Isaiah 19

The LORD rides on a cloud
Headed for Egypt.
Their idols tremble when he comes.
Egyptians get that sinking feeling
As their courage melts to fear.
2He says, “I’ll set off a spark in Egypt
Inciting a civil war.
Neighbor fights neighbor.
City fights city.
Kingdom fights kingdom.
3I’ll gut their spirit
And swallow their plans.
They’ll go to the dead for direction:
Idols, spirits, mediums, and ghosts.
4I’ll give the Egyptians away
As a gift to a harder ruler.
A terrifying king will lead them,”
That’s from the King of all.

Egypt’s Nile River runs out of water.
The riverbed’s parched and dry.
6Canals stink of stagnation,
Tributaries wither away,
As reeds by the river rot and die.
7Seeds planted by the river
Will dry and die
And blow away in the wind.
8Fishermen will weep.
If they’ve ever dropped a hook and a line
They’ll mourn their loss for the fish they won’t catch.
If they pay their way by throwing nets on the water
They’ll go broke in the days ahead.
9Fabric makers who made clothes of flax
Will lose hope of making a living.
Weavers turn pale as they lose hope, too.
10This crushes the weavers
And breaks their hearts.
It sickens anyone working for pay.

Princes of Zoan [1] are more fool than prince.
Pharaoh’s advisors are dumb. Where do you get nerve
To say to Pharaoh,
“I’m wise, a sage,
A descendant of kings”?
12Where are your wise men now?
Find them and ask what’s going on
With the Almighty LORD’s plan for Egypt.
13Zoan rulers are idiots.
Memphis rulers are too,
They lie to themselves all the time.
Leaders of tribes throughout Egypt
Have led Egypt into sin.
14The LORD fed Egypt confusion.
Egypt became a staggering drunk.
When Egypt opens its mouth to speak wisely,
All it will do is vomit.
15No one can help Egypt now.
From head to tail
From palm branches high
To reed plants below
There’s no help for Egypt anywhere.