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.

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 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.

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

The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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 fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, 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 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 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, 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 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, 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 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 do you say, We are mighty men, and valiant 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 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 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 hurries 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 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 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.

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 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?’

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

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

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

22 D ibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,

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

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

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

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

and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and 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 Yahweh.

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 drunken; for he magnified himself against Yahweh: and Moab 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 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 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 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 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; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogance, 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, says Yahweh, that it is nothing; his boastings have worked 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 will I wail for Moab; yes, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir Heres shall they mourn.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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, says Yahweh, him who offers in the high place, and him 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 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 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 clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the waist 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.

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

For Yahweh says: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall 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 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 M oab will be destroyed and will no longer be a nation, because he was proud before the Lord.

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

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, are on you, inhabitant of Moab, says Yahweh.

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 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 “ 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 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 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 is undone; for your sons are 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 will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says Yahweh. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.