Isaiah 16
Lexham English Bible
16 Send a ram[a] to the ruler of the land,
from Sela across the desert to the mountain of daughter Zion.[b]
2 And this shall be:
like a bird fleeing from a thrust away nest
shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon.
3 “Bring counsel,
make a decision;
make your shade like the night
in the middle of noonday.
Hide the outcasts;
you must not betray the fugitive.
4 Let my outcasts of Moab dwell as aliens among you;
be a hiding place for them from the presence of the destroyer.”
When the oppressor is no more, destruction has stopped,
the one who tramples has[c] disappeared from the land,
5 then a throne shall be established in steadfast love,
and one shall sit on it in faithfulness, in the tent of David,
judging and seeking justice
and zealous for righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab—exceedingly proud—
of his arrogance, pride, and insolence; his boasting is not true.[d]
7 Therefore Moab wails;
all of it wails for Moab,
for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth you moan, utterly devastated.[e]
8 For Heshbon withers the fields, the vine of Sibmah;
rulers of nations have broken down her tendrils,
they reached up to Jazer,
they wandered to the desert;
her shoots spread abroad,
they crossed over the sea.
9 Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah.
I drench you with my tears,[f] Heshbon and Elealeh,
for a jubilant shout has fallen over your summer fruit and harvest.
10 And joy and gladness are[g] taken away from the fruitful land,
and in the vineyards no one exults,
no one shouts for joy;
no treader treads wine in the presses;
I have put to an end to the jubilant shout.
11 Therefore my heart moans[h] like a harp for Moab
and my inner parts for Kir-heres.
12 And this shall happen:
when Moab appears, when it is weary upon the high place
and it comes to its sanctuary to pray, it will not prevail.
13 This was the word that Yahweh spoke to Moab in the past.[i] 14 But now Yahweh speaks, saying, “In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will become contemptible, with all of the great multitude, and the remnant will be a few, small, not strong.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 16:1 Possibly “rams” if a scribe accidentally omitted the Hebrew plural ending because the next word begins with that same letter
- Isaiah 16:1 Literally “the daughter of Zion”
- Isaiah 16:4 Literally “one who tramples have,” with mismatched singular and plural
- Isaiah 16:6 Literally “not so his boasting”
- Isaiah 16:7 Literally “surely destroyed”
- Isaiah 16:9 Hebrew “tear”
- Isaiah 16:10 The Hebrew is singular
- Isaiah 16:11 Literally “intestines moan,”; in Hebrew, the “intestines” are the seat of the emotions, which would correspond to the “heart” in English
- Isaiah 16:13 Literally “from then”
Isaiah 16
American Standard Version
16 Send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land from [a]Selah to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2 For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon. 3 Give counsel, execute justice; make thy shade as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; betray not the fugitive. 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee; as for Moab, be thou a covert to him from the face of the destroyer. For [b]the extortioner is brought to nought, destruction ceaseth, [c]the oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5 And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogancy, and his pride, and his wrath; his boastings are nought. 7 Therefore shall Moab wail for Moab, every one shall wail: for the [d]raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn, utterly stricken. 8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah; [e]the lords of the nations have broken down the choice branches thereof, which reached even unto Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness; its shoots were spread abroad, they passed over the sea. 9 Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah; I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for upon thy summer fruits and upon thy harvest the battle shout is fallen. 10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither joyful noise: no treader shall tread out wine in the presses; I have made the vintage shout to cease. 11 Wherefore my heart soundeth like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kir-heres. 12 And it shall come to pass, when Moab presenteth himself, when he wearieth himself upon the high place, and shall come to his sanctuary to pray, that he shall not prevail.
13 This is the word that Jehovah spake concerning Moab in time past. 14 But now Jehovah hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and of no account.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Isaiah 16:1 Or, Petra
- Isaiah 16:4 Or, extortion
- Isaiah 16:4 Hebrew the treaders down.
- Isaiah 16:7 Or, foundations
- Isaiah 16:8 Or, its choice plants did break down the lords of nations
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