Isaiah 15

1 This is the burden [message from God, prophecy] against Moab: Ar [the capital city] in Moab is ruined [laid waste], destroyed [brought to nothing, devastated] in a night [time of darkness, period of hardship]! Kir [a place in Moab, possibly a region] in Moab is devastated [laid waste, brought to silence], destroyed [cut off, ruined] in a night [period of adversity]! word study 2 Dibon [the capital city, a town in Moab] goes up to its temple [the high place, a cultic platform] to weep [to mourn, lament] at its high places [elevations, mountains]. Moab [the land and descendants of Lot’s son] wails [howls, cries out] over Nebo [a mountain, a Babylonian deity], as well as over Medeba [a town in ancient Moab, a place of water]. Every head [the topmost part of the body] is shaved [bald, without hair], every beard is cut off [diminished, shaved]. word study 3 In its streets [outside, in the public areas] they wear [gird themselves with] sackcloth [a coarse cloth]; on the rooftops [housetops, upper rooms] and in the public squares [broad places, open areas] they all [every single one] wail [howl, cry out in lament], falling down [going down, descending] weeping [with abundant tears, in bitter sorrow]. word study 4 Heshbon [a city east of the Jordan River] and Elealeh [a village of the Reubenites, meaning ‘God is ascending’] cry out [in distress, with a loud voice]; their voices [sounds or utterances] are heard [perceived and understood] as far as [until, reaching the point of] Jahaz [a place of Israel’s victory over the Amorites]. Therefore [in consequence, as a result] the soldiers [armed men, warriors] of Moab [a land and people descended from Lot] cry out [shout, make a loud noise]; their souls [the essence of a person, their being] tremble [are shaken, quiver] within [inside, deep within]. word study 5 My [innermost being, deepest emotions] heart cries out [with sorrow, in lamentation] over Moab [the land and descendants of Lot]; her fugitives [those who have escaped, refugees] flee as far as [till, up to] Zoar [a city near the Dead Sea], as far as Eglath-shelishiyah [a place near Zoar, possibly meaning ‘a heifer of three years old’]. With [accompanied by, characterized by] weeping [overflowing tears, intense sorrow] they ascend [go up, rise] the slope [ascent, upward movement] of Luhith [a place in Moab, possibly meaning ’tablets’]; they lament [cry out, mourn] their destruction [breaking, shattering] on the road [way, path] to Horonaim [a place in Moab, possibly meaning ’two caves’]. word study 6 The waters of Nimrim [a place of pure streams] are dried up [desolate, withered away], and the grass [herb, tender growth] is withered [failed, burned up]; the vegetation [green thing, new growth] is gone [finished, consumed], and the greenery [green, lush plants] is no more [does not exist, has perished]. word study 7 So they carry their wealth [abundance, riches] and belongings [possessions, stores] over the Brook [stream, river] of the Willows [willow trees, poplars]. word study 8 For [because of this reason] their outcry [loud cry, shriek of distress] echoes [is heard, goes around] to the border [boundary, limit] of Moab [the land of the descendants of Lot]. Their wailing [howling, lamentation] reaches [extends to, is heard in] Eglaim [a town in Moab, double reservoir]; it is heard [reaches, echoes] in Beer-elim [the well of God, a place in the desert]. word study 9 The waters [liquid, source of refreshment] of Dimon [Dibon, a place in Moab, meaning river bed or silence] are full [to fill, make complete] of blood [the liquid that flows through the body], but I will bring more [additions, increase] upon Dimon [the town, the people]— a lion upon the fugitives [survivors, escaped portion] of Moab [the land, descendants of Lot] and upon the remnant [what is left, remaining ones] of the land [earth, soil, ground]. word study