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Isaiah 15:5
ESV My heart cries out for Moab; her fugitives flee to Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of destruction;
NIV My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction.
NASB My heart cries out for Moab; His fugitives are as far as Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah, For they go up the ascent of Luhith weeping; Indeed, on the road to Horonaim they raise a cry of distress over their collapse.
CSB My heart cries out over Moab, whose fugitives flee as far as Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah; they go up the Ascent of Luhith weeping; they raise a cry of destruction on the road to Horonaim.
NLT My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim.
KJV My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.
NKJV “My heart will cry out for Moab; His fugitives shall flee to Zoar, Like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith They will go up with weeping; For in the way of Horonaim They will raise up a cry of destruction,

What does Isaiah 15:5 mean?

A terrible judgment has come upon the nation of Moab, most likely in the form of an invading Assyrian army. This army has wiped out several of Moab's major cities. The people are in great distress and in deep mourning, including the armed soldiers who tremble in their souls (Isaiah 15:1–4).

Now, with their cities destroyed, the Moabites flee to the south with everything they can carry. Like the thousands of refugees we have seen repeatedly in our modern era, the Moabites head south on foot for the city of Zoar. This city would have been located at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Zoar was over the border from their land in the land of the nation of Edom. It could have been the safest place they could hope to find from the Assyrian invaders.

Archaeology gives no precise location for Eglath-shelishiyah, the ascent of Luhith, or Horonaim. It seems like they were places along the way to Zoar. As the Moabites traveled south, they weep together and raise a cry of destruction.

For the first time in one of the oracles against the nations, Isaiah says that his heart cries out for those who are suffering. He feels sorry for the people of Moab who mourn for their lost loved ones and lost homes. This is vastly different from the tone of his oracles against the Babylonians, the Assyrians, or the Philistines. This may be because the other nations were more overtly hostile to Israel, or because Moabite culture was more like that of Israel. However, the prophet doesn't give further details on his thoughts.
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