AN ORACLE CONCERNING CUSH (0:00)
The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead, the one beyond the rivers of Cush (Ethiopia), that sends messengers by sea, who glide over the water's surface in boats made of papyrus. (0:24) Go, you swift messengers, to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people, to a people that are feared far and wide, to a nation strong and victorious, whose land is cut through by rivers.
(1:09) All you peoples of the world, and you who are living on the earth, when a flag is lifted up on the mountains, give attention; you will hear a trumpet being blown.
(1:48) For this is what the Lord has told me: “I will wait and watch from my place, like scorching heat produced by the sunlight, like a cloud of mist in the heat of harvest.” For before the harvest, when the bud has sprouted, and the ripening fruit appears, he will cut off the unproductive shoots with pruning knives; he will prune the tendrils. They will all be left for the birds of the hills and the wild animals; (1:43) the birds will eat them during the summer, and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter. (2:31) At that time tribute will be brought to the Lord who commands armies, by a people that are tall and smooth-skinned, a people that are feared far and wide, a nation strong and victorious, whose land rivers divide. The tribute will be brought to the place where the Lord who commands armies has chosen to reside, on Mount Zion.
Isaiah 19 AN ORACLE CONCERNING EGYPT (3:24)
Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage. “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, brothers will fight with each other, as will neighbors, cities, and kingdoms. They will panic, I will confuse their strategy. They will seek guidance from the idols, from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians.”
“I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a powerful king will rule over them,” says the Lord who commands armies. (4:42) The water of the sea will be dried up, and the river will dry up and be empty. The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and then dry up; the bulrushes and reeds will decay, along with the plants by the mouth of the river. (5:26) All the cultivated land near the river will turn to dust and be blown away (the grass-lands and everything planted by the Nile will become dry). (5:52) The fishermen will be sad, and all those who put fishing-lines into the Nile will be full of grief, and those whose nets are stretched out on the waters will have sorrow in their hearts. Those who make clothes from combed flax (linen thread) will be embarrassed; those who weave will turn pale. And the makers of twisted thread will be crushed, all the hired workers will be sad in heart.
(6:10) The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh's wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” But where, oh where, are your wise men? Let them tell you, let them find out what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt. (7:01) Where, then, are your wise men? (7:30) The chiefs of Zoan have become foolish, the chiefs of Noph are tricked, they are the cause of Egypt's wandering out of the way.
(7:54) The Lord has made them undiscerning; they lead Egypt astray in all she does, so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. [The Lord has sent among them a spirit of error: and by them Egypt is turned out of the right way in all her doings, as a man overcome by wine is uncertain in his steps.] Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. [And in Egypt there will be no work for any man, head or tail, high or low, to do.]…Isaiah 19b-20 “Blessed be my people, Egypt, and the work of my hands, Assyria, and my special possession, Israel!” (EGYPT, ASSYRIA, ISRAEL BLESSED, continued on the next episode).