Rhyming Isaiah, Chapter 16

Rhyming Isaiah, Chapter 16

The ruler of the land, to him, send lambs,
from Sela, of the desert, by its way,
to daughter Zion’s mount. Like those outcast,
birds, flutt’ring, scattered nestlings, at the place
are Moab’s women, at the Arnon’s fords.
“Now give us counsel, justice, us, provide;
make it like night, at the noon’s height, your shade;
the outcasts are the ones whom you should hide,
and also don’t, the fugitives, betray;
let Moab’s exiles find with you a place;
to them, be refuge, in destruction’s face.”

Once the oppression’s past, the ruin, complete,
when, from the land, gone, the aggressor’s heel,
then how a throne, established, it will be,
in David’s tent, and on it there will sit
a ruler, judge, who, justice, always seeks,
and doing what is right, at that, he’s swift.

We’ve heard how great is Moab’s haughtiness–
how proud he is! His pride, his arrogance,
and too his insolence; his boasts are false.
Therefore let Moab wail for Moab’s sake.
Kir-Hareseth, for all its raisin cakes,
you mourn, with grief, your heart will, stricken, be.
For Heshbon’s vineyards all are withering,
the grapes that once, on Sibmah’s vines, had hung,
whose clusters made the lords of nations drunk,
those vines, as far as Jazer, where they reached,
out to the desert, they went windingly,
its spreading branches, over, crossed, the sea.
Therefore with Jazer’s weeping, I will weep,
for Sibmah’s vines; I drench you with my tears,
O Heshbon and Elealeh; for ceased,
the shout, the harvest of your fruit, has, o’er,
and too, the harvest of your grain, no more.

Away, both joy and gladness, taken are,
from the field, fruitful; in the vineyard’s place,
no songs are sung and no more shouts are raised;
no treader in the presses, wine, treads out,
and also hushed is it, the vintage-shout!
Therefore for Moab, harp-like, throbs my heart
and too my very soul for Kir-heres.

Though all, to worship, come, the Moabites,
and, they, themselves, will weary, at their shrines,
they to their sanctuaries flock to pray,
despite that, nothing, them, will it avail.

These words the LORD spoke of the former days,
concerning Moab, but the LORD now says,

“Just as a worker, hour’ly, them, would count,
in three years, Moab’s glory it derives
from its great populace, it will be brought
into contempt and those who still survive
will be both few and feeble in their lives.”