Isaiah 20

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

¹In the year that the field commander sent by Sargon king of Assyria came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it—[#20:1 Literally the Tartan]

²at that time the Lord delivered a message through Isaiah son of Amoz. The Lord said, “Take off the sackcloth around your waist and remove the sandals from your feet.” Isaiah did this and went naked and barefoot.

³The Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and an omen concerning Egypt and Cush,[#20:3 That is, the upper Nile region, roughly corresponding to present-day Sudan]

⁴so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with bare buttocks, to Egypt's shame.

⁵They will be overwhelmed and ashamed because of Cush, their hope, and Egypt, their source of confidence.

⁶On that day those who live on this coast will say, ‘Look what happened to our hope, to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How can we escape?’”