Ἠσαΐας 16

1 ἀποστελῶ ὡς ἑρπετὰ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν μὴ πέτρα ἔρημός ἐστιν τὸ ὄρος Σιων

Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela through the desert, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

2 ἔσῃ γὰρ ὡς πετεινοῦ ἀνιπταμένου νεοσσὸς ἀφῃρημένος θύγατερ Μωαβ ἔπειτα δέ Αρνων

The Moabite women at the fords of the Arnon are like birds fluttering around when their nest is destroyed.

3 πλείονα βουλεύου ποιεῖτε σκέπην πένθους αὐτῇ διὰ παντός ἐν μεσημβρινῇ σκοτίᾳ φεύγουσιν ἐξέστησαν μὴ ἀπαχθῇς

Think about it and make a decision. Make your shadow as invisible at midday as during the night. Hide the refugees; don't betray them as they run away.

4 παροικήσουσίν σοι οἱ φυγάδες Μωαβ ἔσονται σκέπη ὑμῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου διώκοντος ὅτι ἤρθη ἡ συμμαχία σου καὶ ὁ ἄρχων ἀπώλετο ὁ καταπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Let my refugees stay among you, Moab. Hide them from our enemies until the destroyer is no more, the destruction is over, and the aggressive invaders have gone.

5 καὶ διορθωθήσεται μετ’ ἐλέους θρόνος καὶ καθίεται ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ μετὰ ἀληθείας ἐν σκηνῇ Δαυιδ κρίνων καὶ ἐκζητῶν κρίμα καὶ σπεύδων δικαιοσύνην

Then a kingdom will be set up based on trustworthy love, and on its throne will sit a faithful king from the line of David. He will judge fairly, and will be passionately committed to doing what is right.

6 ἠκούσαμεν τὴν ὕβριν Μωαβ ὑβριστὴς σφόδρα τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν ἐξῆρας οὐχ οὕτως ἡ μαντεία σου

We know all about the pride of the Moabites, how terribly vain and conceited they are, completely arrogant! But their boasting is false.

7 οὐχ οὕτως ὀλολύξει Μωαβ ἐν γὰρ τῇ Μωαβίτιδι πάντες ὀλολύξουσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Δεσεθ μελετήσεις καὶ οὐκ ἐντραπήσῃ

All the Moabites grieve for Moab. They all mourn the loss of the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth, all of them destroyed.

8 τὰ πεδία Εσεβων πενθήσει ἄμπελος Σεβαμα καταπίνοντες τὰ ἔθνη καταπατήσατε τὰς ἀμπέλους αὐτῆς ἕως Ιαζηρ οὐ μὴ συνάψητε πλανήθητε τὴν ἔρημον οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι ἐγκατελείφθησαν διέβησαν γὰρ τὴν ἔρημον

Heshbon's fields have dried up, as have Sibmah's grapevines. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the vines that once branched out to Jazer and east towards the desert, and west as far as the sea.

9 διὰ τοῦτο κλαύσομαι ὡς τὸν κλαυθμὸν Ιαζηρ ἄμπελον Σεβαμα τὰ δένδρα σου κατέβαλεν Εσεβων καὶ Ελεαλη ὅτι ἐπὶ τῷ θερισμῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ τρυγήτῳ σου καταπατήσω καὶ πάντα πεσοῦνται

So I cry with Jazer for Sibmah's vines; I soak Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Nobody shouts in celebration over your summer fruit and your harvest any more.

10 καὶ ἀρθήσεται εὐφροσύνη καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα ἐκ τῶν ἀμπελώνων σου καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀμπελῶσίν σου οὐ μὴ εὐφρανθήσονται καὶ οὐ μὴ πατήσουσιν οἶνον εἰς τὰ ὑπολήνια πέπαυται γάρ

Joy and happiness are gone. Nobody celebrates in the harvest fields or the vineyards; nobody shouts happily. Nobody treads grapes in the winepresses. I have stopped their cheering.

11 διὰ τοῦτο ἡ κοιλία μου ἐπὶ Μωαβ ὡς κιθάρα ἠχήσει καὶ τὰ ἐντός μου ὡσεὶ τεῖχος ὃ ἐνεκαίνισας

Heartbroken I cry for Moab like sad music on a harp; deep inside I weep for Kir-hareseth.

12 καὶ ἔσται εἰς τὸ ἐντραπῆναί σε ὅτι ἐκοπίασεν Μωαβ ἐπὶ τοῖς βωμοῖς καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ χειροποίητα αὐτῆς ὥστε προσεύξασθαι καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνηται ἐξελέσθαι αὐτόν

The Moabites go and wear themselves out worshiping at their high places. They go to their shrines to pray, but it does them no good.

13 τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐλάλησεν κύριος ἐπὶ Μωαβ ὁπότε καὶ ἐλάλησεν

This is the message that the Lord has already delivered about Moab.

14 καὶ νῦν λέγω ἐν τρισὶν ἔτεσιν ἐτῶν μισθωτοῦ ἀτιμασθήσεται ἡ δόξα Μωαβ ἐν παντὶ τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ πολλῷ καὶ καταλειφθήσεται ὀλιγοστὸς καὶ οὐκ ἔντιμος

But now the Lord speaks again, and says, In three years, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, Moab's glory will turn into something to be laughed at. Despite there being so many Moabites now, soon there will only be a few feeble people left.