EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Isaiah 16:14
14But now the Lord says, ‘In three years' time, all Moab's glory will have gone. Count every day of those years, as if you are working to receive money. After that, there will only be a few of Moab's people who are still alive. Now they are many and they are strong. But by then they will be few and weak.’
Isaiah 16:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.
- New International Version (NIV)But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But now the Lord has spoken, saying, "In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”
Context of Isaiah 16:14
12Moab's people go to their altars and temples to pray for help from their gods. But they will only become tired. Their prayers will be useless. 13That is the message that the Lord has already spoken about Moab. But now the Lord says, ‘In three years' time, all Moab's glory will have gone. Count every day of those years, as if you are working to receive money. After that, there will only be a few of Moab's people who are still alive. Now they are many and they are strong. But by then they will be few and weak.’
Read all of Isaiah 16Isaiah 16:14 word by word
וְעַתָּ֗ה דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּשָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ כִּשְׁנֵ֣י שָׂכִ֔יר וְנִקְלָה֙ כְּב֣וֹד מוֹאָ֔ב בְּכֹ֖ל הֶהָמ֣וֹן הָרָ֑ב וּשְׁאָ֥ר מְעַ֛ט מִזְעָ֖ר ל֥וֹא כַבִּֽיר׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But now the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Within threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- of an hirelingשָׂכִירώâkîyr · hiredH7916
- and the gloryכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
- of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
- shall be contemnedקָלָהqâlâh · to dishonorH7034
- with all that greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
- and the remnantשְׁאָרshe'âr · remnantH7605
- veryמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
- smallמִזְעָרmiz‛âr · littleH4213
- feebleכַּבִּירkabbîyr · mightyH3524
- feebleלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
Cross-references for Isaiah 16:14
- Isaiah 7:16Even before that, the two kings that you are now afraid of will have no power. Their land will be empty.
- Isaiah 15:5I am very upset because of what is happening to Moab's people. They are running away, as far as Zoar and Eglath-Shelishiyah. They weep while they climb up the hill to Luhith. On the road to Horonaim they shout aloud, ‘An enemy has destroyed us!’
- Isaiah 21:16This is what the Lord God has said to me: ‘In one year's time, all Kedar's glory will have gone. Count every day, as if you are working to receive money.
- Deuteronomy 15:8Instead, be generous. Lend him the money that he needs.
- Isaiah 17:4‘At that time, Israel will no longer be great. It will be like a rich, fat person who becomes weak and hungry.
- Isaiah 23:9The Lord Almighty did that! He decided to show that the pride of those people is useless. He decided to bring all those famous people down low.
- Genesis 31:1Jacob heard that Laban's sons were complaining about him. They were saying, ‘Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. He has taken things from our father and he has become rich himself.’
- Esther 5:11Haman told them how rich he was, and how many sons he had. He told them of all the things that the king had done to give him great honour. He told them that he was now more important than all the king's other rulers and officers.
- Jeremiah 9:23The Lord says, ‘Wise people should not be proud of their wisdom. Powerful people should not be proud of their power. And rich people should not be proud that they are rich.
- Nahum 2:9Take the silver. Take the gold. The city has so many valuable things.
- Jeremiah 48:46It will be very bad for you, you people of Moab! The enemy will destroy you people who worship Chemosh. They will take away your sons and your daughters. They will take them as prisoners to a foreign land.
Commentaries on Isaiah 16:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Within three years - בשלש beshalish כשלש keshalish, according, or in or about three years, is the reading of nine of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and two ancient editions. But the present reading may well stand: "Now, the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling." It seems as if this prophecy had been delivered before, without any time specified for its fulfillment; but now the time is determined" in three years, as the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14But now the Lord hath spoken - This refers to the particular and specific prophecy of Isaiah that destruction should come upon them in three years. Instead of a “general but indefinite” prediction of calamity to the Moabites, such as had been uttered by the former prophets, or by Isaiah himself before, it was now specific and definite in regard to the “time” when it should be fulfilled. Within three years - We have no means of ascertaining the exact…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 Those who will not be counselled, cannot be helped. More souls are ruined by pride than by any other sin whatever. Also, the very proud are commonly very passionate. With lies many seek to gain the gratification of pride and passion, but they shall not compass proud and angry projects. Moab was famous for fields and vineyards; but they shall be laid waste by the invading army. God can soon turn laughter into mourning, and joy into heaviness…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14In three years, as a hired worker counts the years (see also Isaiah 21:16): A man who sold himself into servitude would calculate the remaining time down to the last day. This verse refers to unknown events. The glory of Moab will be ended, probably because of the Assyrian conquest of Moab (late 700s BC). those who are left will be few and feeble: Though reduced by war, the Moabites still existed during Nehemiah’s time (Nehemiah 13:23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. three years ... hireling--Just as a hireling has his fixed term of engagement, which neither he nor his master will allow to be added to or to be taken from, so the limit within which Moab is to fall is unalterably fixed (Is 21:16). Fulfilled about the time when the Assyrians led Israel into captivity. The ruins of Elealeh, Heshbon, Medeba, Dibon, &c., still exist to confirm the inspiration of Scripture. The accurate particularity of specification of…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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