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.

Concerning Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed; Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and shattered.

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 is praise for Moab no longer; In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her: ‘Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow after you.

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

“The sound of an outcry from Horonaim, ‘Devastation and great destruction!’

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

“Moab is broken, Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress.

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 by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguished cry of destruction.

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

“ Flee, save your lives, That you may be like a juniper 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 of your trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured; And Chemosh will go off into exile Together with his priests and his princes.

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.

“A destroyer will come to every city, So that no city will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the plateau will be destroyed, As the Lord has said.

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 to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them.

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 the one who does the Lord’s work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains 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 has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has 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 are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.

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

And Moab will 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 can you say, ‘We are mighty warriors, And men valiant for battle’?

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 has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities; His choicest young men have also gone down to the slaughter,” Declares 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 disaster of Moab will soon come, And his calamity has swiftly hastened.

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!’

“Mourn for him, all you who live around him, Even all of you who know his name; Say, ‘How has the mighty scepter been broken, A staff of splendor!’

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.

“ Come down from your glory And sit on the parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds.

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?’

“Stand by the road and keep watch, O inhabitant of Aroer; Ask him who flees and her who escapes And say, ‘What has happened?’

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 has been put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the Arnon That Moab has been destroyed.

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

“Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against Mephaath,

22 D ibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,

against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim,

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

against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and Beth-meon,

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

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

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

The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken,” declares 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 him drunk, for he has become arrogant toward the Lord; so Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock.

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.

Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn.

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.

“Leave the cities and dwell among the crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be like a dove that nests Beyond the mouth of the chasm.

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 of the pride of Moab—he is very proud— Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation.

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

“I know his fury,” declares the Lord, “But it is futile; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing.

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 I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.

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.

“More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrils stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen.

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.

“So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.

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 outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become 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.

I will make an end of Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns 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 My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced.

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 is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins.

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.

On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel,” declares 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.”

“How shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back—he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him.”

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

For thus says the Lord: “Behold, one will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread out his wings against 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 has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day Will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

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

“Moab will be destroyed from being a people Because he has become arrogant toward the Lord.

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

“ Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,” declares 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.

“The one who flees from the terror Will fall into the pit, And the one who climbs up out of the pit Will be caught in the snare; For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab, The year of their punishment,” declares 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.

“In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitives stand without strength; For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon And a flame from the midst of Sihon, And it has devoured the forehead of Moab And the scalps of the riotous revelers.

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 to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity.

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 I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days,” declares the Lord. Thus far the judgment on Moab.