King James Version

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.

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Hebrew

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קְחִ֥יqechitakeלָקַחverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “take”, a commandH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.כִנּ֛וֹרkhinorharpכִּנּוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “harp”, the ordinary formH3658a harpharp.סֹ֥בִּיsobibringסָבַבverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “bring”, a commandH5437to revolve, surround, or border; used in various applications, literally and figurativelybring, cast, fetch, lead, make, walk, [idiom] whirl, [idiom] round about, be about on every side, apply, avoid, beset (about), besiege, bring again, carry (about), change, cause to come about, [idiom] circuit, (fetch a) compass (about, rou…עִ֖ירircityעִירnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.זוֹנָ֣הzonahcommit fornicationזָנָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “commit fornication”, a verb used as a describing wordH2181to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)(cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.נִשְׁכָּחָ֑הnishkachahforgetשָׁכַחverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “forget”, a verb used as a describing wordH7911to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention[idiom] at all, (cause to) forget.הֵיטִ֤יבִיheytivibe acceptedיָטַבverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “be accepted”, a commandH3190to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right)be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase]…נַגֵּן֙nagenplayנָגַןverb, piel, infinitive construct — “play”, the to-form of the verbH5059properly, to thrum, i.e. beat atune with the fingers; expectation. to play on astringed instrument; hence (generally), to make musicplayer on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel, play(-er, -ing).הַרְבִּיharbiincreaseרָבָהverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “increase”, a commandH7235to increase (in whatever respect)(bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for H7232 (רָבַב)), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, incre…שִׁ֔ירshirsongשִׁירnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “song”, the ordinary formH7892a song; abstractly, singingmusical(-ick), [idiom] sing(-er, -ing), song.לְמַ֖עַןlemaanthatמַעַןpreposition — “that”H4616properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order thatbecause of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to.תִּזָּכֵֽרִיtizakheribe maleזָכַרverb, niphal, imperfect, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “be male”, an unfinished actionH2142properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male[idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Young’s Literal Translation

Take a harp, go round the city, O forgotten harlot, play well, Multiply song that thou mayest be remembered.

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.

Darby Translation

Take a harp, go about the city, thou forgotten harlot! Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Douay-Rheims

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten: sing well, sing many a song, that thou mayst be remembered.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot long forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Take a harp, go about, O city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; play well on the harp, sing many songs , that thou mayest be remembered.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Λάβε κιθάραν, ῥέμβευσον πόλις πόρνη ἐπιλελησμένη, καλῶς κιθάρισον, πολλὰ ᾆσον, ἵνα σου μνεία γένηται.