THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
ISAIAH

Isaiah 16 ©

An exhortation to the Moabites, to bring their lambs, v. 1. And to carry themselves friendly and kindly towards the banished Jews, 3. But forasmuch as they refused through pride and arrogance, 6. Therefore the Lord threatens them that they would be so fearfully destroyed and cut off, 7. As that the prophet has pity and compassion on them, 9. But he goes on in a narration of the miseries that were approaching unto them, 10. And he names the times when the same would come to pass, 14.

1

SEND 1ye 2the lamb 3to the ruler of the land from 4Sela 5to the wilderness, 6unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

2

7For it shall be, that, 8as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so 9the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of 10Arnon.

3

11Take counsel, 12execute judgment; 13make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; 14hide 15the outcasts; 16bewray not him 17that wandereth.

4

18Let 19mine outcasts dwell 20with thee, Moab; 21be thou a covert to them from the face 22of the spoiler: for the extortioner 23is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, 24the oppressors 25are consumed out of the land.

5

And 26in mercy shall 27the throne 28be established: and he shall sit upon it 29in truth 30ina the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and 31hasting righteousness.

6

32We haveb heard of the pride 33of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: 34but his lies shall not be so.

7

35Therefore shall 36Moab howlc for Moab, every one shall howl: for the 37foundations of Kir-hareseth shall ye 38mourn; surely 39they are stricken.

8

40For 41the fields of 42Heshbon 43languish, and the vine of 44Sibmah: 45the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, 46they 47are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through 48the wilderness: herd49branches are stretched out, they are gone 50over the sea.

9

51Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: 52I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest 53is fallen.

10

And gladness is 54taken away, and joy 55out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: 56the treaders shall tread out 57no wine 58in their presses; 59I have made their vintage 60shouting to cease.

11

61Wherefore my bowels 62shall sound 63like an harp 64for Moab, and 65mine inward parts 66for 67Kir-haresh.

12

¶And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is 68weary 69on the high place, that 70he shall come 71to his sanctuary to pray; but 72he shall note prevail.

13

This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab 73since that time.

14

But 74now the LORD hath spoken, saying, 75Within three years, 76as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, 77with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.