A Message Concerning Moab
1 Concerning Moab, thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo, for it is devastated. It is ashamed, Kiriathaim is captured. Misgab is ashamed, and it is filled with terror.
2
The glory of Moab is no longer. In Heshbon they planned evil against her. Come and let us cut her off from [being] a nation. Also, Madmen, you will be silent. After you will go [the] sword.
3
[The] sound of a cry of distress [arises] from Horonaim, devastation and great destruction.
4
Moab is broken, her little ones {make heard} a cry for help.
5
For the ascent of Luhith, in weeping they go weeping, For on the slope of Horonaim they have heard [the] distresses of [the] cry of distress of [the] destruction.
6
Flee! Save your life! {For} you must not be like the juniper tree in the desert.
7
For because of your trusting in your works and in your treasures, even you yourselves will be taken, and Chemosh will go out into the exile, his priests and his officials together.
8
And [the] destroyer will come to every town, and a town will not escape. And the valley will be destroyed, and the plain will be destroyed, as Yahweh has spoken.
9
Give salt for Moab, for certainly she will go to ruin, and her towns will become as a desolation, {without} an inhabitant in them.
10
[The one who] does the work of Yahweh [with] slackness [is] cursed, and [the one who] keeps away blood from his sword [is] cursed.
11
Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has been quiet on his dregs, and he has not been poured out from vessel to vessel, and he has not gone into exile. {Therefore} his taste has remained unchanged, and his fragrance has not changed.
12
{Therefore} look, days [are] coming," {declares} Yahweh, "and I will send to him {decanters}, and they will decant him, and his vessels they will empty out, and their jars they will smash.
13
Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel were ashamed of Bethel, their trust.
14
How can you say, 'we [are] warriors, and men of might for the battle.'
15
Moab is destroyed, and his towns have gone up, and the choice of his young men have gone down to the slaughtering," {declares} the King, Yahweh of hosts [is] his name.
16
"The disaster of Moab [is] near to come, and his disaster {approaches very quickly}.
17
Mourn for him, all his surroundings, and all those who knew his name. Say, 'How [the] staff of might is broken, [the] staff of glory.'
18
Come down from glory and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant, daughter of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, he has destroyed your fortifications.
19
Stand by [the] road and watch, O inhabitant of Aroer. Ask [the man who is] fleeing and [the woman who is] escaping, say, 'What has happened?'
20
Moab is ashamed, for it is filled with terror. Wail and cry out, tell [it] by Arnon that Moab is devastated.
21
Judgment has also come to the land of the plain, to Holon, and to Jahaz, and on Mephaath,
22
and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth-diblathaim,
23
and on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-gamul, and on Beth-meon,
24
and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the towns of the land of Moab, the far and the near.
25
The horn of Moab is cut off and his arm is broken," {declares} Yahweh.
26
"Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against Yahweh, and let Moab wallow in his vomit. And he also will become a laughingstock.
27
Now [was] not Israel the laughingstock to you? Or was he found among thieves? For {as often as} you spoke over him you shook [your head].
28
Leave [the] towns and dwell on the rock, O inhabitants of Moab, and be like [the] dove, it nests on [the] sides of [the] mouth of a ravine.
29
We have heard [of] the pride of Moab --[he is] very proud-- his height, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
30
I know his insolence," {declares} Yahweh, "and his boastings [are] {false}; they act {falsely}.
31
{Therefore} over Moab I wail, and for all of Moab I cry out, for the people of Kir-heres I moan.
32
More than the weeping of Jazer I weep for you, O vine Sibmah. Your branches cross over [the] sea, up to the sea of Jazer they reach. Upon your summer fruit and upon your vintage [the] destroyer has fallen.
33
And joy and rejoicing have been taken away from [the] fruitful land, even from the land of Moab. And [the] wine from [the] wine presses I have caused to disappear. He will not tread [with] exuberant shouts. Exuberant shouts [will] not [be] exuberant shouts.
34
From the cry for help of Heshbon, up to Elealeh, up to Jahaz, they give their voice, from Zoar up to Horonaim, [up to] Eglath-shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim have become as a desolation.
35
And I will cause to disappear for Moab," {declares} Yahweh, "[the] one who presents a sacrifice [at] a high place, and [the one who] burns a smoke offering to his gods.
36
{Therefore} my heart moans for Moab like the flute. It moans for the people of Kir-heres like the flute. {Therefore} [the] wealth they gained has perished.
37
For [on] every head [is] baldness, and every beard is trimmed. On all [the] hands, slashes, and on [the] loins, sackcloth.
38
On all the roofs of Moab, and in its public squares, [there is] wailing everywhere. For I have broken Moab like a vessel, there is no delight in it," {declares} Yahweh.
39
"How it is filled with terror! [How] they wail! How Moab has turned [his] back! He is disgraced! So Moab has become as a derision, and as a terror for all his surrounding [peoples]."
40
For thus says Yahweh, "Look, like an eagle he will swoop down, and he will spread out his wings against Moab.
41
Kerioth will be taken, and the strongholds will be conquered, and the hearts of the warriors of Moab will be on that day like [the] heart of a woman [who] is in labor.
42
And Moab will be destroyed from [being] a people, because against Yahweh he magnified himself.
43
Dread, and pit, and a trapping net [are] against you, O inhabitant of Moab," {declares} Yahweh.
44
"He [who] flees {before} the dread will fall into the pit, and the [one who] climbs up from the pit will be caught in the trapping net, for I will bring on Moab the year of their punishment," {declares} Yahweh.
45
"In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stand without strength, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon. And it has eaten the forehead of Moab, and the skulls of the people of tumult.
46
Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished. For your sons have been taken into captivity, and your daughters into captivity.
47
Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the last of the days," {declares} Yahweh. {Thus far}
[is] the judgment of Moab.