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
Isaiah 16
1599 Geneva Bible
16 The causes wherefore the Moabites are destroyed.
1 Send [a]ye a lamb to the ruler of the world from the rock of the wilderness, unto the mountain of the daughter Zion.
2 For it shall be as a bird that [b]flieth, and a nest forsaken: the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
3 Gather a counsel, execute judgment, [c]make thy shadow as the night in the midday: hide them that are chased out: bewray not him that is fled.
4 Let my banished dwell with thee: Moab, be thou their covert from the face of the destroyer: for the extortioner [d]shall end: the destroyer shall be consumed, and the oppressor shall cease out of the land.
5 And in mercy shall the throne be prepared, [e]and he shall sit upon it in steadfastness, in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting justice.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab (he is very proud) even his pride, and his arrogancy, and his indignation, but his [f]lies shall not be so.
7 Therefore shall Moab howl unto Moab, everyone shall howl: for the foundations of Kir Hareseth shall ye mourn, yet they shall be [g]stricken.
8 For the vineyards of Heshbon are cut down, and the vine of Sibmah: [h]the lords of the heathen have broken the principal vines thereof: they are come unto [i]Jazer: they wandered in the wilderness: her goodly branches stretched out themselves, and went over the sea.
9 Therefore will [j]I weep with the weeping of Jazer, and of the vine of Sibmah, O Heshbon: and Elealeh, I will make thee drunk with my tears, because upon thy summer fruits, and upon thy harvest [k]a shouting is fallen.
10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field: and in the vineyards shall be no singing nor shouting for joy: the treader shall not tread wine in the wine presses: I have caused the rejoicing to cease.
11 Wherefore, my [l]bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir Heres.
12 And when it shall appear that Moab shall be weary of his high places, then shall he come to his [m]temple to pray, but he shall not prevail.
13 This is the word that the Lord hath spoken against Moab since that time.
14 And now the Lord hath spoken, saying, [n]In three years as the years of an [o]hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned in all the great multitude, and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 16:1 That is, offer a sacrifice, whereby he derideth their long delay, which would not repent when the Lord called them, showing them that it is now too late, seeing the vengeance of God is upon them.
- Isaiah 16:2 There is no remedy, but you must flee.
- Isaiah 16:3 He showeth what Moab should have done, when Israel their neighbor was in affliction, to whom because they would give no shadow nor comfort, they are now left comfortless.
- Isaiah 16:4 The Assyrians shall oppress the Israelites, but for a while.
- Isaiah 16:5 Meaning, Christ.
- Isaiah 16:6 Their vain confidence, and proud brags shall deceive them, Jer. 48:2.
- Isaiah 16:7 For all your mourning, yet the city shall be destroyed, even unto the foundation.
- Isaiah 16:8 That is, the Assyrians and other enemies.
- Isaiah 16:8 Meaning, that the country of Moab was now destroyed, and all the precious things thereof were carried into the borders, yea into other countries, and over the sea.
- Isaiah 16:9 He showeth that their plague was so great, that it would have moved any man to lament with them, as Ps. 141:5.
- Isaiah 16:9 The enemies are come upon thee, and shout for joy, when they carry thy commodities from thee, as Jer. 48:33.
- Isaiah 16:11 For very sorrow and compassion.
- Isaiah 16:12 They shall use all means to seek help of their idols, and all in vain: for Chemosh their great god shall not be able to help them.
- Isaiah 16:14 He appointed a certain time to punish the enemies in.
- Isaiah 16:14 Who will observe justly the time for the which he is hired, and serve no longer, but will ever long for it.
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