Le Livre du Prophète Ésaïe

Chapître 19

1

The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth⁶ upon a swift cloud, and shall come¹ into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved¹ at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt¹¹ in the midst of it.

2

And I will set⁴³ the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight⁸ every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, [and] kingdom against kingdom.

3

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail⁸ in the midst thereof; and I will destroy¹⁷ the counsel thereof: and they shall seek¹ to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

4

 And the Egyptians will I give over¹⁴ into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule⁴ over them, saith⁷ the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

5

And the waters shall fail⁸ from the sea, and the river shall be wasted⁴ and dried up.¹

6

And they shall turn the rivers far away;⁵² [and] the brooks of defence ⁴⁶⁹² shall be emptied¹ and dried up:¹ the reeds and flags shall wither.¹

7

The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither,⁴ be driven away,⁸ and be no [more].

8

The fishers also shall mourn,¹ and all they that cast⁵⁶ angle into the brooks shall lament,¹ and they that spread⁶ nets upon the waters shall languish.⁴⁹

9

Moreover they that work⁶ in fine flax, and they that weave⁶ networks, shall be confounded.¹

10

And they shall be broken³⁰ in the purposes thereof, all that make⁶ sluices [and] ponds ⁹⁸ for fish.

11

Surely the princes of Zoan [are] fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors⁶ of Pharaoh is become brutish:¹² how say⁴ ye unto Pharaoh, I [am] the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

12

Where [are] they? where [are] thy wise [men]? and let them tell⁵⁵ thee now, and let them know⁴ what the LORD of hosts hath purposed¹ upon Egypt.

13

The princes of Zoan are become fools,⁸ the princes of Noph are deceived;⁸ they have also seduced⁵² Egypt, [even they that are] the stay of the tribes thereof.

14

The LORD hath mingled¹ a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err⁵² in every work thereof, as a drunken [man] staggereth⁹ in his vomit.

15

Neither shall there be [any] work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.⁴

16

In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid¹ and fear¹ because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh⁵⁶ over it.

17

And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention⁵⁵ thereof shall be afraid⁴ in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined⁶ against it.

18

In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak¹⁸ the language of Canaan, and swear¹² to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called,¹¹ The city of destruction.

19

In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.

20

And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry⁴ unto the LORD because of the oppressors,⁵ and he shall send⁴ them a saviour,⁵⁶ and a great one, and he shall deliver⁵² them.

21

And the LORD shall be known⁸ to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know¹ the LORD in that day, and shall do¹ sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow¹ a vow unto the LORD, and perform¹⁴ [it].

22

And the LORD shall smite¹ Egypt: he shall smite² and heal² [it]: and they shall return¹ [even] to the LORD, and he shall be intreated⁸ of them, and shall heal¹ them.

23

In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come¹ into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve¹ with the Assyrians.

24

In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, [even] a blessing in the midst of the land:

25

Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless,¹⁴ saying,² Blessed⁷ [be] Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.