KJV King James Version
Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Isaiah 23:16
Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
WEB World English Bible
Take a harp; go about the city, you prostitute that has been forgotten. Make sweet melody. Sing many songs, that you may be remembered.
ASV American Standard Version
Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Take a harp, go round the city, O forgotten harlot, play well, Multiply song that thou mayest be remembered.
Surrounding context — Isaiah 23
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, [till] the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; [and] he brought it to ruin.
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
15 And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
קְחִ֥יH3947 · la.qachto take: takeכִנּ֛וֹרH3658 · kin.norlyreסֹ֥בִּיH5437 · sa.vavto turn: turnעִ֖ירH5892 · irexcitementזוֹנָ֣הH2181 · za.nahto fornicateנִשְׁכָּחָ֑הH7911 · sha.khachto forgetהֵיטִ֤יבִיH3190 · ya.tavbe goodנַגֵּן֙H5059 · na.ganto playהַרְבִּי־H7235 · ra.vahto multiplyשִׁ֔ירH7892 · shirsongלְמַ֖עַןH4616 · ma.anbecauseתִּזָּכֵֽרִי׃H2142 · za.kharto remember
Cross-references
Jeremiah 30:14All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; [because] thy sins were increased.Proverbs 7:10-12And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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