Isaiah 23

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for your fortress is destroyed.

When they came in from Cyprus

they learned of it.

²Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,

O merchants of Sidon,

your messengers crossed over the sea

³and were on the mighty waters;

your revenue was the grain of Shihor,

the harvest of the Nile;

you were the merchant of the nations.

⁴Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,

the fortress of the sea, saying:

“I have neither labored nor given birth,

I have neither reared young men

nor brought up young women.”

⁵When the report comes to Egypt,

they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.

⁶Cross over to Tarshish—

wail, O inhabitants of the coast!

⁷Is this your exultant city

whose origin is from days of old,

whose feet carried her

to settle far away?

⁸Who has planned this

against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,

whose merchants were princes,

whose traders were the honored of the earth?

⁹The Lord of hosts has planned it—

to defile the pride of all glory,

to shame all the honored of the earth.

¹⁰Cross over to your own land,

O ships of Tarshish;

this is a harbor no more.

¹¹He has stretched out his hand over the sea,

he has shaken the kingdoms;

the Lord has given command concerning Canaan

to destroy its fortresses.

¹²He said:

You will exult no longer,

O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;

rise, cross over to Cyprus—

even there you will have no rest.

¹⁴Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for your fortress is destroyed.

¹⁶Take a harp,

go about the city,

you forgotten prostitute!

Make sweet melody,

sing many songs,

that you may be remembered.