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 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—

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.

No 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;

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

A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering 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 Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent 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 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 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.

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 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.

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, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell 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 is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps 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 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.

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

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

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 can you say, ‘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 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.

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

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

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!’

Bemoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, 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.

“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.

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 watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; 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 is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered.

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

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

22 D ibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,

On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,

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

On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,

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

On Kerioth and Bozrah, On 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,” says 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, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also 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 to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of 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.

You 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.

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 exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of 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,” says the Lord, “But it is not right; His lies have made nothing right.

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, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn 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.

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.

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.

Joy 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!

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 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.

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,” 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.

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 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.

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; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on 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.

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.

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 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.”

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 shall fly like an eagle, And 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 strongholds are surprised; The mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth 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 as a people, Because he exalted 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 you, O inhabitant of Moab,” says 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 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.

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.

“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.

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

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 bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,” says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.