Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.
There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.
A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.
Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.
And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken.
Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth–el their confidence.
How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?
Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!
Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.
O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?
Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,
And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,
And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth–diblathaim,
And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth–gamul, and upon Beth–meon,
And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.
Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the Lord: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.
O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.
We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
I know his wrath, saith the Lord; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.
Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kir–heres.
O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.
From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir–heres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.
For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the Lord.
They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.
For thus saith the Lord; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the Lord.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.
They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.
Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
YHWH announces extensive judgment against Moab, condemning its pride and security, declaring that Moab's god Chemosh will not save the nation, and announcing that cities will be destroyed and people taken captive, establishing that national religion and perceived strength provide no protection against YHWH's determination to execute judgment. The oracle lamenting Moab's fallen glory (
My heart moans for Moab like a flute; the riches they gained have perished. Divine heart's mourning emphasizes emotional dimensions.
Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; gashes on hands, sackcloth on loins. These represent extreme expressions of ritual mourning.
On all housetops and in streets there is nothing but lamentation; I have broken Moab like an unwanted vessel. The image emphasizes worthlessness.
How it is broken! How they wail! Moab has turned his back in shame! The rhetorical exclamations emphasize emotional impact.
One shall fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab. The image represents sudden, overwhelming attack.
The cities shall be taken and strongholds seized; warriors' hearts are like women in labor. The feminization suggests emasculation.
Moab shall be destroyed as a people because he magnified himself against the LORD. The judgment eliminates national identity.
Terror, pit, and snare are upon you, O inhabitant of Moab! The triple enumeration emphasizes inescapability.
Everyone who flees terror falls into pit; everyone who climbs out is caught in snare. The progression emphasizes inescapable entrapment.
In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stand without strength; fire from Heshbon devours. The spreading destruction suggests internal origin.
Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; sons taken captive. The direct woe emphasizes weight of judgment.
Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days. The restoration promise establishes that judgment is not final.
Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed of Bethel. The comparison establishes continuity between Israel's and Moab's judgments.
How can you say, We are mighty and strong warriors for battle? The rhetorical question challenges self-assessment.
The destroyer of Moab has come up; the choicest young men have gone down to slaughter. The king is the LORD of hosts.
The calamity of Moab is near at hand; his doom approaches swiftly. The imminence emphasizes pressing nature of judgment.
Mourn over him, all you who know him; say, How the mighty scepter is broken! The call to mourning establishes significance of Moab's fall.
Come down from glory and sit on parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! The command represents radical reversal of fortune.
Stand by the road and watch, O inhabitant of Aroer! Ask what has happened? The witnessing perspective creates narrative perspective.
Moab is broken; wail and cry! Tell by the Arnon that Moab is laid waste. The command to announce ensures judgment is proclaimed throughout.
Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon and Jahzah. The enumeration emphasizes geographic comprehensiveness.
And upon Dibon and Nebo and Beth-diblathaim. The continued listing emphasizes extensiveness.
And upon Kiriathaim and Beth-gamul and Beth-meon. The enumeration continues.
And upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. The comprehensive summary prevents notion of partial judgment.
The horn of Moab is cut off, his arm is broken. The body imagery represents complete loss of military power.
Make him drunk and wallow in vomit; let him become a laughingstock. The command represents extreme humiliation.
Was Israel not a laughingstock to you? Moab mocked Israel; now Moab faces reversal of circumstances.
Leave the cities and dwell in the rock like a dove nesting in a gorge. The command represents reduction to primitive, fugitive existence.
Concerning Moab: Alas for Nebo! It is laid waste; Kiriathaim is put to shame. The oracle opens with lament over specific cities.
I know his insolence; his boasts are false, his deeds are false. Divine knowledge establishes that nothing escapes God's attention.
Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out and mourn for people of Kir-heres. The prophet's grief suggests judgment is occasion for lament.
More than Jazer I weep for you, vine of Sibmah! Your branches crossed the sea. The agricultural imagery represents productivity and prosperity.
Gladness and joy have been taken from the fruitful fields of Moab. The removal emphasizes loss of celebration and festivity.
The sound of a cry goes up from Heshbon to Elealeh; waters of Nimrim are desolate. The enumeration emphasizes geographic spread of lamentation.
I will bring to an end those who make offerings at high places. The judgment targets spiritual foundations of Moabite civilization.
We have heard of the pride of Moab—very proud, lofty, arrogant, haughty. The enumeration emphasizes pride as root of judgment.
The renown of Moab is no more; they have devised evil to cut her off from being a nation. The reduction of renown emphasizes complete reversal.
Hark! A cry from Horonaim: Desolation and great destruction! The auditory imagery emphasizes desperation of destruction spreading.
Moab is broken; her little ones have made a cry. The breaking of Moab affects all ages including vulnerable children.
At the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; at the descent of Horonaim they hear distressing cry. The imagery emphasizes chaotic flight.
Flee! Save yourselves! Be like a wild ass in the desert! The command emphasizes urgency.
Because you trusted in fortress and treasure, Chemosh shall go into exile with priests. The threat extends to Moab's gods.
The destroyer shall come upon every city; no city shall escape. The comprehensive judgment emphasizes geographic ubiquity.
Give wings to Moab, for she will fly away; her cities shall become desolation. The poetic image suggests frantic flight.
Accursed is anyone who keeps back the sword from bloodshed. This verse emphasizes totality with which judgment must be carried out.
Moab has been at ease and settled on his lees; he has not been emptied. The characterization establishes pattern of comfort creating complacency.
I shall send decanter-pourers who shall pour him out and empty his vessels. The image represents thoroughness of dispersion.