Isaiah 19:12-14

19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? ¹ 

Let them tell you, let them find out

what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,

the officials of Memphis ²  are misled;

the rulers ³  of her tribes lead Egypt astray.

19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; ⁴ 

they lead Egypt astray in all she does,

so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. ⁵ 

[19:12]  ¹ tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.

[19:13]  ² tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”

[19:13]  ³ tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.

[19:14]  ³ tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”

[19:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”