Isaiah
Chapter 15
Isaiah delivers a message about Moab, a nation east of the Dead Sea. In one night its main cities are destroyed, and the people weep in the streets and on the rooftops. They flee south with whatever they can carry, past dried-up streams, while cries are heard at every border. The chapter ends with God saying more trouble is still coming on those who escape.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence;
1This is the heavy message about Moab. In one night the city of Ar in Moab was destroyed and silenced. In one night the city of Kir in Moab was destroyed and silenced.
"Burden" here means a heavy, serious message from God about a nation, not a load someone carries.
2He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.
2The people go up to the temple in Dibon, to the worship places on the hills, to cry. Moab wails over the towns of Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved, and every beard is cut off.
Shaving the head and cutting off the beard were public signs of deep grief in that time and place.
3In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.
3In the streets they wear rough cloth to show their grief. On the flat roofs of their houses and in the open squares, everyone wails and weeps hard.
4And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.
4The towns of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out, and their voices carry all the way to Jahaz. So Moab's soldiers cry out too, and they shake with fear inside.
5My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
5My heart cries out for Moab. Its people run away as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. They climb the road up to Luhith, weeping as they go. On the road to Horonaim they cry out that everything is ruined.
The KJV reads "an heifer of three years old," but the Hebrew words are most likely the name of a place, Eglath-shelishiyah.
6For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
6The streams of Nimrim have dried up. The grass is brown and dead. The plants are gone, and nothing green is left.
7Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away to the brook of the willows.
7So they carry away everything they own and everything they saved, hauling it across the Willow Brook.
8For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.
8Their cry has spread all around Moab's borders. Their wailing reaches Eglaim, and their wailing reaches Beer-elim.
9For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood: for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.
9The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring even more on Dimon. I will send a lion against those who escape from Moab, and against the people left in the land.
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