以賽亞書23:1-18

23:1 論泰爾的默示：他施的船隻都要哀號；因為泰爾變為荒場，甚至沒有房屋，沒有可進之路。這消息是從基提地得來的。
23:2 沿海的居民，就是素來靠航海西頓的商家得豐盛的，你們當靜默無言。
23:3 在大水之上，西曷的糧食、尼羅河的莊稼是泰爾的進項；她作列國的大碼頭。
23:4 西頓哪，你當慚愧；因為大海說，就是海中的保障說：我沒有劬勞，也沒有生產，沒有養育男子，也沒有撫養童女。
23:5 這風聲傳到埃及；埃及人為泰爾的風聲極其疼痛。
23:6 泰爾人哪，你們當過到他施去；沿海的居民哪，你們都當哀號。
23:7 這是你們歡樂的城，從上古而有的嗎？其中的居民往遠方寄居。
23:8 泰爾本是賜冠冕的。她的商家是王子；她的買賣人是世上的尊貴人。遭遇如此是誰定的呢？
23:9 是萬軍之耶和華所定的！為要污辱一切高傲的榮耀，使地上一切的尊貴人被藐視。
23:10 他施的民（原文是女）哪，可以流行你的地，好像尼羅河；不再有腰帶拘緊你。
23:11 耶和華已經向海伸手，震動列國。至於迦南，他已經吩咐拆毀其中的保障。
23:12 他又說：受欺壓西頓的居民（原文是處女）哪，你必不得再歡樂。起來！過到基提去；就是在那裡也不得安歇。
23:13 （看哪，迦勒底人之地向來沒有這民，這國是亞述人為住曠野的人所立的。現在他們建築戍樓，拆毀泰爾的宮殿，使她成為荒涼。）
23:14 他施的船隻都要哀號，因為你們的保障變為荒場。
23:15 到那時，泰爾必被忘記七十年，照著一王的年日。七十年後，泰爾的景況必像妓女所唱的歌：
23:16 你這被忘記的妓女啊，拿琴周流城內，巧彈多唱，使人再想念你。
23:17 七十年後，耶和華必眷顧泰爾，她就仍得利息（原文是雇價；下同），與地上的萬國交易（原文是行淫）。
23:18 她的貨財和利息要歸耶和華為聖，必不積攢存留；因為她的貨財必為住在耶和華面前的人所得，使他們吃飽，穿耐久的衣服。

The oracle concerning Tyre.

 

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for your fortress is destroyed.

When they came in from Cyprus

they learned of it.

2

Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,

O merchants of Sidon,

your messengers crossed over the sea

3

and were on the mighty waters;

your revenue was the grain of Shihor,

the harvest of the Nile;

you were the merchant of the nations.

4

Be 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.”

5

When the report comes to Egypt,

they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.

6

Cross over to Tarshish—

wail, O inhabitants of the coast!

7

Is this your exultant city

whose origin is from days of old,

whose feet carried her

to settle far away?

8

Who has planned this

against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,

whose merchants were princes,

whose traders were the honored of the earth?

9

The Lord of hosts has planned it—

to defile the pride of all glory,

to shame all the honored of the earth.

10

Cross over to your own land,

O ships of Tarshish;

this is a harbor no more.

11

He has stretched out his hand over the sea,

he has shaken the kingdoms;

the Lord has given command concerning Canaan

to destroy its fortresses.

12

He said:

You will exult no longer,

O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;

rise, cross over to Cyprus—

even there you will have no rest.

¹³ Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined Tyre for wild animals. They erected their siege towers, they tore down her palaces, they made her a ruin.

14

Wail, O ships of Tarshish,

for your fortress is destroyed.

¹⁵ From that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song about the prostitute:

16

Take a harp,

go about the city,

you forgotten prostitute!

Make sweet melody,

sing many songs,

that you may be remembered.

¹⁷ At the end of seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and she will return to her trade, and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. ¹⁸Her merchandise and her wages will be dedicated to the Lord; her profits will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who live in the presence of the Lord.

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    上帝的審判也臨到在海邊的泰爾和希頓，這兩個國家因為海事而成為富足的。也因為如此，她們就不敬畏上帝，和猶大及以色列的關係也不好。所以，上帝仍然使用亞述來懲罰。

    這也讓我們再次思考到，上帝雖然是揀選以色列當選民，被稱為以色列的上帝。但是祂仍然是掌管萬民，一切的局勢都是祂在掌理。各國的興衰，都是在他大能的手掌握中。

    故此，我們要承認上帝有絕對的主權，我們要在基督裡尊上帝為大！