What the Lord Says about Moab
1 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, told me to say to the nation of Moab:
The town of Nebo is doomed;
Kiriathaim will be captured
and disgraced,
and even its fortress
will be left in ruins.
2 No one honors you, Moab.
In Heshbon, enemies make plans
to end your life.
My sword will leave only silence
in your town named “Quiet.”
3 The people of Horonaim
will cry for help,
as their town is attacked
and destroyed.
4 Moab will be shattered!
Your children will sob
5 and cry on their way up
to the town of Luhith;
on the road to Horonaim
they will tell of disasters.
6 Run for your lives!
Head into the desert
like a wild donkey.
7 You thought you could be saved
by your power and wealth,
but you will be captured
along with your god Chemosh,
his priests, and officials.
8 Not one of your towns
will escape destruction.
I have told your enemies,
“Wipe out the valley
and the flatlands of Moab.
9 Spread salt on the ground
to kill the crops.
Leave its towns in ruins,
with no one living there.
10 I want you to kill the Moabites,
and if you let them escape,
I will put a curse on you.”
11 Moab, you are like wine
left to settle undisturbed,
never poured from jar to jar.
And so, your nation continues
to prosper and improve.
12 But now, I will send enemies
to pour out the wine
and smash the jars!
13 Then you will be ashamed,
because your god Chemosh
cannot save you,
just as Bethel could not help
the Israelites.
14 You claim that your soldiers
are strong and brave.
15 But I am the Lord,
the all-powerful King,
and I promise that enemies
will overpower your towns.
Even your best warriors
will die in the battle.
16 It won't be long now—
disaster will hit Moab!
17 I will order the nearby nations
to mourn for you and say,
“Isn't it sad? Moab ruled others,
but now its glorious power
has been shattered.”
18 People in the town of Dibon,
you will be honored no more,
so have a seat in the dust.
Your walls will be torn down
when the enemies attack.
19 You people of Aroer,
go wait beside the road,
and when refugees run by,
ask them, “What happened?”
20 They will answer,
“Moab has been defeated!
Weep with us in shame.
Tell everyone at the Arnon River
that Moab is destroyed.”
21 I will punish every town
that belongs to Moab,
but especially Holon,
Jahzah, Mephaath,
22 Dibon, Nebo,
Beth-Diblathaim, 23 Kiriathaim,
Beth-Gamul, Beth-Meon,
24 Kerioth, and Bozrah.
25 My decision is final—
your army will be crushed,
and your power broken.
26 People of Moab, you claim
to be stronger than I am.
Now I will tell other nations
to make you drunk
and to laugh while you collapse
in your own vomit.
27 You made fun of my people
and treated them like criminals
caught in the act.
28 Now you must leave your towns
and live like doves
in the shelter of cliffs
and canyons.
29 I know about your pride,
and how you strut and boast.
30 But I also know bragging
will never save you.
31 So I will cry and mourn
for Moab
and its town of Kir-Heres.
32 People of Sibmah,
you were like a vineyard
heavy with grapes,
and with branches reaching
north to the town of Jazer
and west to the Dead Sea.
But you have been destroyed,
and so I will weep for you,
as the people of Jazer weep
for the vineyards.
33 Harvest celebrations are gone
from the orchards and farms
of Moab.
I have silenced the shouts
of people making wine.
34 Weeping from Heshbon
can be heard as far
as Elealeh and Jahaz;
cries from Zoar are heard
in Horonaim
and Eglath-Shelishiyah.
And Nimrim Creek has run dry.
35 I will get rid of anyone
who burns incense
to the gods of Moab
or offers sacrifices
at their shrines.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
36 In my heart I moan for Moab,
like a funeral song
played on a flute.
I mourn for the people
of the town of Kir-Heres,
because their wealth is gone.
* 37-38 The people of Moab
mourn on the rooftops
and in the streets.
Men cut off their beards,
people shave their heads;
they make cuts on their hands
and wear sackcloth.
And it's all because I, the Lord,
have shattered Moab like a jar
that no one wants.
39 Moab lies broken!
Listen to its people cry
as they turn away in shame.
Other nations are horrified
at what happened,
but still they mock her.
40 Moab, an enemy swoops down
like an eagle spreading its wings
over your land.
41 Your cities and fortresses
will be captured,
and your warriors as fearful
as women giving birth.
42 You are finished as a nation,
because you dared oppose me,
the Lord.
43 Terror, pits, and traps
are waiting for you.
44 If you are terrified and run,
you will fall into a pit;
and if you crawl out of the pit,
you'll get caught in a trap.
The time has come
for you to be punished.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
45 Near the city of Heshbon,
where Sihon once ruled,
tired refugees stand in shadows
cast by the flames
of their burning city.
Soon, the towns on other hilltops,
where those warlike people live,
will also go up in smoke.
46 People of Moab, you worshiped
Chemosh, your god,
but now you are done for,
and your children are prisoners
in a foreign country.
47 Yet someday, I will bring
your people back home.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
1 Concerning Moab, thus saith ye Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Woe vnto Nebo: for it is wasted: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and afraide. 2 Moab shall boast no more of Heshbon: for they haue deuised euill against it. Come, and let vs destroy it, that it be no more a nation: also thou shalt be destroyed, O Madmen, and the sworde shall pursue thee. 3 A voyce of crying shall be from Horonaim with desolation and great destruction. 4 Moab is destroyed: her litle ones haue caused their crie to be heard. 5 For at the going vp of Luhith, the mourner shall goe vp with weeping: for in the going downe of Horonaim, the enemies haue heard a cry of destruction, 6 Flee and saue your liues, and be like vnto the heath in the wildernesse. 7 For because thou hast trusted in thy workes and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken, and Chemosh shall goe forth into captiuitie with his Priestes and his princes together. 8 And the destroyer shall come vpon all cities, and no citie shall escape: the valley also shall perish and the plaine shalbe destroyed as the Lord hath spoken. 9 Giue wings vnto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shalbe desolate, without any to dwell therein. 10 Cursed be he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from blood. 11 Moab hath bene at rest from his youth, and he hath setled on his lees, and hath not bene powred from vessell to vessell, neither hath he gone into captiuitie: therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed. 12 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will send vnto him such as shall carie him away, and shall emptie his vessels, and breake their bottels. 13 And Moab shalbe ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence. 14 Howe thinke you thus, We are mightie and strong men of warre? 15 Moab is destroyed, and his cities burnt vp, and his chose yong men are gone downe to slaughter, saith ye King, whose name is ye Lord of hostes. 16 The destruction of Moab is ready to come, and his plague hasteth fast. 17 All ye that are about him, mourne for him, and all ye that knowe his name, say, Howe is the strong staffe broken, and the beautifull rod! 18 Thou daughter that doest inhabite Dibon, come downe from thy glory, and sit in thirst: for the destroyer of Moab shall come vpon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holdes. 19 Thou that dwellest in Aroer, stand by the way, and beholde: aske him that fleeth and that escapeth, and say, What is done? 20 Moab is cofouded: for it is destroied: howle, and cry, tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is made waste, 21 And iudgement is come vpon the plaine countrey, vpon Holon and vpon Iahazah, and vpon Mephaath, 22 And vpon Dibon, and vpon Nebo, and vpon the house of Diblathaim, 23 And vpon Kiriathaim, and vpon Beth-gamul, and vpon Beth-meon, 24 And vpon Kerioth, and vpon Bozrah, and vpon all the cities of ye land of Moab farre or neere. 25 The horne of Moab is cut off, and his arme is broken, saith the Lord. 26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himselfe against the Lord: Moab shall wallowe in his vomite, and he also shalbe in derision. 27 For diddest not thou deride Israel, as though he had bene found among theeues? for when thou speakest of him, thou art moued. 28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leaue the cities, and dwell in the rockes, and be like the doue, that maketh her nest in the sides of the holes mouth. 29 We haue heard the pride of Moab (hee is exceeding proude) his stoutnesse, and his arrogancie, and his pride, and the hautinesse of his heart. 30 I know his wrath, saith ye Lord, but it shall not be so: and his dissimulatios, for they do not right. 31 Therefore will I howle for Moab, and I will crie out for all Moab: mine heart shall mourne for the men of Kir-heres. 32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weepe for thee, as I wept for Iazer: thy plants are gone ouer the sea, they are come to the sea of Iazer: ye destroyer is fallen vpon thy somer fruites, and vpon thy vintage, 33 And ioye, and gladnesse is taken from the plentifull fielde, and from the land of Moab: and I haue caused wine to faile from the winepresse: none shall treade with shouting: their shouting shall be no shouting. 34 From the cry of Heshbon vnto Elaleh and vnto Iahaz haue they made their noyse from Zoar vnto Horonaim, ye heiffer of three yere old shall go lowing: for ye waters also of Nimrim shalbe wasted. 35 Moreouer, I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offered in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods. 36 Therefore mine heart shall sounde for Moab like a shaume, and mine heart shall sound like a shaume for the men of Ker-heres, because the riches that he hath gotten, is perished. 37 For euery head shalbe balde, and euery beard plucked: vpon all the handes shall be cuttings, and vpon the loynes sackecloth. 38 And mourning shall be vpon all the house toppes of Moab and in all the streetes thereof: for I haue broken Moab like a vessell wherein is no pleasure, sayeth the Lord. 39 They shall howle, saying, How is he destroyed? howe hath Moab turned the backe with shame? so shall Moab be a derision, and a feare to all them about him. 40 For thus saith the Lord, Beholde, he shall flee as an eagle, and shall spread his wings ouer Moab. 41 The cities are taken, and the strong holdes are wonne, and ye mightie mens hearts in Moab at that day shalbe as ye heart of a woman in trauaile. 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath set vp himselfe against the Lord. 43 Feare, and pit and snare shall be vpon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord. 44 He that escapeth from the feare, shall fall in the pit, and he that getteth vp out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring vpon it, euen vpon Moab, the yeere of their visitation, sayeth the Lord. 45 They that fled, stoode vnder the shadowe of Heshbon, because of the force: for the fire came out of Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon, and deuoured the corner of Moab, and the top of the seditious children. 46 Wo be vnto thee, O Moab: the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sonnes are taken captiues, and thy daughters led into captiuitie. 47 Yet will I bring againe the captiuitie of Moab in the latter dayes, sayeth the Lord. Thus farre of the iudgement of Moab.