Isaiah 16

1 O Lord, send forth the Lamb, the Ruler of the earth, from the Rock of the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

Send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion.

2 And this shall be: like a bird fleeing away, and like fledglings flying from the nest, so will the daughters of Moab be at the passage of Arnon.

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 Form a plan. Call a council. Let your shadow be as if it were night, even at midday. Conceal the fugitives, and do not betray the wanderers.

Give counsel, execute justice, make thy shade as the night in the midst of the noonday. Hide the outcasts. Do not betray the fugitive.

4 My fugitives will live with you. Become a hiding place, O Moab, from the face of the destroyer. For the dust is at its end; the miserable one has been consumed. He who trampled the earth has failed.

Let my outcasts dwell with thee. As for Moab, be thou a covert to him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortioner is brought to nothing. Destruction ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land.

5 And a throne will be prepared in mercy, and One shall sit upon it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment, and quickly repaying what is just.

And a throne shall be established in loving kindness, and he shall sit on it 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; he is very proud. His pride and his arrogance and his indignation is more than his strength.

We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud, even of his arrogance, and his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing.

7 For this reason, Moab will wail to Moab; each one will wail. Speak of their wounds to those who rejoice upon the brick walls.

Therefore Moab shall wail for Moab, everyone shall wail. Ye shall mourn for the raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth, utterly stricken.

8 For the suburbs of Heshbon are deserted, and the lords of the Gentiles have cut down the vineyard of Sibmah. Its vines have arrived even at Jazer. They have wandered in the desert. Its seedlings have been abandoned. They have crossed over the sea.

For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down the choice branches of it, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea.

9 I will weep with the tears of Jazer over this, the vineyard of Sibmah. I will inebriate you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh! For the sound of those who trample has rushed over your vintage and over your harvest.

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 has fallen.

10 And so, rejoicing and exultation will be taken away from Carmel, and there will be no jubilation or exultation in the vineyards. He who was accustomed to tread will not tread out the wine in the winepress. I have taken away the sound of those who tread.

And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field. And in the vineyards there shall be no singing nor joyful noise. No treader shall tread out wine in the presses. I have made the vintage shout to cease.

11 Over this, my heart will resonate like a harp for Moab, and my inner most being for the brick wall.

Therefore my heart sounds like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir-heres.

12 And this shall be: when it is seen that Moab has struggled upon his high places, he will enter his holy places to pray, but he will not prevail.

And it shall come to pass, when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon the high place, and shall come to his sanctuary to pray, that he shall not prevail.

13 This is the word that the Lord has spoken to Moab concerning that time.

This is the word that Jehovah spoke concerning Moab in time past.

14 And now the Lord has spoken, saying: In three years, like the years of a hired hand, the glory of Moab concerning the entire multitude of the people will be taken away, and what is left behind will be small and weak and not so numerous.

But now Jehovah 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 multitude. And the remnant shall be very small and of no account.