1 A Prophecy About Egypt and Ethiopia In the year that the 20:1 Heb Tartan commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,
2 at that time Yahweh spoke by the hand of Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot.
3 And Yahweh said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and wonder against Egypt and 20:3 Or Cush, so in vv4, 5,cf. Gen 10:6 Ethiopia,
4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the 20:4Lit nakedness shame of Egypt.
5 Then they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Ethiopia their hope and Egypt their boast.
6 So the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and we, how shall we escape?’ ”