1 A gainst Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—

Of Moab. Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is disappointed, it is taken; Misgab is put to shame and broken down.

2 N o more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you;

The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. You also, Madmen, shall be brought to silence: the sword shall pursue you.

3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering and great destruction!’

The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!

4 “ Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard;

Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

5 F or in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.

6 “ Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness.

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

7 F or because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.

For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also shall be taken: and Chemosh shall go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together.

8 A nd the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the Lord has spoken.

The destroyer shall come on every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as Yahweh has spoken.

9 “ Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them.

Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

10 C ursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

11 “ Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.

Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.

12 “ Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I shall send him wine-workers Who will tip him over And empty his vessels And break the bottles.

Therefore behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will send to him those who pour off, and they shall pour him off; and they shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles in pieces.

13 M oab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

14 “ How can you say, ‘We are mighty And strong men for the war’?

How do you say, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?

15 M oab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts.

Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into his cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies.

16 “ The calamity of Moab is near at hand, And his affliction comes quickly.

The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.

17 B emoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, The beautiful rod!’

All you who are around him, bemoan him, and all you who know his name; say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!

18 “ O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds.

You daughter who dwells in Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, he has destroyed your strongholds.

19 O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way and watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; Say, ‘What has happened?’

Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, What has been done?

20 M oab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered.

Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.

21 “ And judgment has come on the plain country: On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath,

Judgment has come on the plain country, on Holon, and on Jahzah, and on Mephaath,

22 O n Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,

and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth Diblathaim,

23 O n Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,

and on Kiriathaim, and on Beth Gamul, and on Beth Meon,

24 O n Kerioth and Bozrah, On all the cities of the land of Moab, Far or near.

and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

25 T he horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken,” says the Lord.

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says Yahweh.

26 “ Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision.

Make him drunken; for he magnified himself against Yahweh: and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

27 F or was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn.

For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? was he found among thieves? for as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.

28 Y ou who dwell in Moab, Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, And be like the dove which makes her nest In the sides of the cave’s mouth.

You inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; and be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the abyss.

29 “ We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart.”

We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 “ I know his wrath,” says the Lord, “But it is not right; His lies have made nothing right.

I know his wrath, says Yahweh, that it is nothing; his boastings have worked nothing.

31 T herefore I will wail for Moab, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.

Therefore will I wail for Moab; yes, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir Heres shall they mourn.

32 O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer. Your plants have gone over the sea, They reach to the sea of Jazer. The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage.

With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you, vine of Sibmah: your branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer: on your summer fruits and on your vintage the destroyer is fallen.

33 J oy and gladness are taken From the plentiful field And from the land of Moab; I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses; No one will tread with joyous shouting— Not joyous shouting!

Gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to cease from the wine presses: no one shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting.

34 “ From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz They have uttered their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim, Like a three-year-old heifer; For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.

From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.

35 “ Moreover,” says the Lord, “I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods.

Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, says Yahweh, him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods.

36 T herefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished.

Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart sounds like pipes for the men of Kir Heres: therefore the abundance that he has gotten is perished.

37 “ For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth—

For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the waist sackcloth.

38 A general lamentation On all the housetops of Moab, And in its streets; For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the Lord.

On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which no one delights, says Yahweh.

39 “ They shall wail: ‘How she is broken down! How Moab has turned her back with shame!’ So Moab shall be a derision And a dismay to all those about her.”

How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.

40 F or thus says the Lord: “Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab.

For Yahweh says: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.

41 K erioth is taken, And the strongholds are surprised; The mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.

Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

42 A nd Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the Lord.

Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against Yahweh.

43 F ear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,” says the Lord.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, inhabitant of Moab, says Yahweh.

44 “ He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, And he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For upon Moab, upon it I will bring The year of their punishment,” says the Lord.

He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he who gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation, says Yahweh.

45 “ Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult.

Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the middle of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

46 W oe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive.

Woe to you, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity.

47 “ Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,” says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says Yahweh. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.