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
New King James Version
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.
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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.
5 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.”
6 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.
7 Therefore Moab shall (J)wail for Moab;
Everyone shall wail.
For the foundations (K)of Kir Hareseth you shall mourn;
Surely they are stricken.
8 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.
9 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
- Isaiah 16:1 Lit. Rock
- Isaiah 16:4 devastator
- Isaiah 16:6 Lit. vain talk
- Isaiah 16:9 Or shouting has
- Isaiah 16:11 Lit. belly
- Isaiah 16:11 Kir Hareseth, v. 7
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
