Isaiah 18 WYC
Summary: Isaiah addresses "the land shadowing with wings" beyond the rivers of Cush (Ethiopia), a nation of tall, smooth-skinned people whose swift messengers are sent by sea, telling them to watch as the LORD acts. God describes quietly observing from His dwelling place like clear heat or a cloud of dew, while He lets a coming harvest of judgment ripen before He acts like a farmer cutting off shoots and pruning branches, leaving them for birds and beasts to feed on through a summer and winter. The chapter closes with the promise that eventually this same feared, powerful, "meted out" nation will bring a gift to the LORD of hosts at Mount Zion, turning a picture of threat into one of eventual homage. It is one of the shorter, more enigmatic oracles, focused on watching and waiting for God's timing.
1Wo to the lond, the cymbal of wyngis, which is biyende the flood of Ethiopie; that sendith messangeris bi the see,
2and in vessels of papirus on watris. Go, ye messangeris, to the folk drawun up and to-rent; to a ferdful puple, aftir which is noon other; to the folk abidynge and defoulid, whos lond the flodis han rauyschid; to the hil of the name of the Lord of oostis, to the hil of Sion.
3Alle ye dwelleris of the world, that dwellen in the lond, schulen se whanne a signe schal be reisid in the hillis, and ye schulen here the cry of a trumpe.
4For whi the Lord seith these thingis to me, Y schal reste, and Y schal biholde in my place, as the myddai liyt is cleer, and as a cloude of dew in the dai of heruest.
5For whi al flouride out bifore heruest, aud vnripe perfeccioun buriownede; and the litle braunchis therof schulen be kit doun with sithis, and tho that ben left, schulen be kit awei. Thei schulen be schakun out,
6and schulen be left togidere to the briddis of hillis, and to the beestis of erthe; and briddis schulen be on hym by a somer euerlastinge, and alle the beestis of erthe schulen dwelle bi wyntir on hym.
7In that tyme a yifte schal be brouyt to the Lord of oostis, of the puple drawun up and to-rent; of the puple ferdful, aftir which was noon other; of the folk abidynge and defoulid, whos lond floodis rauyschiden; the yifte schal be brouyt to the place of the name of the Lord of oostis, to the hil of Sion.
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