Isaiah 16
New American Standard Bible
Prophecy of Moab’s Devastation
16 (A)Send the tribute lamb to the ruler of the land,
From [a](B)Sela by way of the wilderness to the (C)mountain of the daughter of Zion.
2 Then, like (D)fluttering birds or scattered nestlings,
The daughters of (E)Moab will be at the crossing places of the (F)Arnon.
3 “[b]Give us advice, make a decision;
[c]Cast your (G)shadow like night [d]at high noon;
(H)Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive.
4 Let the [e]outcasts of Moab stay with you;
Be a hiding place to them from the destroyer.”
For the oppressor has come to an end, destruction has ceased,
(I)Oppressors have been removed from the land.
5 A (J)throne will be established in faithfulness,
And a judge will sit on it in trustworthiness in the tent of (K)David;
Moreover, he will seek justice,
And be prompt in righteousness.
6 (L)We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride;
Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury;
(M)His idle boasts are [f]false.
7 Therefore Moab will wail; everyone of Moab will wail.
You will moan for the (N)raisin cakes of (O)Kir-hareseth
As those who are utterly stricken.
8 For the fields of (P)Heshbon have [g]withered, the vines of (Q)Sibmah as well;
The lords of the nations have trampled down its choice clusters
Which reached as far as Jazer and wandered to the deserts;
(R)Its [h]tendrils spread themselves out and passed over the sea.
9 Therefore I will (S)weep bitterly for Jazer, for the vine of Sibmah;
I will drench you with my tears, (T)Heshbon and Elealeh;
For the shouting over your (U)summer fruits and your harvest has fallen away.
10 (V)Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field;
In the (W)vineyards also there will be no cries of joy or jubilant shouting,
No (X)treader treads out wine in the presses,
For I have made the shouting to cease.
11 Therefore my [i](Y)inner being sounds like a harp for Moab.
And my [j]heart for Kir-hareseth.
12 So it will come about when Moab (Z)presents himself,
When he (AA)tires himself upon his (AB)high place
And comes to his sanctuary to pray,
That he will not prevail.
13 This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as [k](AC)a hired worker would count them, the glory of (AD)Moab will become contemptible along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and [l]impotent.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 16:1 I.e., Petra in Edom
- Isaiah 16:3 Lit Bring
- Isaiah 16:3 Lit Set
- Isaiah 16:3 Lit in the midst of the noon
- Isaiah 16:4 As in most ancient versions; MT My outcasts, as for Moab
- Isaiah 16:6 Lit not so
- Isaiah 16:8 Or dried out
- Isaiah 16:8 I.e., parts of a climbing plant that attach to its support
- Isaiah 16:11 Lit entrails murmur
- Isaiah 16:11 Lit inward parts
- Isaiah 16:14 Lit the years of a hired
- Isaiah 16:14 Lit not mighty
Isaiah 16
English Standard Version
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.
2 Like fleeing birds,
like a scattered nest,
so are the daughters of Moab
at (C)the fords of the Arnon.
3 “Give counsel;
grant justice;
(D)make your shade like night
at the height of noon;
shelter the outcasts;
do not reveal the fugitive;
4 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,
5 (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.”
6 (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.
7 Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,
(I)let everyone wail.
Mourn, utterly stricken,
for the (J)raisin cakes of (K)Kir-hareseth.
8 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.
9 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
- Isaiah 16:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text let my outcasts sojourn among you; as for Moab, be a shelter to them
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
