Judgment on Moab
Against aMoab.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
“Woe to bNebo!
For it is plundered,
cKirjathaim is shamed and taken;
The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—
2 aNo more praise of Moab.
In bHeshbon they have devised evil against her:
‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’
You also shall be cut down, O cMadmen!
The sword shall pursue you;
3 A voice of crying shall be from aHoronaim:
‘Plundering and great destruction!’
4 “Moab is destroyed;
Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard;
5 aFor in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping;
For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
6 “Flee, save your lives!
And be like the ajuniper in the wilderness.
7 For because you have trusted in your works and your atreasures,
You also shall be taken.
And bChemosh shall go forth into captivity,
His cpriests and his princes together.
8 And athe plunderer shall come against every city;
No one shall escape.
The valley also shall perish,
And the plain shall be destroyed,
As the Lord has spoken.
9 “Givea wings to Moab,
That she may flee and get away;
For her cities shall be desolate,
Without any to dwell in them.
10 aCursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully,
And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth;
He ahas settled on his dregs,
And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
Nor has he gone into captivity.
Therefore his taste remained in him,
And his scent has not changed.
12 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I shall send him wine‑workers
Who will tip him over
And empty his vessels
And break the bottles.
13 Moab shall be ashamed of aChemosh,
As the house of Israel bwas ashamed of cBethel, their confidence.
14 “How can you say, a‘We are mighty
And strong men for the war’?
15 Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities;
Her chosen young men have agone down to the slaughter,” says bthe King,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts.
16 “The calamity of Moab is near at hand,
And his affliction comes quickly.
17 Bemoan him, all you who are around him;
And all you who know his name,
Say, a‘How the strong staff is broken,
The beautiful rod!’
18 “O adaughter inhabiting bDibon,
Come down from your glory,
And sit in thirst;
For the plunderer of Moab has come against you,
He has destroyed your strongholds.
19 O inhabitant of aAroer,
bStand by the way and watch;
Ask him who flees
And her who escapes;
Say, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is shamed, for he is broken down.
aWail and cry!
Tell it in bArnon, that Moab is plundered.
21 “And judgment has come on the plain country:
On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath,
22 On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23 On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
24 On aKerioth and Bozrah,
On all the cities of the land of Moab,
Far or near.
25 aThe horn of Moab is cut off,
And his barm is broken,” says the Lord.
26 “Makea him drunk,
Because he exalted himself against the Lord.
Moab shall wallow in his vomit,
And he shall also be in derision.
27 For awas not Israel a derision to you?
bWas he found among thieves?
For whenever you speak of him,
You shake your head in cscorn.
28 You who dwell in Moab,
Leave the cities and adwell in the rock,
And be like bthe dove which makes her nest
In the sides of the cave’s mouth.
29 “We have heard the apride of Moab
(He is exceedingly proud),
Of his loftiness and arrogance and bpride,
And of the haughtiness of his heart.”
30 “I know his wrath,” says the Lord,
“But it is not right;
aHis lies have made nothing right.
31 Therefore aI will wail for Moab,
And I will cry out for all Moab;
I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
32 aO vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of bJazer.
Your plants have gone over the sea,
They reach to the sea of Jazer.
The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage.
33 aJoy and gladness are taken
From the plentiful field
And from the land of Moab;
I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses;
No one will tread with joyous shouting—
Not joyous shouting!
34 “Froma the cry of Heshbon to bElealeh and to Jahaz
They have uttered their voice,
cFrom Zoar to Horonaim,
Like a three‑year‑old heifer;
For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.
35 “Moreover,” says the Lord,
“I will cause to cease in Moab
aThe one who offers sacrifices in the high places
And burns incense to his gods.
36 Therefore aMy heart shall wail like flutes for Moab,
And like flutes My heart shall wail
For the men of Kir Heres.
Therefore bthe riches they have acquired have perished.
37 “For aevery head shall be bald, and every beard clipped;
On all the hands shall be cuts, and bon the loins sackcloth—
38 A general lamentation
On all the ahousetops of Moab,
And in its streets;
For I have bbroken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the Lord.
39 “They shall wail:
‘How she is broken down!
How Moab has turned her back with shame!’
So Moab shall be a derision
And a dismay to all those about her.”
40 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, aone shall fly like an eagle,
And bspread his wings over Moab.
41 Kerioth is taken,
And the strongholds are surprised;
aThe mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be
Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
42 And Moab shall be destroyed aas a people,
Because he exalted himself against the Lord.
43 aFear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you,
O inhabitant of Moab,” says the Lord.
44 “He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit,
And he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the asnare.
For upon Moab, upon it bI will bring
The year of their punishment,” says the Lord.
45 “Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon
Because of exhaustion.
But aa fire shall come out of Heshbon,
A flame from the midst of bSihon,
And cshall devour the brow of Moab,
The crown of the head of the sons of tumult.
46 aWoe to you, O Moab!
The people of Chemosh perish;
For your sons have been taken captive,
And your daughters captive.
47 “Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab
aIn the latter days,” says the Lord.
Thus far is the judgment of Moab. The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.