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Judgment on Moab

15 The [mournful, inspired] oracle ([a]a burden to be carried) concerning Moab:

Because in a night Ar of Moab is devastated and ruined;
Because in a night Kir of Moab is devastated and ruined.

They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep.
Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba;
Everyone’s head is shaved, and every beard is cut off [in mourning].(A)

In their streets they have wrapped themselves with sackcloth;
On their [flat] housetops and in their open squares
Everyone is wailing, dissolved in tears.

Heshbon and Elealeh [cities claimed by Moab] cry out;
Their voice is heard as far as Jahaz.
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out;
Moab’s soul trembles within him.

My heart cries out for Moab;
His fugitives are [fleeing] as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah.
For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping;
For on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their destruction.(B)

For the waters of Nimrim are desolate.
Indeed the grass is withered, the new growth dies;
There is no green thing.

Therefore the abundance which they have acquired and stored away
They carry off over the Brook of the Willows.

For the cry of distress has echoed around the territory of Moab;
The wailing goes as far as Eglaim and the mournful cry to Beer-elim.

For the waters of Dimon are full of blood;
Yet I will bring even more woes on Dimon—
A lion upon those of Moab who escape and upon the remnant of the land.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 15:1 I.e. an urgent message the prophet is under compulsion to proclaim.

God’s Message to Moab

15 This is a ·message [prophecy; oracle; burden] about Moab:

In one night ·armies took the wealth from Ar in Moab [or Ar of Moab is destroyed/laid waste],
    and ·it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
In one night ·armies took the wealth from Kir in Moab [or Kir is destroyed/laid waste],
    and it [or Moab] was ·destroyed [ruined].
The ·people of Dibon [L Dibon] go to the ·places of worship [temple; L house] to ·cry [lament; weep].
    The people of Moab ·cry [wail] for the cities of Nebo and Medeba.
Every head is ·shaved [L bald]
    and every beard is cut off [C signs of sorrow, mourning, or humiliation].
In the streets they wear ·rough cloth [sackcloth; C to show their sadness].
    On the roofs [C roofs were flat and used as living and storage space in Palestine] and in the public squares,
they are ·crying loudly [wailing], ·with tears streaming down [or falling down weeping].
·People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh [L Heshbon and Elealeh] cry out loud.
    You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz.
Even the ·soldiers [armed men] ·are frightened [cry out; shout in terror];
    ·they are shaking with fear [L his soul wavers/trembles].

My heart cries with sorrow for Moab.
    Its ·people [fugitives] ·run away to Zoar for safety [L flee to Zoar];
    they run to Eglath Shelishiyah.
People are going up the ·mountain road to [ascent of] Luhith,
    ·crying [weeping] as they go.
People are going on the road to Horonaim,
    ·crying over [lamenting] their destruction.
But the water of Nimrim ·has dried up [are devastated/desolate].
    The grass has dried up,
and all the plants ·are dead [have failed/disappeared];
    nothing green is left.
So the people gather up what they have ·saved [stored up]
    and carry it across the ·Ravine [Brook; Stream] of the Poplars.
Crying ·is heard everywhere in [or echoes throughout the borders of] Moab.
    Their ·crying [wailing; howling] is heard as far away as the city Eglaim;
    it is heard as far away as Beer Elim.
The water of the city Dibon is full of blood,
    and I, the Lord, will bring even more troubles to Dibon.
·I will send lions to kill [L A lion for] ·those left in [the fugitives of] Moab
    And ·those who remain in [the remnant/survivors of] the land.

A Prophecy Against Moab(A)

15 A prophecy(B) against Moab:(C)

Ar(D) in Moab is ruined,(E)
    destroyed in a night!
Kir(F) in Moab is ruined,
    destroyed in a night!
Dibon(G) goes up to its temple,
    to its high places(H) to weep;
    Moab wails(I) over Nebo(J) and Medeba.
Every head is shaved(K)
    and every beard cut off.(L)
In the streets they wear sackcloth;(M)
    on the roofs(N) and in the public squares(O)
they all wail,(P)
    prostrate with weeping.(Q)
Heshbon(R) and Elealeh(S) cry out,
    their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz.(T)
Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out,
    and their hearts are faint.

My heart cries out(U) over Moab;(V)
    her fugitives(W) flee as far as Zoar,(X)
    as far as Eglath Shelishiyah.
They go up the hill to Luhith,
    weeping as they go;
on the road to Horonaim(Y)
    they lament their destruction.(Z)
The waters of Nimrim are dried up(AA)
    and the grass is withered;(AB)
the vegetation is gone(AC)
    and nothing green is left.(AD)
So the wealth they have acquired(AE) and stored up
    they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars.
Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab;
    their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim,
    their lamentation as far as Beer(AF) Elim.
The waters of Dimon[a] are full of blood,
    but I will bring still more upon Dimon[b]
a lion(AG) upon the fugitives of Moab(AH)
    and upon those who remain in the land.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 15:9 Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2), sounds like the Hebrew for blood.
  2. Isaiah 15:9 Dimon, a wordplay on Dibon (see verse 2), sounds like the Hebrew for blood.