Isaiah 19:15

NETBible

Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. 1 

NIV ©

There is nothing Egypt can do—head or tail, palm branch or reed.

NASB ©

There will be no work for Egypt Which its head or tail, its palm branch or bulrush, may do.

NLT ©

Nobody in Egypt, whether rich or poor, important or unknown, can offer any help.

MSG ©

Egypt's hopeless, past helping, a senile, doddering old fool.

BBE ©

And in Egypt there will be no work for any man, head or tail, high or low, to do.

NRSV ©

Neither head nor tail, palm branch or reed, will be able to do anything for Egypt.

NKJV ©

Neither will there be any work for Egypt, Which the head or tail, Palm branch or bulrush, may do.

KJV
Neither shall there be [any] work
<04639>
for Egypt
<04714>_,
which the head
<07218>
or tail
<02180>_,
branch
<03712>
or rush
<0100>_,
may do
<06213> (8799)_.
NASB ©
There will be no
<3808>
work
<4639>
for Egypt
<4714>
Which
<834>

its
head
<7218>
or tail
<2180>
,
its
palm
<3712>
branch
<3712>
or bulrush
<100>
, may do
<6213>
.
LXXM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ouk
<3364> 
ADV
estai
<1510> 
V-FMI-3S
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
aiguptioiv
<124> 
N-DPM
ergon
<2041> 
N-ASN
o
<3739> 
R-NSM
poihsei
<4160> 
V-FAI-3S
kefalhn
<2776> 
N-ASF
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ouran
<3769> 
N-ASF
archn
<746> 
N-ASF
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
telov
<5056> 
N-ASN
NET [draft] ITL
Egypt
<04714>
will not
<03808>
be
<01961>
able to do
<06213>
a thing
<04639>
, head
<07218>
or tail
<02180>
, shoots
<03712>
and stalk
<0100>
.
HEBREW
o
Nwmgaw
<0100>
hpk
<03712>
bnzw
<02180>
sar
<07218>
hvey
<06213>
rsa
<0834>
hvem
<04639>
Myruml
<04714>
hyhy
<01961>
alw (19:15)
<03808>
NETBible

Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. 1 

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “And there will not be for Egypt a deed, which head and tail, shoot and stalk can do.” In 9:14-15 the phrase “head or tail” refers to leaders and prophets, respectively. This interpretation makes good sense in this context, where both leaders and advisers (probably including prophets and diviners) are mentioned (vv. 11-14). Here, as in 9:14, “shoots and stalk” picture a reed, which symbolizes the leadership of the nation in its entirety.