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16 Send the lamb
    to the ruler of the land
from Sela by way of the wilderness,
    to the mount of the daughter of Zion.
For it shall be that as a wandering bird
    cast out of the nest,
so the daughters of Moab shall be
    at the fords of Arnon.

“Take counsel,
    execute justice,
make your shadow as the night
    at the height of noon.
Hide the outcasts,
    do not betray the fugitive.
Let my outcasts dwell with you, Moab;
    be a hiding place to them from the face of the destroyer.”

For the extortioner has come to an end;
    the destroyer ceases;
    the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
In mercy the throne shall be established;
    and one who judges and seeks justice
    and is diligent in righteousness
shall sit on it in truth
    in the tabernacle of David, judging.

We have heard of the pride of Moab;
    he is very proud,
even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath;
    but his lies shall not be so.
Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab;
    everyone shall wail.
For the loss of raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you shall mourn;
    surely they are destroyed.
For the fields of Heshbon languish,
    and the vine of Sibmah;
the lords of the nations
    have broken down its choice plants;
they have come as far as Jazer
    and wandered through the wilderness.
Her branches are stretched out;
    they are passed over the sea.
Therefore I will weep bitterly for Jazer,
    the vine of Sibmah;
I will water you with my tears,
    O Heshbon and Elealeh.
For the shouting for your summer fruits
    and for your harvest has fallen away.
10 Gladness and joy are taken away out of the plentiful field,
    and in the vineyards there shall be no singing,
    nor shall there be shouting;
the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses.
    I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
11 Therefore my heart shall sound like a harp for Moab,
    and my inward parts for Kir Hareseth.
12 When it is seen that Moab
    is weary on the high place,
he shall come to his sanctuary to pray;
    but he shall not prevail.

13 This is the word that the Lord has spoken earlier concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt with all his great population, and his remnant shall be very small and feeble.

16 Send lambs(A) as tribute(B)
    to the ruler of the land,
from Sela,(C) across the desert,
    to the mount of Daughter Zion.(D)
Like fluttering birds
    pushed from the nest,(E)
so are the women of Moab(F)
    at the fords(G) of the Arnon.(H)

“Make up your mind,” Moab says.
    “Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
    at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,(I)
    do not betray the refugees.
Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
    be their shelter(J) from the destroyer.”

The oppressor(K) will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;(L)
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
In love a throne(M) will be established;(N)
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house[a] of David(O)
one who in judging seeks justice(P)
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

We have heard of Moab’s(Q) pride(R)
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her conceit, her pride and her insolence;
    but her boasts are empty.
Therefore the Moabites wail,(S)
    they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
    for the raisin cakes(T) of Kir Hareseth.(U)
The fields of Heshbon(V) wither,(W)
    the vines of Sibmah(X) also.
The rulers of the nations
    have trampled down the choicest vines,(Y)
which once reached Jazer(Z)
    and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out(AA)
    and went as far as the sea.[b](AB)
So I weep,(AC) as Jazer weeps,
    for the vines of Sibmah.
Heshbon and Elealeh,(AD)
    I drench you with tears!(AE)
The shouts of joy(AF) over your ripened fruit
    and over your harvests(AG) have been stilled.
10 Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;(AH)
    no one sings or shouts(AI) in the vineyards;
no one treads(AJ) out wine at the presses,(AK)
    for I have put an end to the shouting.
11 My heart laments for Moab(AL) like a harp,(AM)
    my inmost being(AN) for Kir Hareseth.
12 When Moab appears at her high place,(AO)
    she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine(AP) to pray,
    it is to no avail.(AQ)

13 This is the word the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. 14 But now the Lord says: “Within three years,(AR) as a servant bound by contract(AS) would count them,(AT) Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised,(AU) and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 16:5 Hebrew tent
  2. Isaiah 16:8 Probably the Dead Sea