Isaiah 23:15-17

23:15 At that time ¹  Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, ²  the typical life span of a king. ³  At the end of seventy years Tyre will try to attract attention again, like the prostitute in the popular song: ⁴ 

23:16 “Take the harp,

go through the city,

forgotten prostitute!

Play it well,

play lots of songs,

so you’ll be noticed!” ⁵ 

23:17 At the end of seventy years ⁶  the Lord will revive ⁷  Tyre. She will start making money again by selling her services to all the earth’s kingdoms. ⁸ 

[23:15]  ¹ tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[23:15]  ² sn The number seventy is probably used in a stereotypical, nonliteral sense here to indicate a long period of time that satisfies completely the demands of God’s judgment.

[23:15]  ³ tn Heb “like the days of a king.”

[23:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “At the end of seventy years it will be for Tyre like the song of the prostitute.”

[23:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “so you will be remembered.”

[23:17]  ⁶ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[23:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “visit [with favor]” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “will deal with.”

[23:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “and she will return to her [prostitute’s] wages and engage in prostitution with all the kingdoms of the earth on the face of the earth.”