Judgment on Moab
(Isaiah 15:1–9)

1Thus saieth ye LORDE off hoostes ye God of Israel against Moab: Wo be to ye cite of Nebo, for it shal be layed waist, brought to confucion and taken. Yee ye stroge cite of Cariatharim shalbe brought to shame, and afrayed:

2Moab shall nomore be had in honoure: Wicked councell shalbe taken vpon Hesebon. Come (shall they saye) let vs rote them out, that they maye be nomore amonge the nombre of the Gentiles, yee that they maye nomore be thought vpon: Thus the swearde shall persecute ye.

3A voyce shall crie from Horonaim: With greate waistinge and destruction,

4is Moab made desolate. And this crie shalbe herde in all hir cities.

5At the goinge vp vnto Luhtih there shall arise a lametacion: and downe towarde Horonaim, there shall be herde a cruell and a deedly crie:

6Get you awaye, saue youre lyues & be like vnto the heeth in ye wildernes

7For, because thou hast trusted in thy stronge holdes and treasure, thou shalt be taken. Chamos with his prestes and prynces shall go awaye in to captiuyte.

8The destroyer shal come vpon all cities, none shall escape. The valleys shalbe destroyed, and the feldes shall be layed waist: like as the LORDE hath determed.

9Make a token vnto Moab, that she get hir awaye spedely: for hir cities shalbe made so desolate, that no man shall dwell therin.

10Cursed be he that doth the worke of the LORDE necligently, and cursed be he that kepeth backe his swearde from sheddynge off bloude.

11Moab hath euer bene rich and carlesse from hir youth vp, she hath sytten and take hir ease with hir treasure. She was neuer yet put out off one vessell in to another (yt is) she neuer wente awaye in to captyuyte, therfore hir taist remayneth, and hir sauoure is not yet chaunged.

12But lo, the tyme commeth (saieth the LORDE) that I shall sende hir trussers to trusse her vp, to prepare and season hir vessels: yee hir tankerdes rattell, and shake to & fro. 13And Moab shalbe ashamed off Chamos, like as Israel was ashamed off Bethel, wherin she put hir trust.

14Wherfore do ye thinke thus: we are mightie, and stronge men off warre?

15Moab shalbe destroyed, and hir cities brente vp: hir chosen yonge men shall be slayne, saieth the kinge, whose name is the LORDE off hoostes.

16The destruction off Moab commeth on a pace, and hir fall is at honde.

17All hir neghbours shall mourne for her, and all they that knowe hir name, shal saye: O how happeneth it, that the stronge staff and the goodly rod is thus broken?

18And thou doughter Dibo, come downe from thy glory, and syt in pouerte. For he that destroyeth Moab, shall come vp to the also, and breake downe thy stronge holdes.

19And thou that dwellest in Aroer, get the to ye strete, & loke aboute the: axe them that are fled and escaped, and saye: what thynge is happened?

20O, Moab is confounded and ouercome. Mourne and crie, tell it out at Arnon, that Moab is destroyed.

21And mysery shall come vpon the playne londe: Namely, vpo holon, and Iaza: vpon Mephat 22and Dibo, vpon Nebo and the house of Diplathaim, 23vpon Cariatharim and Bethgamul, vpon Bethmaon 24and Carioth, vpon Bosra and all the cities in the lode off Moab, whether they lye farre or neare. 25The horne of Moab shal be smytte downe, & hir arme broken, saieth the LORDE. 26Make hir dronken (for she magnified hirself aboue the LORDE:) that men maye clappe their hondes at hir vomyte, and that she also maye be laughed to scorne. 27O Israell, shalt thou not laugh him to scorne, when he is taken amoge theues? Yee because off thy wordes that thou hast spoken agaynst him, thou shalt be dryuen awaye.

28Ye Moabites shal leaue the cities, and dwell in rockes off stone, and become like doues, that make their nestes in holes.

29As for Moabs pryde, we haue herde off it, she is very hie mynded. I knowe hir stoutnesse, hir boostinge, hir arogacy and the pryde off hir stomack, saieth the LORDE.

30For hir furiousnes maye nether vpholde her wt strength, ner dede.

31Therfore shal there mournynge be made for Moab, and euery ma shal crie for Moabs sake: a lamentacion shalbe made, to the men that stonde vpon the wall.

32So will I mourne for the also (o Iazer) and for the, O thou vynyarde off Sybma. Thy wyne brauches shal come ouer ye see, and the braunches off Iazer but vnto the see: the destroyer shall breake in to thy haruest and grape gatheringe.

33Myrth and cheare shalbe taken awaye from the tymbre felde, and from the whole londe off Moab. There shall be no swete wyne in the presse, the treader shall haue no stomacke to crie, yee there shall be none to crie vnto him:

34which afore tyme were herde from hesebon to Eleale and Ioaz, which lifted vp their voyce from Zoar vnto Horonaim, that bullock off thre yeare olde. The waters also off Nemrim shalbe dried vp. 35Morouer I will make Moab ceasse (saieth the LORDE) from the offringes and censinge that she hath made vnto hir goddes in hie places.

36Wherfore my herte mourneth for Moab, like a crowde playenge an heuy songe: and for the mens sake off the bricke wall my herte mourneth also, euen as a pype, that pipeth a dolefull songe: for they shalbe very fewe, and destroyed. 37All heades shall be shauen, and all beerdes clipped off: all hondes bounde, and all loynes gyrded aboute with sack cloth. 38Vpo all the house toppes and stretes off Moab, there shalbe mournynge: For I will breake Moab like an vnprofitable vessell saieh the LORDE 39O how fearfull is she? O how mourneth she? O how doth Moab hange downe hir heade, and is ashamed? Thus shall Moab be a laughinge stocke, and had in derision off all them, that be rounde aboute her.

40For thus saieth the LORDE: Beholde, the enemie shal come flyenge as an Aegle, and sprede his wynges vpon Moab.

41They shall clymme ouer the walles, and wynne the stronge holdes. Then the mighty mens hertes in Moab, shalbe like the herte off a woman trauelinge with childe.

42And Moab shalbe made so desolate, that she shal nomore be a people, because she hath set vp her selfe agaynst the LORDE.

43Feare, pyt, and snare shall come vpo the (o Moab) saieth the LORDE.

44Who so escapeth the feare, shal fall in the pyt: and who so getteth out off the pyt, shall be taken in the snare. For I will bringe a yeare off visitacion vpon Moab, saieth the LORDE.

45They that are able to fle, shall stonde vnder the shadowe off Hesebon. For there shall go a fyre out off Hesebon, and a flame from Sion, & shall burne vp that proude people off Moab, both before and behynde.

46Wo be vnto the (o Moab) for thou people off Chamos shalt perish: Yee thy sonnes and doughters shall be led awaye captyue.

47Yet at the last will I bringe Moab out off captiuyte agayne, saieth the LORDE. Thus farre off the plage off Moab.