Yesaya 19:3

19:3 The Egyptians will panic, ¹ 

and I will confuse their strategy. ² 

They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead,

from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. ³ 

Yesaya 30:1

Egypt Will Prove Unreliable

30:1 “The rebellious ⁴  children are as good as dead,” ⁵  says the Lord,

“those who make plans without consulting me, ⁶ 

who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ⁷ 

and thereby compound their sin. ⁸ 

[19:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and the spirit of Egypt will be laid waste in its midst.”

[19:3]  ² tn The verb בָּלַע (bala’, “confuse”) is a homonym of the more common בָּלַע (bala’, “swallow”); see HALOT 135 s.v. I בלע.

[19:3]  ³ tn Heb “they will inquire of the idols and of the spirits of the dead and of the ritual pits and of the magicians.” Hebrew אוֹב (’ov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. See the note on “incantations” in 8:19.

[30:1]  ⁴ tn Or “stubborn” (NCV); cf. NIV “obstinate.”

[30:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “Woe [to] rebellious children.”

[30:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “making a plan, but not from me.”

[30:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “and pouring out a libation, but not [from] my spirit.” This translation assumes that the verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “pour out,” and that the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה (massekhah) means “libation.” In this case “pouring out a libation” alludes to a ceremony that formally ratifies an alliance. Another option is to understand the verb נָסַךְ as a homonym meaning “weave,” and the cognate noun מַסֵּכָה as a homonym meaning “covering.” In this case forming an alliance is likened to weaving a garment.

[30:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “consequently adding sin to sin.”