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16 Send lambs to the ruler of the land.[a]
    Send lambs from Sela through the desert to my people at Mount Zion.
Moab’s daughters are like fluttering birds,
    like scattered nestlings,
        at the shallow crossings of the Arnon River.

Give us advice.
    Make a decision.
        At high noon make your shadow as dark as night.
            Hide the fugitives.
                Don’t betray the refugees.
Let the fugitives from Moab stay with you a while.
    Be their refuge from the destroyer.
    Ruthless people will come to an end.
    The destruction will end.
        The one who tramples others will be gone.
Then Yahweh will set up a trusted king.
    He will rule faithfully.
        He is from the tent of David.
        He judges and searches for justice.
        He is quick to do what is right.

We’ve heard of the arrogance of Moab’s people.
    They are very arrogant.
    We’ve heard of their boasting, arrogance, and conceit,
    but their boasts aren’t true.
That is why Moab will wail.
    Everyone will wail for Moab.
    Mourn and grieve over the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.[b]
The fields of Heshbon and the vineyards of Sibmah wither.
    Rulers of the nations have cut off their grapes.
    The grapevines once reached as far as Jazer
        and strayed out into the desert.
    Their shoots had spread out over the sea.
I will cry for the grapevines of Sibmah
    as Jazer cries for them.
        I will drench you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh.
    The shouts of joy for your ripened fruits
    and your harvest will be silenced.
10 Joy and delight have vanished from the orchards.
    No songs are sung.
    No shouts are raised.
    No one stomps on grapes in the winepresses,
        because I have put an end to the shouts of joy.
11 That is why my heart mourns for Moab like a harp.
    My soul mourns for Kir Hareseth.
12 When the people of Moab appear at the worship site,
    they will only wear themselves out.
    They will come into the holy place to pray,
    but they won’t be able to.

13 This is the message that Yahweh spoke about Moab in the past. 14 But now Yahweh says, “Moab’s honor will be despised within three years. I will count them like workers count the years left of their contracts.[c] In spite of their great number, the survivors will be very few and powerless.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 16:1 Masoretic Text; Targum “They have sent lambs to the ruler of the land.”
  2. Isaiah 16:7 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.
  3. Isaiah 16:14 Hebrew meaning of this sentence uncertain.

Moab Destroyed

16 Send (A)the lamb to the ruler of the land,
(B)From [a]Sela to the wilderness,
To the mount of the daughter of Zion.
For it shall be as a (C)wandering bird thrown out of the nest;
So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the (D)Arnon.

“Take counsel, execute judgment;
Make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day;
Hide the outcasts,
Do not betray him who escapes.
Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab;
Be a shelter to them from the face of the [b]spoiler.
For the extortioner is at an end,
Devastation ceases,
The oppressors are consumed out of the land.
In mercy (E)the throne will be established;
And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David,
(F)Judging and seeking justice and hastening (G)righteousness.”

We have heard of the (H)pride of Moab—
He is very proud—
Of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath;
(I)But his [c]lies shall not be so.
Therefore Moab shall (J)wail for Moab;
Everyone shall wail.
For the foundations (K)of Kir Hareseth you shall mourn;
Surely they are stricken.

For (L)the fields of Heshbon languish,
And (M)the vine of Sibmah;
The lords of the nations have broken down its choice plants,
Which have reached to Jazer
And wandered through the wilderness.
Her branches are stretched out,
They are gone over the (N)sea.
Therefore I will bewail the vine of Sibmah,
With the weeping of Jazer;
I will drench you with my tears,
(O)O Heshbon and Elealeh;
For [d]battle cries have fallen
Over your summer fruits and your harvest.

10 (P)Gladness is taken away,
And joy from the plentiful field;
In the vineyards there will be no singing,
Nor will there be shouting;
No treaders will tread out wine in the presses;
I have made their shouting cease.
11 Therefore (Q)my [e]heart shall resound like a harp for Moab,
And my inner being for [f]Kir Heres.

12 And it shall come to pass,
When it is seen that Moab is weary on (R)the high place,
That he will come to his sanctuary to pray;
But he will not prevail.

13 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, (S)as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 16:1 Lit. Rock
  2. Isaiah 16:4 devastator
  3. Isaiah 16:6 Lit. vain talk
  4. Isaiah 16:9 Or shouting has
  5. Isaiah 16:11 Lit. belly
  6. Isaiah 16:11 Kir Hareseth, v. 7

16 (A)Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,
from (B)Sela, by way of the desert,
    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
Like fleeing birds,
    like a scattered nest,
so are the daughters of Moab
    at (C)the fords of the Arnon.

“Give counsel;
    grant justice;
(D)make your shade like night
    at the height of noon;
shelter the outcasts;
    do not reveal the fugitive;
let (E)the outcasts of Moab
    sojourn among you;
be a shelter to them[a]
    from the destroyer.
When the oppressor is no more,
    and destruction has ceased,
and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land,
(F)then a throne will be established in steadfast love,
    and on it will sit in faithfulness
    in the tent of David
one who judges and seeks justice
    and is swift to do righteousness.”

(G)We have heard of the pride of Moab—
    how proud he is!—
(H)of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;
    in his idle boasting he is not right.
Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,
    (I)let everyone wail.
Mourn, utterly stricken,
    for the (J)raisin cakes of (K)Kir-hareseth.

For the fields of Heshbon languish,
    and (L)the vine of Sibmah;
the lords of the nations
    have struck down its branches,
which reached to Jazer
    and strayed to the desert;
its shoots spread abroad
    and passed over the sea.
Therefore (M)I weep with (N)the weeping of Jazer
    for the vine of Sibmah;
I drench you with my tears,
    O Heshbon and Elealeh;
for over (O)your summer fruit and your harvest
    the shout has ceased.
10 (P)And joy and gladness are taken away from (Q)the fruitful field,
and in the vineyards no (R)songs are sung,
    no cheers are raised;
no (S)treader treads out wine (T)in the presses;
    I have put an end to the shouting.
11 Therefore (U)my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab,
    and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.

12 And when Moab presents himself, when (V)he wearies himself on (W)the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.

13 This is the word that the Lord spoke concerning Moab (X)in the past. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “In three years, (Y)like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be (Z)very few and feeble.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 16:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text let my outcasts sojourn among you; as for Moab, be a shelter to them

16 Send lambs(A) as tribute(B)
    to the ruler of the land,
from Sela,(C) across the desert,
    to the mount of Daughter Zion.(D)
Like fluttering birds
    pushed from the nest,(E)
so are the women of Moab(F)
    at the fords(G) of the Arnon.(H)

“Make up your mind,” Moab says.
    “Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
    at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,(I)
    do not betray the refugees.
Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
    be their shelter(J) from the destroyer.”

The oppressor(K) will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;(L)
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
In love a throne(M) will be established;(N)
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house[a] of David(O)
one who in judging seeks justice(P)
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

We have heard of Moab’s(Q) pride(R)
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her conceit, her pride and her insolence;
    but her boasts are empty.
Therefore the Moabites wail,(S)
    they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
    for the raisin cakes(T) of Kir Hareseth.(U)
The fields of Heshbon(V) wither,(W)
    the vines of Sibmah(X) also.
The rulers of the nations
    have trampled down the choicest vines,(Y)
which once reached Jazer(Z)
    and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out(AA)
    and went as far as the sea.[b](AB)
So I weep,(AC) as Jazer weeps,
    for the vines of Sibmah.
Heshbon and Elealeh,(AD)
    I drench you with tears!(AE)
The shouts of joy(AF) over your ripened fruit
    and over your harvests(AG) have been stilled.
10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;(AH)
    no one sings or shouts(AI) in the vineyards;
no one treads(AJ) out wine at the presses,(AK)
    for I have put an end to the shouting.
11 My heart laments for Moab(AL) like a harp,(AM)
    my inmost being(AN) for Kir Hareseth.
12 When Moab appears at her high place,(AO)
    she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine(AP) to pray,
    it is to no avail.(AQ)

13 This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord says: “Within three years,(AR) as a servant bound by contract(AS) would count them,(AT) Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised,(AU) and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 16:5 Hebrew tent
  2. Isaiah 16:8 Probably the Dead Sea