Isaiah 16
1 I will send as it were reptiles on
the land: is not the mount of the daughter of Sion a
desolate rock? 2 For thou shalt be as
a young bird taken away from a bird that has flown:
even thou shalt be so,
daughter of Moab: and then do thou, O Arnon,
3 take farther counsel, and
continually make thou a shelter from grief: they flee in darkness at mid-day;
they are amazed; be not thou led captive.
4 The fugitives of Moab shall sojourn
with thee; they shall be to you a shelter from the face of the pursuer: for
thine alliance has been taken away, and the oppressing ruler has perished from
off the earth. 5 And a throne shall be
established with mercy; and one shall sit upon it with truth in the tabernacle
of David, judging, and earnestly seeking judgments, and hasting righteousness.
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab;
he is very proud. I have cut off his pride: thy prophecy shall not be thus,
no not thus.
7 Moab shall howl; for all shall howl
in the land of Moab: but thou shalt care for them that dwell in Seth, and thou
shalt not be ashamed. 8 The plains of
Esebon shall mourn, the vine of Sebama: swallowing up the nations, trample ye
her vines, even to Jazer: ye shall not come together; wander ye in the desert:
they that were sent are deserted, for they have gone over to the sea.
9 Therefore will I weep as with the
weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sebama; Esebon and Eleale have cast down thy
trees; for I will trample on thy harvest and on thy vintages, and all
thy plants shall fall.
10 And gladness and rejoicing shall
be taken away from the vineyards; and they shall not rejoice at all in thy
vineyards; and they shall not at all tread wine into the vats; for
the vintage has ceased.
11 Therefore my belly shall sound as
a harp for Moab, and
aCompare the Hebrew.thou hast repaired my inward parts as a wall.
12 And it shall be to thy shame, (for
Moab is wearied at the altars,) that he shall go in to the idols thereof to
pray, but they shall not be at all able to deliver him.
13 This is the word which the Lord
spoke against Moab, when he spoke.
14 And now I say, In three years, of
the years of an hireling, the glory of Moab shall be dishonoured
with all his great wealth; and he shall be left few
in number, and not honoured.