1 Concerning 1Moab. Thussays the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe to 2Nebo, for it has been destroyed; 3Kiriathaim has beenput to shame, it has been captured; The loftystronghold has beenput to shame and shattered.
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"There is praise for Moabnolonger; In 4Heshbon they have devisedcalamityagainst her: 'Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!' You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow*after you.
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"The sound of an outcry from 5Horonaim, 'Devastation and greatdestruction!'
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"Moab is broken, Her littleones have sounded out a cry of distress.
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"For by the ascent of 6Luhith They will ascend with continualweeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguishedcry of destruction.
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"7Flee, save your lives, That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.
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"For because of your 8trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured; And 9Chemosh will gooff into exileTogether with his priests and his princes.
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"A destroyer will come to everycity, So that nocity will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the 10plateau will be destroyed, As the LORD has said.
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"Give11wings to Moab, For she will fleeaway; And her cities will become a 12desolation, Withoutinhabitants in them.
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"13Cursed be the one who does the LORD'Swork14negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his 15sword from blood.
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"Moab has been16at easesince his youth; He has also been17undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been 18emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore* he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed.
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"Thereforebehold, 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.
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"And Moab will be 19ashamed of 20Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of 21Bethel, their confidence.
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"How can you say, 'We are 22mightywarriors, And menvaliant for battle '?
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"Moab has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities; His choicest23youngmen have also gonedown to the slaughter," Declares the 24King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
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"The disaster of Moab will 25sooncome, And his calamity has swiftlyhastened.
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"Mourn for him, all you who live around him, Even all of you who know his name; Say, 'How has the mighty26scepter been broken, A staff of splendor!'
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"27Comedown from your glory And sit on the parchedground, O 28daughterdwelling in 29Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds.
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"Stand by the road and keepwatch, O inhabitant of 30Aroer; 31Ask him who flees and her who escapes And say, 'What has happened?'
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"Moab has beenput to shame, for it has beenshattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the 32Arnon That Moab has been destroyed.
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"Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, 33Jahzah and against34Mephaath,
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against36Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.
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"The 37horn of Moab has been cutoff and his 38armbroken," declares the LORD.
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"39Make him drunk, for he has become40arroganttoward the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock.
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"Now was not Israel a 41laughingstock to you? Or was he 42caught among thieves? For eachtime you speak about him you 43shake your head in scorn.
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"Leave the cities and dwell among the 44crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be like a 45dove that nestsBeyond the mouth of the chasm.
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"46We have heard of the pride of Moab -he is veryproud - Of his haughtiness, his 47pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation*.
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"I know his 48fury," declares the LORD, "But it is futile; His idleboasts have accomplishednothing.
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"Therefore* I will 49wail for Moab, Even for allMoab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of 50Kir-heres.
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"Morethan the 51weeping for 52Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrilsstretchedacross the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summerfruits and your grapeharvest The destroyer has fallen.
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"So 53gladness and joy are takenaway From the fruitfulfield, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to 54cease from the winepresses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.
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"55From the outcry at Heshbon even to 56Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from 57Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah*; for even the waters of Nimrim will becomedesolate.
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"I will make an end of Moab," declares the LORD, "the one who offers sacrifice on the 58highplace and the one who 59burnsincense to his gods.
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"Therefore* My 60heartwails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore* they have 61lost the abundance it produced.
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"For 62everyhead is bald and everybeardcutshort; there are gashes on all the hands and 63sackcloth on the loins.
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"On all the 64housetops of Moab and in its streetsthere is lamentationeverywhere; for I have brokenMoab like an undesirable*65vessel," declares the LORD.
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"Howshattered it is! How they have wailed! HowMoab has turned his back -he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an 66object of terror to allaround him."
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For thussays the LORD: "Behold, one will 67flyswiftly like an eagle And 68spread out his wingsagainstMoab.
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"Kerioth has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the 69hearts of the mightymen of Moab in that day Will be like the heart of a 70woman in labor.
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"Moab will be 71destroyed from being a peopleBecause he has become72arroganttoward the LORD.
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"73Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," declares the LORD.
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"The one who 74flees 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 75punishment," declares the LORD.
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"In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitivesstandwithoutstrength; For a fire has goneforth from Heshbon And a 76flame from the midst of 77Sihon, And it has devoured the 78forehead of Moab And the scalps of the riotousrevelers*.
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"79Woe to you, Moab! The people of 80Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity.
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"Yet I will 81restore the fortunes of Moab In the latterdays," declares the LORD. Thusfar the judgment on Moab.