Isaiah 20:3-6

20:3 Later the Lord explained, “In the same way that my servant Isaiah has walked around in undergarments and barefoot for the past three years, as an object lesson and omen pertaining to Egypt and Cush, 20:4 so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, both young and old. They will be in undergarments and barefoot, with the buttocks exposed; the Egyptians will be publicly humiliated. ¹  20:5 Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed. ²  20:6 At that time ³  those who live on this coast ⁴  will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”

Isaiah 30:2-3

30:2 They travel down to Egypt

without seeking my will, ⁵ 

seeking Pharaoh’s protection,

and looking for safety in Egypt’s protective shade. ⁶ 

30:3 But Pharaoh’s protection will bring you nothing but shame,

and the safety of Egypt’s protective shade nothing but humiliation.

Isaiah 31:1

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ⁷ 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ⁸ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ⁹ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ¹⁰ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “lightly dressed and barefoot, and bare with respect to the buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt.”

² tn Heb “and they will be afraid and embarrassed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their beauty.”

³ tn Heb “in that day” (so KJV).

⁴ sn This probably refers to the coastal region of Philistia (cf. TEV).

⁵ tn Heb “those who go to descend to Egypt, but [of] my mouth they do not inquire.”

⁶ tn Heb “to seek protection in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek refuge in the shade of Egypt.”

⁷ tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

⁸ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

⁹ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

¹⁰ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.