Isaiah 23 - Easy To Read Version

¹ The sad message about Tyre: You ships from Tarshish, {\cf2\super [219]} be sad! Your harbor has been destroyed. (The people on these ships were told this news while on their way from the land of Kittim.) {\cf2\super [220]}

² You people living near the sea should stop and be sad. Tyre was the “Merchant {\cf2\super [221]} of Sidon.” That city by the sea sent businessmen across the seas, and those men filled you with riches.

³ Those men traveled the seas looking for grain. Those men from Tyre bought the grain that grows near the Nile River, and they sold the grain to other nations.

⁴ Sidon, you should be very sad. Why? Because now the Sea, and the Fort of the Sea {\cf2\super [222]} say:

⁵ Egypt will hear the news about Tyre.\par This news will make Egypt hurt\par with sorrow.\par

⁶ You ships should return to Tarshish. {\cf2\super [223]} \par You people living near the sea\par should be sad.\par

⁷ In the past, you enjoyed the city of Tyre.\par That city has been growing\par since the beginning.\par People from that city have traveled\par far away to live.\par

⁸ The city of Tyre has produced many leaders.\par Businessmen from that city are like princes.\par The people that buy and sell things\par are honored everywhere.\par So who made plans against Tyre?\par

⁹ It was the Lord All-Powerful.\par He decided to make them not important.\par

¹⁰ You ships from Tarshish should go back\par to your country.\par Cross the sea like it is a small river.\par No person will stop you now.\par

¹¹ The Lord has stretched his arm over the sea.\par The Lord is gathering kingdoms\par to fight against Tyre.\par The Lord commands Canaan {\cf2\super [224]} \par to destroy \{Tyre\},\par her place of safety.\par

¹² The Lord says,\par “Virgin Daughter of Sidon, {\cf2\super [225]} \par you will be destroyed.\par You will not rejoice any more.”\par \{But the people of Tyre say,\}\par “Cyprus {\cf2\super [226]} will help us!”\par But if you cross the sea to Cyprus,\par you will not find a place to rest.\par

¹³ \{So the people of Tyre say,\}\par “The people of Babylon will help us!”\par But look at the land of the Chaldeans! {\cf2\super [227]} \par Babylon is not a country now.\par Assyria {\cf2\super [228]} attacked Babylon and built war towers around it.\par The soldiers took everything from\par the beautiful houses.\par Assyria made Babylon\par a place for wild animals.\par They changed Babylon\par into a place of ruins.\par

¹⁴ So, be sad, you ships from Tarshish. {\cf2\super [229]} \par Your place of safety (Tyre)\par will be destroyed.\par

¹⁵ People will forget about Tyre for 70 years. (That is, about the length of a certain king’s rule.) After 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute {\cf2\super [230]} in this song:

¹⁶ Oh woman that men forgot,\par take your harp and walk through the city.\par Play your song well.\par Sing your song often.\par Then maybe people will remember you.\par

¹⁷ After 70 years, the Lord will review Tyre’s case, and he will give her a decision. Tyre will again have trade. Tyre will be like a prostitute {\cf2\super [231]} for all the nations on earth.

¹⁸ But Tyre will not keep the money she earns. Tyre’s profit from her trade will be saved for the Lord. Tyre will give that profit to the people that serve the Lord. So the Lord’s servants will eat until they are full, and they will wear nice clothes.