Isaiah 16

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

Send rams to the ruler of the land from Selah in the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion.

2 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.

As wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so the women of Moab are at the fords of the Arnon River.

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

“Give instruction, execute justice; provide some shade like night in the middle of the day; hide the fugitives; do not betray the fugitives.

4 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.

Let them live among you, the refugees from Moab; be a hiding place for them from the destroyer.” For the oppression will stop, and destruction will cease, those who trample will disappear from the land.

5 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.

A throne will be established in covenant faithfulness; and one from David's tent will faithfully sit there. He will judge as he seeks justice and does righteousness.

6 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.

We have heard of Moab's pride, his arrogance, his boasting, and his anger. But his boastings are empty words.

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

So Moab wails for Moab—they all wail! Mourn, you who are utterly destroyed, for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.

8 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.

The fields of Heshbon have dried up as well as the vines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled the choice vines that reached to Jazer and spread into the desert. Its shoots spread abroad; they went over to the sea.

9 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.

Indeed I will weep along with Jazer for the vineyard of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh. For on your fields of summer fruits and harvest I have ended the shouts of joy.

10 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.

Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruit tree groves; and there is no singing, or shouts in the vineyards. No one treads out wine in the presses, for I have put an end to the shouts of the one who treads.

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

So my heart sighs like a harp for Moab, and my inward being for Kir Hareseth.

12 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.

When Moab wears himself out on the high place and enters his temple to pray, his prayers will accomplish nothing.

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

This is the word that Yahweh spoke concerning Moab previously.

14 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.

Again Yahweh speaks, “Within three years, the glory of Moab will disappear; in spite of his many people, the remnant will be very few and insignificant.”