בִּשְׁנַת בֹּא תַרְתָּן אַשְׁדּוֹדָה בִּשְׁלֹחַ אֹתוֹ סַרְגוֹן מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיִּלָּחֶם בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד וַיִּלְכְּדָהּ

The content of this next prophecy is similar to that of the previous one. In the year of the arrival of the tartan, the title of the Assyrian commander-in-chief, tartanu in Assyrian, to the city of Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, he waged war against Ashdod and captured it. Although the date of this prophecy cannot be established with certainty, it comes from the early period of Isaiah’s career, as when the Assyrian army returned in the days of King Hizkiya, it was headed by Sennacherib.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא דִּבֶּר ה' בְּיַד יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ לֵאמֹר לֵךְ וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק מֵעַל מָתְנֶיךָ וְנַעַלְךָ תַחֲלֹץ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן הָלֹךְ עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף

At that time, the Lord spoke by means of Isaiah son of Amotz, saying: Go and loosen and remove the sackcloth from around your waist, and remove your shoe from upon your foot. He did so, walking relatively naked, without the upper garment of sackcloth that he had been wearing, and barefoot.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ עַבְדִּי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים אוֹת וּמוֹפֵת עַל מִצְרַיִם וְעַל כּוּשׁ

The chapter turns to the content of the prophecy. The Lord said: Just as My servant Isaiah went naked and barefoot for three years, as a sign and a wonder for Egypt and for Kush,

כֵּן יִנְהַג מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶת שְׁבִי מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת גָּלוּת כּוּשׁ נְעָרִים וּזְקֵנִים עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף וַחֲשׂוּפַי שֵׁת עֶרְוַת מִצְרָיִם

so will the king of Assyria lead the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Kush, youths and elders, naked and barefoot and bared of buttocks, so that the nakedness of Egypt will be visible to all. The Assyrians will overcome Egypt, whose inhabitants will be taken captive and left bereft of protection or dignity.

וְחַתּוּ וָבֹשׁוּ מִכּוּשׁ מַבָּטָם וּמִן מִצְרַיִם תִּפְאַרְתָּם

They, those Israelites who sought to rely on Egypt and Kush, will be disheartened and ashamed; their gaze was to Kush and their splendor was from Egypt.

וְאָמַר יֹשֵׁב הָאִי הַזֶּה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה כֹה מַבָּטֵנוּ אֲשֶׁר נַסְנוּ שָׁם לְעֶזְרָה לְהִנָּצֵל מִפְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֵיךְ נִמָּלֵט אֲנָחְנוּ!

The inhabitant of this island, the Land of Israel, will say on that day: Behold, this is where we looked. Alternatively, this is what happened to those in whom we set our hopes, where we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria. Now that Egypt and Kush have been conquered by the Assyrians, how will we escape?