Isaiah 16

Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

1Send lambs as a gift to the ruler of the land. Send them from the town of Sela, across the desert. Send them to the mountain of Zion, the hill where Jerusalem stands.

NoteThe lambs were a payment. A smaller land sent animals to a stronger ruler, the way people pay a tax.

2For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

2The women of Moab wait at the shallow crossings of the Arnon river. They are like little birds pushed out of their nest.

3Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

3They say, "Tell us what to do. Be fair to us. Cover us with shade as dark as night, even at noon. Hide the people who had to run away. Do not tell on the one who is hiding."

Note"Bewray" is an old English word. It means to give someone away, or to tell on them.

4Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

4"Let my people who were driven out stay with you. Moab, be a safe hiding place for them." The cruel man who takes from people will come to an end. The one who destroys will stop. Those who crushed others will be gone from the land.

5And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

5Then a kind and steady throne will be set up. Someone from David's family will sit on it. He will rule honestly. He will judge in a fair way and be quick to do what is right.

6We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.

6We have heard how proud Moab is. Moab is very proud and looks down on others. Moab is full of anger. But Moab's big talk is not true.

7Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

7So the people of Moab will cry out loud for Moab. Every one of them will cry. They will grieve for Kirhareseth, a town of Moab that is now broken. Its people are badly hurt.

8For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.

8The fields of Heshbon have dried up. So have the grapevines of Sibmah. Rulers of other nations broke down its best vines. Those vines once grew as far as the town of Jazer. They spread out into the desert. Their branches reached far and even went across the sea.

9Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.

9So I cry for the vines of Sibmah, the way Jazer cries. Heshbon and Elealeh, my tears fall on you like rain. No one shouts with joy over your summer fruit or your harvest now.

10And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.

10Gladness and joy are gone from the good farm fields. No one sings or shouts in the vineyards. No one steps on grapes to press out wine. I have stopped the happy shouting at harvest time.

11Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.

11So my heart moans for Moab like sad music from a harp. Deep inside me I ache for Kirharesh.

Note"Bowels" and "inward parts" meant deep feelings inside. Today we would say "heart." Kirharesh is another name for the town Kirhareseth in verse 7.

12And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.

12Moab will climb up to the high place to worship. He will wear himself out there. Then he will go into his holy house to pray. But it will not help him.

13This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

13This is the message the LORD spoke about Moab long ago.

14But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.

14But now the LORD says this: "In three years, counted exactly, Moab's greatness will be shamed. All her many people will be shamed too. Only a few will be left, and they will be weak."

Note"As the years of an hireling" means the three years are counted exactly. A hired worker counts his work days carefully.