Isaiah 16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
16 Send lambs
to the ruler of the land,
from Sela, by way of the desert,
to the mount of daughter Zion.(A)
2 Like fluttering birds,
like scattered nestlings,
so are the daughters of Moab
at the fords of the Arnon.(B)
3 “Give counsel;
grant justice;
make your shade like night
at the height of noon;
hide the outcasts;
do not betray the fugitive;(C)
4 let the outcasts of Moab
settle among you;
be a refuge to them
from the destroyer.”
When the oppressor is no more,
and destruction has ceased,
and marauders have vanished from the land,(D)
5 then a throne shall be established in steadfast love
in the tent of David,
and on it shall sit in faithfulness
a ruler who seeks justice
and is swift to do what is right.(E)
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab
—how proud he is!—
of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;
his boasts are false.(F)
7 Therefore let Moab wail;
let everyone wail for Moab.
Mourn, utterly stricken,
for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.(G)
8 For the fields of Heshbon languish,
and the vines of Sibmah,
whose clusters once made drunk
the lords of the nations,
reached to Jazer
and strayed to the desert;
their shoots once spread abroad
and crossed over the sea.(H)
9 Therefore I weep as Jazer weeps
for the vines of Sibmah;
I drench you with my tears,
O Heshbon and Elealeh,
for the shout over your fruit harvest
and your grain harvest has ceased.(I)
10 Joy and gladness are taken away
from the fruitful field,
and in the vineyards no exultation is heard;
no shouts are raised;
no treader treads out wine in the presses;
the vintage shout is hushed.[a](J)
11 Therefore my heart moans like a harp for Moab
and my very soul for Kir-heres.(K)
12 When Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.(L)
13 This was the word that the Lord spoke concerning Moab in the past. 14 But now the Lord says, “In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all its great multitude, and those who survive will be very few and feeble.”(M)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 16.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb I have hushed
Isaiah 16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
16 Send lambs to the ruler of the land,(A)
from Sela in the desert(B)
to the mountain of Daughter Zion.
2 Like a bird fleeing,
forced from the nest,
the daughters of Moab
will be at the fords of the Arnon.
3 Give us counsel and make a decision.
Shelter us at noonday
with shade that is as dark as night.
Hide the refugees;(C)
do not betray the one who flees.
4 Let my refugees stay with you;
be a refuge for Moab[a] from the aggressor.
When the oppressor has gone,
destruction has ended,
and marauders have vanished from the land.
5 Then in the tent of David
a throne will be established by faithful love.(D)
A judge who seeks what is right
and is quick to execute justice
will sit on the throne forever.
6 We have heard of Moab’s pride(E)—
how very proud he is—
his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance,
and his empty boasting.
7 Therefore let Moab wail;
let every one of them wail for Moab.
Mourn, you who are completely devastated,
for the raisin cakes(F) of Kir-hareseth.(G)
8 For Heshbon’s terraced vineyards
and the grapevines of Sibmah have withered.
The rulers of the nations
have trampled its choice vines
that reached as far as Jazer(H)
and spread to the desert.
Their shoots spread out
and reached the Dead Sea.(I)
9 So I join with Jazer
to weep for the vines of Sibmah;
I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears.
Triumphant shouts have fallen silent[b]
over your summer fruit and your harvest.
10 Joy and rejoicing(J) have been removed from the orchard;
no one is singing or shouting for joy in the vineyards.(K)
No one tramples grapes[c] in the winepresses.
I have put an end to the shouting.
11 Therefore I moan like the sound of a lyre for Moab,(L)
as does my innermost being for Kir-heres.
12 When Moab appears on the high place,
when he tires[d] himself out(M)
and comes to his sanctuary to pray,
it will do him no good.(N)
13 This is the message that the Lord previously announced about Moab. 14 And now the Lord says, “In three years, as a hired worker counts years,(O) Moab’s splendor will become an object of contempt, in spite of a very large population. And those who are left will be few and weak.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 16:4 Or you; Moab—be a refuge for him
- Isaiah 16:9 Or Battle cries have fallen
- Isaiah 16:10 Lit wine
- Isaiah 16:12 DSS read place, he will tire
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