Isaiah Chapter 20
Isaiah's three-year sign warns Judah against trusting Egypt and Ethiopia.
Set during Assyria's capture of Ashdod, the events of this chapter follow directly on the burden of Egypt in Isaiah 19, as the Lord commands Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot as a living sign.
In the year that Tartan entered Ashdod, when Sargon king of Assyria, sent him,—and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,—
At that time, spake Yahweh, through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, And thy sandal, draw thou off from thy foot,—And he did so, walking disrobed and barefoot.
Then said Yahweh,—As my servant Isaiah, hath walked, disrobed and barefoot three years as a sign and a wonder against Egypt and against Ethiopia,
So, shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia young and old disrobed and barefoot, with their persons behind Uncovered the shame of Egypt.
Thus shall they be confounded and turn pale,—For Ethiopia, their expectation, and For Egypt their boast;
And the inhabitant of this shore, shall exclaim, in that day, Lo! such, is our expectation, whereunto we fled for help, that we might be delivered from the presence of the king of Assyria! How then shall, we, escape?