Isaiah 15
What Happens in This Chapter
This chapter is a message about Moab, a country next to Israel. Two of its cities are destroyed in one night, and the whole land cries out in sadness. People shave their heads, wear rough cloth, and run away carrying what they own. The chapter ends by saying more trouble is still coming to Moab.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
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 a heavy message about Moab, a country near Israel. In one night the city of Ar was ruined. In one night the city of Kir was ruined too.
"Burden" here means a heavy 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 of Dibon go up to their temple to cry. Moab wails out loud over the towns of Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved. Every beard is cut off.
Shaving the head and cutting off the beard was how people showed deep sadness back then.
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 put on sackcloth, rough scratchy cloth worn when people are very sad. On the flat rooftops and in the open squares, everyone wails. They cry and cry.
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. Their voices are heard far away in Jahaz. So Moab's soldiers cry out too. 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. Her people run away as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. They climb the hill road to Luhith, weeping as they go. On the road to Horonaim they cry that everything is ruined.
The King James wording says "an heifer of three years old." Most scholars now read those words as 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 waters of Nimrim have dried up. The grass has turned brown. The plants are gone. 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 the people carry away all the things they own and saved up. They take it all across the Brook of the Willows.
8For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim, and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.
8Crying is heard all around the edges of Moab. The wailing reaches the town of Eglaim. It reaches Beer-elim too.
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. God says, "I will bring even more trouble on Dimon." A lion will come after the people running away from Moab. It will come after those still left in the land.
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