23
1 The massa (burden) of Tzor:
Howl, ye oniyyot (ships) of Tarshish;
for it is destroyed, so that there is no bais, no entering in;
from the Eretz Kittim (Land of Cyprus)
niglah (it is revealed) to them.
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island);
thou whom the sokher (merchant) of Tzidon,
that pass over the yam, have enriched.
3 And by mayim rabbim, the zera (grain) of Shikhor,*
the katzir (harvest) of the Shikhor,† is her tevuah (produce, income);
and she is a Sakhar Goyim (market bazaar of nations).
4 Be thou ashamed, O Tzidon; for the yam hath spoken,
even the ma'oz (fortress) of the yam, saying,
I travail not, nor give birth,
neither do I rear bochurim,
nor bring up betulot.
5 As at the report concerning Mitzrayim,
so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tzor.
6 Cross ye over to Tarshish;
howl, ye inhabitants of the ee (isle, island).
7 Is this your joyous city,
whose antiquity is of ancient days?
Her own raglayim shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
8 Who hath devised this against Tzor, the crowning city,
whose sokharim (merchants) are sarim (princes),
whose traders are the nikhbadei Eretz (honored of the Earth).
9 Hashem Tzva'os hath devised it,
to demean the ga'on (pride) of every beauty,
and to humble all the nikhbadei Eretz.
10 Pass through thy land like the Nile, O Bat Tarshish;
there is no more restraint.
11 He stretched out His Yad over the yam,
He shook the mamlakhot (kingdoms);
Hashem hath given a commandment against Kena'an,
to destroy her ma'a'uzim (fortresses).
12 And He said, Thou shalt no more exult,
O thou oppressed Betulah, Bat Tzidon;
arise, pass over to Kittim (Cyprus);
there also shalt thou have no rest.
13 Behold, Eretz Kasdim (land of Chaldeans); this people was not, till the Assyrian made it for wild creatures; they raise up the siege towers thereof, they destroyed the palaces thereof; and turned her to ruin.
14 Howl, ye oniyyot Tarshish;
for your stronghold is destroyed.
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tzor shall be forgotten shiv'im shanah, according to the yamim of melech echad; after the end of shiv'im shanah shall Tzor sing as a zonah.
16 Take a kinnor,
go about the Ir,
thou zonah that hast been forgotten;
make sweet melody,
sing many shir,
that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass at the end of shiv'im shanah, that Hashem will visit Tzor, and she shall return to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the mamlakhot HaAretz upon the face of ha'adamah. 18 And her gain and her hire shall be kodesh to Hashem; it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her‡ earnings shall be for them that live before Hashem, to eat sufficiently, and for choice clothing.
* 23:3 Nile † 23:3 Nile ‡ 23:18 Tzorʼs