1 A bout Moab, the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, “It is bad for Nebo, for it has been destroyed. Kiriathaim has been put to shame and taken. The high, strong-place has been put to shame and crushed.

Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

2 T he praise for Moab has come to an end. In Heshbon they have planned trouble against her, saying, ‘Come, let us destroy her from being a nation!’ You, O Madmen, will be made quiet also. The sword will follow you.

There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

3 L isten, the sound of a cry from Horonaim, saying, ‘Laid waste and all destroyed!’

A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

4 M oab is destroyed. The cry of her little ones is heard.

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

5 T hey go up the hill of Luhith crying all the time. For at the hill of Horonaim they have heard the troubled cry of those who are being destroyed.

For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

6 R un fast! Run for your lives! You will be like a bush in the desert.

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

7 B ecause you have trusted in your own works and riches, you also will be taken. And Chemosh will go away to a strange land together with his religious leaders and important men.

For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

8 T he destroyer will come to every city. No city will be free from him. The valley and the plain will be destroyed also, as the Lord has said.

And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken.

9 G ive wings to Moab, for she will fly away. Her cities will become a waste, with no people living in them.

Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

10 T he one who does the Lord’s work without care is cursed. Cursed is the one who keeps his sword from blood.

Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

11 “ Moab has been at rest since he was young. He has been like wine which sits a long time, not being poured from jar to jar. He has not gone away to a strange land. So he keeps his taste, and his smell is not changed.

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

12 T he days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will send to him those who turn over jars, and they will turn him over. They will empty his jars and break them in pieces.

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

13 T hen Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel that they trusted.

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

14 H ow can you say, ‘We are strong soldiers and powerful men of war’?

How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?

15 M oab has been destroyed, and men have gone up to his cities. His best young men have gone down to be killed,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of All.

Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

16 T he trouble of Moab will soon come. His suffering comes in a hurry.

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

17 H ave sorrow for him, all you who live around him, and all who know his name. Say, ‘How his power has been broken, the greatness of his power!’

All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

18 C ome down from your greatness and sit on the hot ground, O you who live in Dibon. For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you. He has destroyed your strong-places built for battle.

Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

19 S tand by the road and keep watch, O you who live in Aroer. Ask the man or woman who runs away, ‘What has happened?’

O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

20 M oab has been put to shame, for it is broken down. Cry out. Let it be known by the Arnon that Moab has been destroyed.

Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

21 P unishment has come upon the plain, against Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath,

And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

22 D ibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,

And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

23 K iriathaim, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon,

And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

24 K erioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.

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

25 M oab’s strength has been cut off, and his arm broken,” says the Lord.

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.

26 “ Make him drunk, for he has become proud before the Lord. So Moab will roll in the food he has thrown up, and be laughed at.

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

27 D id you not laugh at Israel? Or was he found among robbers? For each time you speak about him you laugh and shake your head.

For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

28 L eave the cities and live among the rocks, O people of Moab. Be like a dove that has its nest in a hole in the side of the rock.

O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

29 W e have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud. We have heard of all his pride and how he honors himself.

We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 I know his anger,” says the Lord, “but it is of no use. His proud words have done nothing.

I know his wrath, saith the Lord; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

31 S o I will cry in a loud voice for Moab. I will cry out for all Moab. I will have sorrow for the men of Kir-heres.

Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

32 I will cry for you more than for Jazer, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches have gone over the sea, even to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen upon your summer fruits and your grapes.

O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

33 H appiness and joy have been taken away from the land of Moab with all its fruit. I have stopped the crushing of the grapes to make wine. No one crushes them under foot. The noise they make is not the sound of joy.

And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

34 T hey cry out from Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz, and from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim have become a waste.

From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

35 A nd I will make an end of Moab,” says the Lord. “I will destroy the one who gives gifts of worship on the high place and burns special perfume to his gods.

Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

36 “ So My heart cries out for Moab like a horn. My heart cries like a horn also for the men of Kir-heres. The riches they had for themselves have been lost.

Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

37 T he hair has been cut from every head, and the hair has been cut short on every face. There are cuts on all the hands, and they wear clothes made from hair.

For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

38 O n all the roofs of Moab and in its streets there are cries of sorrow everywhere. For I have broken Moab like a pot that is not wanted,” says the Lord.

There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the Lord.

39 “ How broken it is! How they cry! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become something to laugh at and hate to all those around him.”

They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

40 F or the Lord says, “One will fly fast like an eagle, and spread out his wings against Moab.

For thus saith the Lord; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

41 K erieth has been taken, and the strong-places built for battle have been taken. In that day the hearts of the strong men of Moab will be like the heart of a woman giving birth.

Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

42 M oab will be destroyed and will no longer be a nation, because he was proud before the Lord.

And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the Lord.

43 F ear, traps and nets are coming upon you, O you who live in Moab,” says the Lord.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.

44 “ The one who runs from trouble will fall into the trap. And the one who comes up out of the trap will be caught in the net. For I will bring these things upon Moab in the year of their punishment,” says the Lord.

He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.

45 “ In the shadow of Heshbon, those who have run for their lives stand without strength. For a fire has gone out from Heshbon and from Sihon. It has destroyed the forehead of Moab and the top of the heads of the trouble-makers.

They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

46 I t is bad for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have been destroyed. Your sons and daughters have been taken away in chains.

Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

47 Y et I will return the people of Moab to their land in the last days,” says the Lord. This is the punishment of Moab.

Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.