The prophets
A Message to Cush and a Gift for Zion
A prophetic oracle concerning the land beyond the rivers of Cush, where messengers travel in papyrus boats to a tall and feared people. The Lord waits quietly like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest, before cutting off the vines and leaving them to birds of prey and wild animals. Finally, gifts from this people are brought to the Lord of hosts on Mount Zion.
Isaiah 18,1-7
1Woe to the land of whirring wings, beyond the rivers of Cush,
ה֥וֹי אֶ֖רֶץ צִלְצַ֣ל כְּנָפָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעֵ֖בֶר לְנַֽהֲרֵי־כֽוּשׁ׃
2which sends its envoys by sea, in vessels of papyrus over the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.
הַשֹּׁלֵ֨חַ בַּיָּ֜ם צִירִ֗ים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא֮ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם֒ לְכ֣וּ ׀ מַלְאָכִ֣ים קַלִּ֗ים אֶל־גּוֹי֙ מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט אֶל־עַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֚וֹי קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְא֥וּ נְהָרִ֖ים אַרְצֽוֹ׃
3All you inhabitants of the world, all who dwell on the earth: when a banner is raised on the mountains, look; when the trumpet sounds, listen.
כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵ֖ל וְשֹׁ֣כְנֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּנְשֹׂא־נֵ֤ס הָרִים֙ תִּרְא֔וּ וְכִתְקֹ֥עַ שׁוֹפָ֖ר תִּשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ ס
4For this is what the LORD said to me: I will stay quiet and watch from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the blaze of noon, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י *אשקוטה **אֶשְׁקֳטָ֖ה וְאַבִּ֣יטָה בִמְכוֹנִ֑י כְּחֹ֥ם צַח֙ עֲלֵי־א֔וֹר כְּעָ֥ב טַ֖ל בְּחֹ֥ם קָצִֽיר׃
5For before the harvest, when the blossom is over and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives and strip away the spreading branches.
כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ כְּתָם־פֶּ֔רַח וּבֹ֥סֶר גֹּמֵ֖ל יִֽהְיֶ֣ה נִצָּ֑ה וְכָרַ֤ת הַזַּלְזַלִּים֙ בַּמַּזְמֵר֔וֹת וְאֶת־הַנְּטִישׁ֖וֹת הֵסִ֥יר הֵתַֽז׃
6They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild beasts of the land; the birds of prey will summer on them, and all the wild beasts will winter on them.
יֵעָזְב֤וּ יַחְדָּו֙ לְעֵ֣יט הָרִ֔ים וּֽלְבֶהֱמַ֖ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְקָ֤ץ עָלָיו֙ הָעַ֔יִט וְכָל־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ עָלָ֥יו תֶּחֱרָֽף׃
7At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of hosts by a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide — brought to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, to Mount Zion.
בָּעֵת֩ הַהִ֨יא יֽוּבַל־שַׁ֜י לַיהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת עַ֚ם מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט וּמֵעַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֣וֹי ׀ קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּזְא֤וּ נְהָרִים֙ אַרְצ֔וֹ אֶל־מְק֛וֹם שֵׁם־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת הַר־צִיּֽוֹן׃ ס