Isaiah 18 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

God’s Message to Ethiopia

18 Look at the land along the rivers of Ethiopia where you can hear the buzzing of insect wings. 2 That land sends people down the Nile River in reed boats.[a]

Fast messengers, go to the people
who are tall and smooth,
who are feared far and wide.
Go to that powerful nation that defeats other countries
and whose land is divided by rivers.
Go warn them!
3 Like a flag on a hill,
everyone on earth will see what happens.
Like a trumpet call,
everyone in the country will hear it.

4 The Lord said, “I will be in the place prepared for me.[b] I will quietly watch these things happen: On a beautiful summer day, at noon, people will be resting. (It will be during the hot harvest time when there is no rain, but only early morning dew.) 5 Then something terrible will happen. Earlier in the year, the flowers bloomed and the new grapes formed buds and began to grow. But before the crop is harvested, the enemy will come and cut the plants. They will break the vines and throw them away. 6 The vines will be left for the birds from the mountains and the wild animals to eat. The birds will feed on them throughout the summer, and that winter the wild animals will eat the vines.”

7 At that time a special offering will be brought to the Lord All-Powerful from the people who are tall and smooth, from those who are feared far and wide, from that powerful nation that defeats other countries and whose land is divided by rivers.[c] This offering will be brought to the Lord’s place on Mount Zion.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 18:2 reed boats These boats were made by tying many reeds (a type of water plant) together.
  2. Isaiah 18:4 the place prepared for me Probably the Temple in Jerusalem.
  3. Isaiah 18:7 Or “At that time the people who are tall and smooth, who are feared far and wide, that powerful nation who defeats other countries and whose land is divided by rivers, those people will be brought to the Lord All-Powerful as a special gift.”

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Isaiah 18 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

18 Ho, land shadowed [with] wings, That [is] beyond the rivers of Cush, 2 That is sending by sea ambassadors, Even with implements of reed on the face of the waters, -- Go, ye light messengers, Unto a nation drawn out and peeled, Unto a people fearful from its beginning and onwards, A nation meeting...
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Isaiah 18 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

18 Woe to the land, (where) the cymbal(-sound) of wings (is heard), which is beyond the flood of Ethiopia (which land is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia); 2 that sendeth messengers by the sea, and in vessels of papyrus on waters. Go, ye messengers, to the folk drawn up and rent; to a fearedful people,...
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Isaiah 18 - World English Bible (WEB)

18 Ah, the land of the rustling of wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; 2 that sends ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of papyrus on the waters, saying, “Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people awesome from their beginning onward, a nation that measures ou...
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Isaiah 18 - The Voice (VOICE)

18 O land abuzz with the whirring of wings, far away past the Ethiopian rivers,2 With papyrus-reed boats shuttling ambassadors back and forth! Go quickly, you messengers, to those impressive people,Those fearsome and terrifying people so lank and smooth. Theirs is a powerful nation divided by rivers...
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Isaiah 18 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Ode of Ethiopia18 Oy! The land of whirring wings,which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,2 that sends ambassadors by sea,in papyrus vessels upon the water.Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, a nation powerful and oppressive, whose land the river...
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Isaiah 18 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

An Oracle concerning Ethiopia18 Ah, land of whirring wings which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia;2 which sends ambassadors by the Nile, in vessels of papyrus upon the waters!Go, you swift messengers, to a nation, tall and smooth,to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose...
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Isaiah 18 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

An Oracle concerning Ethiopia18 Ah, land of whirring wings which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia;2 which sends ambassadors by the Nile, in vessels of papyrus upon the waters!Go, you swift messengers, to a nation, tall and smooth,to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose...
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Isaiah 18 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

An Oracle concerning Ethiopia18 Ah, land of whirring wings beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,[a]2 sending ambassadors by the Nile in vessels of papyrus on the waters!Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth,to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rive...
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Isaiah 18 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

An Oracle concerning Cush18 Woe, land of buzzing[a] wings beyond the rivers of Cush,(A)2 sending ambassadors by the Nile in vessels of papyrus on the waters!Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth,to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty[b] and conquering, whose land the rivers...
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Isaiah 18 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Message about Ethiopia18 Listen, Ethiopia[a]—land of fluttering sails[b] that lies at the headwaters of the Nile,2 that sends ambassadors in swift boats down the river.Go, swift messengers!Take a message to a tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and widefor their conquests and destructi...
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Isaiah 18 - New Life Version (NLV)

Word about Cush18 Trouble will come to the land on the other side of the rivers of Cush where the sound of wings is heard. 2 From that land men are sent by the sea in boats made from tall river-grass. Go, you fast men, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people who fill others with fear both near and...
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Isaiah 18 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Proclamation Against Ethiopia18 Woe (A)to the land shadowed with buzzing wings,Which is beyond the rivers of [a]Ethiopia,2 Which sends ambassadors by sea,Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,“Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin,To a people terrible from their beginning...
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Isaiah 18 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

A prophecy against Cush18 Woe to the land of whirring wings[a] along the rivers of Cush,[b]2 which sends envoys by sea in papyrus boats over the water.Go, swift messengers,to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide,an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divid...
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Isaiah 18 - New International Version (NIV)

A Prophecy Against Cush18 Woe(A) to the land of whirring wings[a] along the rivers of Cush,[b](B)2 which sends envoys(C) by sea in papyrus(D) boats over the water.Go, swift messengers,to a people tall and smooth-skinned,(E) to a people feared far and wide,an aggressive(F) nation of strange speech, w...
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Isaiah 18 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Isaiah 18 - New English Translation (NET)

The Lord Will Judge a Distant Land in the South18 Beware, land of buzzing wings,[a]the one beyond the rivers of Cush,2 that sends messengers by sea,who glide over the water’s surface in boats made of papyrus.Go, you swift messengers,to a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people,[b]to a people that are ...
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