Isaiah 15:1-Isaiah 16:14 - Oracle Of Judgment On Moab

¹ The word about Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab has become waste, and is seen no longer; for in a night Kir of Moab has become waste, and is seen no longer. ² The daughter of Dibon has gone up to the high places, weeping: Moab is sounding her cry of sorrow over Nebo, and over Medeba: everywhere the hair of the head and of the face is cut off. ³ In their streets they are covering themselves with haircloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their public places, there is crying and bitter weeping. ⁴ Heshbon is crying out, and Elealeh; their voice is sounding even to Jahaz: for this cause the heart of Moab is shaking; his soul is shaking with fear. ⁵ My heart is crying out for Moab; her people go in flight to Zoar, and to Eglath-shelishiyah: for they go up with weeping by the slope of Luhith; on the way to Horonaim they send up a cry of destruction. ⁶ The waters of Nimrim will become dry: for the grass is burned up, the young grass is coming to an end, every green thing is dead. ⁷ For this cause they will take away their wealth, and the stores they have got together, over the stream of the water-plants. ⁸ For the cry has gone round the limits of Moab; as far as to Eglaim and Beer-elim. ⁹ For the waters of Dimon are full of blood: and I'm sending even more on Moab, a lion on those of Moab who go in flight, and on the rest of the land.

¹ And they will send ... to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. ² For the daughters of Moab will be like wandering birds, like a place from which the young birds have gone in flight, at the ways across the Arnon.

³ Give wise directions, make a decision; let your shade be as night in full day: keep safe those who are in flight; do not give up the wandering ones. ⁴ Let those who have been forced out of Moab have a resting-place with you; be a cover to them from him who is making waste their land: till the cruel ones are cut off, and wasting has come to an end, and those who take pleasure in crushing the poor are gone from the land. ⁵ Then a king's seat will be based on mercy, and one will be seated on it in the tent of David for ever; judging uprightly, and quick to do righteousness.

⁶ We have had word of the pride of Moab, how great it is; how he is lifted up in pride and passion: his high words about himself are false. ⁷ For this cause everyone in Moab will give cries of grief for Moab: crushed to the earth, they will be weeping for the men of Kir-hareseth. ⁸ For the fields of Heshbon are waste, the vine of Sibmah is dead; the lords of nations were overcome by the produce of her vines; her vine-plants went as far as Jazer, and came even to the waste land; her branches were stretched out to the sea. ⁹ For this cause my sorrow for the vine of Sibmah will be like the weeping for Jazer: my eyes are dropping water on you, O Heshbon and Elealeh! For they are sounding the war-cry over your summer fruits and the getting in of your grain; ¹⁰ And all joy is gone; no longer are they glad for the fertile field; and in the vine-gardens there are no songs or sounds of joy: the crushing of grapes has come to an end, and its glad cry has been stopped. ¹¹ For this cause the cords of my heart are sounding for Moab, and I am full of sorrow for Kir-heres. ¹² And when Moab goes up to the high place, and makes prayer in the house of his god, it will have no effect.

¹³ This is the word which the Lord said about Moab in the past. ¹⁴ But now the Lord has said, In three years, the years of a servant working for payment, the glory of Moab, all that great people, will be turned to shame, and the rest of Moab will be very small and without honour.