Judgment on Moab (Isaiah 15:1–9)
1 DBY Concerning Moab. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled; Kirjathaim is put to shame, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and dismayed. BSB BSB: Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled.
2 DBY Moab's praise is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O Madmen, shalt be cut down; the sword shall pursue thee. BSB BSB: There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you.
3 DBY A voice of crying from Horonaim; wasting and great destruction! BSB BSB: A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’
4 DBY Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. BSB BSB: Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.
5 DBY For by the ascent of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the descent of Horonaim is heard the anguish of the cry of destruction. BSB BSB: For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:
6 DBY Flee, save your lives, and be like a shrub in the wilderness. BSB BSB: ‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’
7 DBY For because thou hast confided in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken, and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his princes together. BSB BSB: Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.
8 DBY And the waster shall come upon every city, that not a city shall escape; and the valley shall perish, and the plateau shall be destroyed: as Jehovah hath said. BSB BSB: The destroyer will move against every city, and not one town will escape. The valley will also be ruined, and the high plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has said.
9 DBY Give wings unto Moab, that she may flee and get away; and the cities thereof shall become a desolation, without inhabitant. BSB BSB: Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them.
10 DBY Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood! BSB BSB: Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
11 DBY Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and hath settled on his lees; he hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste hath remained in him, and his scent is not changed. BSB BSB: Moab has been at ease from youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel or gone into exile. So his flavor has remained the same, and his aroma is unchanged.
12 DBY Therefore behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will send unto him pourers that shall pour him off, and shall empty his vessels, and break in pieces his flagons. BSB BSB: Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will send to him wanderers, who will pour him out. They will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.
13 DBY And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. BSB BSB: Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.
14 DBY How do ye say, We are mighty, and men of valour for the war? BSB BSB: How can you say, ‘We are warriors, mighty men ready for battle’?
15 DBY Moab is laid waste, and his cities are gone up in smoke , and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts. BSB BSB: Moab has been destroyed and its towns have been invaded; the best of its young men have gone down in the slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.
16 DBY The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. BSB BSB: Moab’s calamity is at hand, and his affliction is rushing swiftly.
17 DBY All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod! BSB BSB: Mourn for him, all you who surround him, everyone who knows his name; tell how the mighty scepter is shattered—the glorious staff!
18 DBY Come down from thy glory and sit in the drought, O inhabitress, daughter of Dibon; the spoiler of Moab is come up against thee, thy strongholds hath he destroyed. BSB BSB: Come down from your glory; sit on parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses.
19 DBY Stand by the way, and watch, inhabitress of Aroer; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What is done? BSB BSB: Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’
20 DBY Moab is put to shame; for he is broken down: howl and cry; tell it in Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. BSB BSB: Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
21 DBY And judgment is come upon the country of the plateau; upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath; BSB BSB: Judgment has come upon the high plain—upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 DBY and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim; BSB BSB: upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 DBY and upon Kirjathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon; BSB BSB: upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 DBY and upon Kerijoth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. BSB BSB: upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab, those far and near.
25 DBY The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: The horn of Moab has been cut off, and his arm is broken,” declares the LORD.
26 DBY Make him drunken, for he magnified himself against Jehovah; and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. BSB BSB: “Make him drunk, because he has magnified himself against the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock.
27 DBY For was not Israel a derision unto thee? Was he found among thieves, that as oft as thou didst speak of him, thou didst shake the head? BSB BSB: Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.
28 DBY Leave the cities, and dwell in the rocks, ye inhabitants of Moab, and be like the dove, that maketh her nest in the sides of the cave's mouth. BSB BSB: Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.
29 DBY We have heard of the arrogance of Moab, — he is very proud; — his loftiness, and his arrogance, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. BSB BSB: We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his proud arrogance and haughtiness of heart.
30 DBY I know his wrath, saith Jehovah; his pratings are vain: they do not as they say . BSB BSB: I know his insolence,” declares the LORD, “but it is futile. His boasting is as empty as his deeds.
31 DBY Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir-heres shall there be moaning. BSB BSB: Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
32 DBY O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with more than the weeping of Jaazer: thy shoots passed over the sea, they reached to the sea of Jaazer. The spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage. BSB BSB: I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
33 DBY And joy and gladness is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: they shall no more tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting. BSB BSB: Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy.
34 DBY Because of the cry from Heshbon, unto Elaleh, unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar unto Horonaim, unto Eglath-shelishijah: for even the waters of Nimrim shall become desolations. BSB BSB: There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices to Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.
35 DBY And I will cause to cease in Moab, saith Jehovah, him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods. BSB BSB: In Moab, declares the LORD, I will bring an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods.
36 DBY Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres; because the abundance that he hath gotten is perished. BSB BSB: Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
37 DBY For every head is bald, and every beard clipped; upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. BSB BSB: For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.
38 DBY It is wholly lamentation upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the public places thereof; for I have broken Moab, like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: On all the rooftops of Moab and in the public squares, everyone is mourning; for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,” declares the LORD.
39 DBY They howl, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! And Moab shall be a derision and a terror to all that are round about him. BSB BSB: “How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”
40 DBY For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread forth his wings over Moab. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads his wings against Moab.
41 DBY Kerijoth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and at that day the heart of the mighty men of Moab shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. BSB BSB: Kirioth has been taken, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
42 DBY And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah. BSB BSB: Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD.
43 DBY Fear, and the pit, and the snare shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,” declares the LORD.
44 DBY He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon her, upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah. BSB BSB: “Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.
45 DBY They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon powerless; for a fire hath come forth from Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath consumed the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the sons of tumult. BSB BSB: “Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.
46 DBY Woe to thee, Moab! The people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away in captivity, and thy daughters are captives. BSB BSB: Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.
47 DBY But I will turn the captivity of Moab at the end of the days, saith Jehovah. Thus far is the judgement of Moab. BSB BSB: Yet in the latter days I will restore Moab from captivity,” declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab.