzallim (shoots) with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the netishot (tendrils, branches).

They shall be left together unto the birds of prey of the harim, and to the behemat ha’aretz; and the birds of prey shall summer upon them, and all the behemat ha’aretz shall winter upon them.

In that time shall there be offered in homage to Hashem Tzva’os an Am (people) tall and smooth of skin, an Am Norah far away on the other side; a Goy powerful and treading down under foot, whose land the neharim (rivers) divide, even at the makom (place) of the Shem Hashem Tzva’os, Har Tziyon.

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