International Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1To Moab: This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "How terrible for Nebo, for it's laid waste. Kiriathaim is put to shame, it's captured. The fortress is put to shame, it's shattered.

1About Moab, this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Woe to Nebo, because it is about to be destroyed; Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be taken captive. The fortress will be put to shame and dismayed!

2The pride of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they plotted evil against her: 'Come and let's eliminate her as a nation.' Madmen will also be silenced, and the sword will pursue you.

2There is no longer praise for Moab; they plan harm against her in Heshbon: Come, let's cut her off from nationhood. Also, Madmen, you will be silenced; the sword will follow you.

3The sound of crying will come from Horonaim, devastation and great destruction.

3A voice cries out from Horonaim, "devastation and a crushing blow!"

4Moab will be destroyed; her little ones will cry out.

4Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.

5Indeed, at the ascent of Luhith people will go up with bitter weeping. At the descent of Horonaim the anguished cries over the destruction will be heard.

5For on the Ascent to Luhith they will be weeping continually, and on the descent to Horonaim will be heard cries of distress over the destruction:

6Flee, save your lives, and you will be like a wild donkey in the desert.

6Flee! Save your lives! Be like a juniper bush in the wilderness.

7But, because you trust in your deeds and your riches, you will also be captured. Chemosh will go out into exile, along with his priests and officials.

7Because you trust in your works and treasures, you will be captured also. Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.

8A destroyer will come to every town and no town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed." This is what the LORD has said!

8The destroyer will move against every town; not one town will escape. The valley will perish, and the plain will be annihilated, as the LORD has said.

9"Put salt on Moab for she will surely fall. Her towns will become desolate places, without any inhabitants in them.

9Make Moab a salt marsh, for she will run away; her towns will become a desolation, without inhabitant.

10Cursed is the one who is slack in doing the LORD's work. Cursed is the one who holds back his sword from shedding blood.

10The one who does the LORD's business deceitfully is cursed, and the one who withholds his sword from bloodshed is cursed.

11Moab has been at ease from his youth. He has been undisturbed like wine on its dregs and not poured from vessel to vessel. He has not gone into exile. Therefore, his flavor has remained, and his aroma has not changed.

11Moab has been left quiet since his youth, settled like wine on its dregs. He hasn't been poured from one container to another or gone into exile. So his taste has remained the same, and his aroma hasn't changed.

12"Therefore, look, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I'll send those who tip over vessels to him, and they'll tip him over. They'll empty his vessels and shatter his jars.

12Therefore look, the days are coming--this is the LORD's declaration--when I will send pourers to him, who will pour him out. They will empty his containers and smash his jars.

13Moab will be ashamed because of Chemosh just as the house of Israel was ashamed because of Bethel, their confidence.

13Moab will be put to shame because of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was put to shame because of Bethel that they trusted in.

14"How can you say, 'We're strong warriors, and soldiers ready for battle'?

14How can you say, "We are warriors--valiant men for battle"?

15Moab will be destroyed, and the enemy will come up against her cities. Her finest young men will go down to slaughter," declares the King, whose name is the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

15The destroyer of Moab and its towns has come up, and the best of its young men have gone down to slaughter. This is the King's declaration; the LORD of Armies is his name.

16"Moab's disaster is near at hand, and his calamity is coming very quickly.

16Moab's calamity is near at hand; his disaster is rushing swiftly.

17Mourn for him, all who live around him, and all who know his name. Say, 'Oh how the mighty rod is broken, the glorious staff.'

17Mourn for him, all you surrounding nations, everyone who knows his name. Say, "How the mighty scepter is shattered, the glorious staff!"

18"Come down from glory, and sit on parched ground, O woman who lives in Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab will come up against you to destroy you. He will destroy your strongholds.

18Come down from glory; sit on parched ground, resident of the daughter of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses.

19Stand by the road and keep watch, O woman who lives in Aroer. Ask the man who flees and the woman who escapes. Say, 'What happened'?

19Stand by the highway and watch, resident of Aroer! Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping, "What happened?"

20Moab will be put to shame, for it will be destroyed. Wail and cry out. Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

20Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

21Judgment has come to the plateau: to Holon and Jahzah, and against Mephaath,

21"Judgment has come to the land of the plateau--to Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath,

22Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,

22Dibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,

23against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,

23Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon,

24against Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns in the land of Moab, both far and near.

24Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of the land of Moab, those far and near.

25The strength of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken," declares the LORD.

25Moab's horn is chopped off; his arm is shattered." This is the LORD's declaration.

26"Make him drunk for he has exalted himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he will be the object of mocking.

26"Make him drunk, because he has exalted himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock.

27Wasn't Israel an object of mocking for you? Wasn't he treated like a thief, so that whenever you spoke about him you shook your head in contempt?

27Wasn't Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head."

28Abandon the cities, and live on the cliffs, you inhabitants of Moab. Be like a dove that builds a nest by the mouth of a cave.

28Abandon the towns! Live in the cliffs, residents of Moab! Be like a dove that nests inside the mouth of a cave.

29We have heard about Moab's pride— he's very proud— his haughtiness, his arrogance, his insolence, and his conceit.

29We have heard of Moab's pride, great pride, indeed--his insolence, arrogance, pride, and haughty heart.

30I know his gall," declares the LORD, "and it's futile; the boasting that they do is futile.

30I know his outburst. This is the LORD's declaration. It is empty. His boast is empty.

31Therefore, I'll wail for Moab, and for the whole of Moab I'll cry out, for the men of Kir-heres I'll moan.

31Therefore, I will wail over Moab. I will cry out for Moab, all of it; he will moan for the men of Kir-heres.

32More than the weeping for Jazer, I'll weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your branches spread out to the sea, and reached as far as the Sea of Jazer. On your summer fruit and grapes the destroyer will fall.

32I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah, with more than the weeping for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they have reached to the sea and to Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruit and grape harvest.

33Gladness and rejoicing will be taken away from the fruitful land. From the land of Moab I'll cause the wine in the wine presses to stop flowing. The workers won't tread the grapes with a loud shout. There will be no shout!

33Gladness and celebration are taken from the fertile field and from the land of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses; no one will tread with shouts of joy. The shouting is not a shout of joy.

34"From the cry of Heshbon, to Elealeh, to Jahaz they have lifted up their voice. From Zoar to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah, even the waters of Nimrim will become a desolate place.

34"There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they make their voices heard as far as Jahaz--from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah--because even the Waters of Nimrim have become desolate.

35In Moab," declares the LORD, "I'll put an end to the one who offers a burnt offering on the high place and to the one who burns incense to his gods.

35In Moab, I will stop"--this is the LORD's declaration--"the one who offers sacrifices on the high place and burns incense to his gods.

36Therefore my heart wails for Moab like flutes and my heart wails for the men of Kir-heres like flutes. Therefore they'll lose the abundance they produced.

36Therefore, my heart moans like flutes for Moab, and my heart moans like flutes for the people of Kir-heres. And therefore, the wealth he has gained has perished.

37Indeed every head will be bald and every beard cut short. There will be gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins.

37Indeed, every head is bald and every beard is chopped short. On every hand is a gash and sackcloth around the waist.

38On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets there will be nothing but mourning, for I'll break Moab like a vessel that no one wants," declares the LORD.

38On all the rooftops of Moab and in her public squares, everyone is mourning because I have shattered Moab like a jar no one wants." This is the LORD's declaration.

39"How it will be shattered! How they'll wail! How Moab will turn his back in shame! Moab will be an object of ridicule and terror to all those around him."

39"How broken it is! They wail! How Moab has turned his back! He is ashamed. Moab will become a laughingstock and a shock to all those around him."

40For this is what the LORD says: "Look, like an eagle one will fly swiftly and spread his wings against Moab.

40For this is what the LORD says: Look! He will swoop down like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab.

41The towns will be captured and the strongholds seized. On that day the hearts of the warriors of Moab will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

41The towns have been captured, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab's warriors will be like the heart of a woman with contractions.

42Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he exalted himself against the LORD.

42Moab will be destroyed as a people because he has exalted himself against the LORD.

43Terror, pit, and trap will be used against you who live in Moab," declares the LORD.

43Panic, pit, and trap await you, resident of Moab. This is the LORD's declaration.

44"The one who flees from the terror will fall into a pit. And the one who comes up out of the pit will be caught in a trap. For I'll bring upon her, that is upon Moab, the time of her punishment," declares the LORD.

44He who flees from the panic will fall in the pit, and he who climbs from the pit will be captured in the trap, for I will bring against Moab the year of their punishment. This is the LORD's declaration.

45"The fugitives will stand without strength in the shadow of Heshbon, for fire will go out from Heshbon and a flame from the middle of Sihon. It will devour the forehead of Moab and the heads of the rebellious people.

45Those who flee will stand exhausted in Heshbon's shadow because fire has come out from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It will devour Moab's forehead and the skull of the noisemakers.

46How terrible for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh will perish. Indeed, your sons will be taken into captivity, and your daughters as well.

46Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished because your sons have been taken captive and your daughters have gone into captivity.

47But I'll restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days," declares the LORD. This concludes the judgment on Moab.

47Yet, I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the last days. This is the LORD's declaration. The judgment on Moab ends here.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.