Isaiah 18

I am taking line by line as a reflection of a commonly used word in Isaiah 28 which seems to be linked to instruction ignored. The imagery, the target location of the oracle is obscure to me. Cush is Ethiopia but who is the nation drawn out and pared? And what is the nature of the fear in the people or of the people? Here it might even appear that Yahweh stands back in his gleaming summer apartment and just lets the chips fall where they may, knowing full well that the nettle is grasped and all must come to Zion whether for judgment or for consolation.

Isaiah 18		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
ה֥וֹי אֶ֖רֶץ צִלְצַ֣ל כְּנָפָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר מֵעֵ֖בֶר לְנַֽהֲרֵי־כֽוּשׁ	1	f	Alas, land of tingling wings, from beyond the rivers of Cush,	3e	4B	10 10
הַשֹּׁלֵ֨חַ בַּיָּ֜ם צִירִ֗ים וּבִכְלֵי־גֹמֶא֮ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם֒ לְכ֣וּ ׀ מַלְאָכִ֣ים קַלִּ֗ים אֶל־גּוֹי֙ מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט אֶל־עַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֚וֹי קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּזְא֥וּ נְהָרִ֖ים אַרְצֽוֹ	2		Sending by sea notifications, and skiffs of rush over the face of the waters. Go, fleet messengers, to a nation drawn out and pared, to a people to be feared from what it was and thereafter, a nation line by line and trodden down whose land rivers criss-cross.	3e	4C	41 16
כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵ֖ל וְשֹׁ֣כְנֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּנְשֹׂא־נֵ֤ס הָרִים֙ תִּרְא֔וּ וְכִתְקֹ֥עַ שׁוֹפָ֖ר תִּשְׁמָֽעוּ	3		All those sitting in the world and who dwell on the earth, as a standard on the hills is lifted up, you will see, and as a shophar is sounded, you will hear,	3e	4C	10 16
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אֶשְׁקֳטָ֖ה וְאַבִּ֣יטָה בִמְכוֹנִ֑י כְּחֹ֥ם צַח֙ עֲלֵי־א֔וֹר כְּעָ֥ב טַ֖ל בְּחֹ֥ם קָצִֽיר	4		Because thus says Yahweh to me, I will be quiet and I will take note in my establishment, when warmth is dazzling to me, a light like a thick cloud of dew in the warmth of harvest.	3e	4C	18 13
כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֤י קָצִיר֙ כְּתָם־פֶּ֔רַח וּבֹ֥סֶר גֹּמֵ֖ל יִֽהְיֶ֣ה נִצָּ֑ה וְכָרַ֤ת הַזַּלְזַלִּים֙ בַּמַּזְמֵר֔וֹת וְאֶת־הַנְּטִישׁ֖וֹת הֵסִ֥יר הֵתַֽז	5		For before the harvest, when flourishing is complete and the maturing sour grape is in the plumage, and the sprigs are cut off by the pruning hooks and the tendrils put aside, lopped,	3e	4C	18 20
יֵעָזְב֤וּ יַחְדָּו֙ לְעֵ֣יט הָרִ֔ים וּֽלְבֶהֱמַ֖ת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְקָ֤ץ עָלָיו֙ הָעַ֔יִט וְכָל־בֶּהֱמַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ עָלָ֥יו תֶּחֱרָֽף	6		They will be forsaken together to the birds of prey on the hills and the beasts of the earth. The birds of prey will spend their summer on it, and all the beasts of the earth, their autumn on it.	3e	4C	16 20
בָּעֵת֩ הַהִ֨יא יֽוּבַל־שַׁ֜י לַיהוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת עַ֚ם מְמֻשָּׁ֣ךְ וּמוֹרָ֔ט וּמֵעַ֥ם נוֹרָ֖א מִן־ה֣וּא וָהָ֑לְאָה גּ֣וֹי ׀ קַו־קָ֣ו וּמְבוּסָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּזְא֤וּ נְהָרִים֙ אַרְצ֔וֹ אֶל־מְק֛וֹם שֵׁם־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת הַר־צִיּֽוֹן	7		At that time tribute will be escorted to Yahweh of hosts, a people drawn out and pared, and from a people to be feared from what it was and thereafter, a nation line by line and trodden down, whose land rivers criss-cross, to the place of the name of Yahweh of hosts, mount Zion.	3d	4C	29 28