| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Against Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed— | 1Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled. |
| 2No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you; | 2There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you. |
| 3A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering and great destruction!’ | 3A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’ |
| 4“Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard; | 4Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out. |
| 5For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. | 5For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction: |
| 6“Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness. | 6‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’ |
| 7For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together. | 7Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials. |
| 8And the 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. | 8The destroyer will move against every city, and not one town will escape. The valley will also be ruined, and the high plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has said. |
| 9“Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them. | 9Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them. |
| 10Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood. | 10Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed. |
| 11“Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has 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. | 11Moab has been at ease from youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel or gone into exile. So his flavor has remained the same, and his aroma is unchanged. |
| 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. | 12Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will send to him wanderers, who will pour him out. They will empty his vessels and shatter his jars. |
| 13Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. | 13Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel. |
| 14“How can you say, ‘We are mighty And strong men for the war’? | 14How can you say, ‘We are warriors, mighty men ready for battle’? |
| 15Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts. | 15Moab has been destroyed and its towns have been invaded; the best of its young men have gone down in the slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts. |
| 16“The calamity of Moab is near at hand, And his affliction comes quickly. | 16Moab’s calamity is at hand, and his affliction is rushing swiftly. |
| 17Bemoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, The beautiful rod!’ | 17Mourn for him, all you who surround him, everyone who knows his name; tell how the mighty scepter is shattered—the glorious staff! |
| 18“O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds. | 18Come down from your glory; sit on parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses. |
| 19O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way and watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; Say, ‘What has happened?’ | 19Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’ |
| 20Moab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered. | 20Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. |
| 21“And judgment has come on the plain country: On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath, | 21Judgment has come upon the high plain—upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath, |
| 22On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, | 22upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, |
| 23On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, | 23upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, |
| 24On Kerioth and Bozrah, On all the cities of the land of Moab, Far or near. | 24upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab, those far and near. |
| 25The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken,” says the LORD. | 25The horn of Moab has been cut off, and his arm is broken,” declares the LORD. |
| 26“Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the LORD. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision. | 26“Make him drunk, because he has magnified himself against the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock. |
| 27For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn. | 27Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head. |
| 28You who dwell in Moab, Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, And be like the dove which makes her nest In the sides of the cave’s mouth. | 28Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave. |
| 29“We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart.” | 29We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his proud arrogance and haughtiness of heart. |
| 30“I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “But it is not right; His lies have made nothing right. | 30I know his insolence,” declares the LORD, “but it is futile. His boasting is as empty as his deeds. |
| 31Therefore I will wail for Moab, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres. | 31Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres. |
| 32O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer. 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. | 32I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest. |
| 33Joy 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! | 33Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy. |
| 34“From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz They have uttered their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim, Like a three-year-old heifer; For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate. | 34There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices to Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up. |
| 35“Moreover,” says the LORD, “I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods. | 35In Moab, declares the LORD, I will bring an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods. |
| 36Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished. | 36Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished. |
| 37“For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth— | 37For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth. |
| 38A general lamentation On all the housetops of Moab, And in its streets; For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the LORD. | 38On all the rooftops of Moab and in the public squares, everyone is mourning; for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,” declares 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.” | 39“How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.” |
| 40For thus says the LORD: “Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab. | 40For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads his wings against Moab. |
| 41Kerioth is taken, And the strongholds are surprised; The mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs. | 41Kirioth has been taken, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. |
| 42And Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the LORD. | 42Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD. |
| 43Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD. | 43Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,” declares 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 snare. For upon Moab, upon it I will bring The year of their punishment,” says the LORD. | 44“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD. |
| 45“Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult. | 45“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult. |
| 46Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. | 46Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity. |
| 47“Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. | 47Yet in the latter days I will restore Moab from captivity,” declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab. |
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