1 ¶ Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land, from the rock of the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

Send lambs as taxes to the ruler of the land, from Sela by the way of the desert to the mountain of the people of Zion.

2 F or it shall be that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

Then, like birds driven from their nest, the people of Moab will be where the Arnon River can be crossed.

3 T ake counsel; execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; do not betray him that escapes.

“Give us words of wisdom. Do what is right for us. Make your shadow like night at noonday. Hide those who have been sent away. Do not go against those who are running for their lives.

4 L et my outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the presence of the destroyer; for the extortioner shall come to an end, the destroyer shall cease, the oppressor shall be consumed out of the land.

Let those of Moab who have been sent away stay with you. Hide them from the one who destroys.” For the one who uses sinful power has come to an end, and trouble has stopped. Those who make it hard for the people have gone from the land.

5 A nd in mercy shall the throne be established; and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness.

A throne will be set up in loving-kindness. A faithful judge will sit on it from the family of David. He will be fair as he judges, and will be quick to do what is right and good.

6 ¶ We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud, even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath, but his lies shall not be so.

We have heard of the pride of Moab, how very proud he is. We have heard of how proud he is of himself and of his anger. His proud words are false.

7 T herefore shall Moab howl for Moab; every one shall howl; for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

So Moab will cry out. Everyone of Moab will cry out. You will cry for the dried-grape cakes of Kir-hareseth, as if you were in the worst trouble.

8 F or the vines of Heshbon were cut off and the vines of Sibmah; the lords of the Gentiles have trodden down the offshoots thereof, which had come even unto Jazer and extended through the wilderness; they had gone over the sea.

The fields of Heshbon and the vines of Sibmah have dried up. The lords of the nations have crushed under foot its best vines, which went as far as Jazer and the desert. They spread themselves out and passed over the sea.

9 T herefore I will bewail with the weeping Jazer of the vine of Sibmah; I will cause thee to drink my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, for the song shall cease upon thy summer fruits and thy harvest.

So I will cry with much sorrow for Jazer and for the vines of Sibmah. I will make you wet with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, because there is nothing to gather from your summer fruits.

10 A nd gladness is taken away and joy out of the fertile field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be rejoicing: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage song to cease.

Happiness and joy are taken away from the field that gives much fruit. No songs are sung in the grape-fields. No one crushes grapes to make wine, for I have stopped the cry of joy.

11 T herefore my bowels shall sound like a harp for Moab and my inward parts for Kirharesh.

So my heart cries with sorrow for Moab like a harp. Inside myself I cry for Kir-hareseth.

12 A nd it shall come to pass when it is seen that Moab is weary upon the high places that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray, but he shall be unable to.

When Moab goes to his high place, he will only become tired. When he goes to his holy place to pray, it will do him no good.

13 T his is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning Moab since that time.

This is the word which the Lord spoke before about Moab.

14 B ut now the LORD has spoken, saying, Within three years, as a hireling counts the years, the glory of Moab shall be cast down, with all her great multitude; and the remnant shall be few, small and feeble.

But now the Lord says, “In three years, as a servant would count them, the shining-greatness of Moab and all his many people will be hated. And those left alive will be very few and weak.”