A prophecy of the desolation of Moab for their pride: but their captivity shall at last be released.

[1] Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Woe to Nabo, for it is laid waste, and confounded: Cariathaim is taken: the strong city is confounded and hath trembled. [2] There is no more rejoicing in Moab over Hesebon: they have devised evil. Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Therefore shalt thou in silence hold thy peace, and the sword shall follow thee. [3] A voice of crying from Oronaim: waste, and great destruction. [4] Moab is destroyed: proclaim a cry for her little ones. [5] For by the ascent of Luith shall the mourner go up with weeping: for in the descent of Oronaim the enemies have heard a howling of destruction.

[6] Flee, save your lives: and be as heath in the wilderness. [7] For because thou hast trusted in thy bulwarks, and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chamos shall go into captivity, his priests, and his princes together. [8] And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: and the valleys shall perish, and the plains shall be destroyed, for the Lord hath spoken: [9] Give a flower to Moab, for in its flower it shall go out: and the cities thereof shall be desolate, and uninhabited. [10] Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully: and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from blood.

[7] "Chamos": The idol of the Moabites.

[10] "Deceitfully": In the Greek, negligently. The work of God here spoken of, is the punishment of the Moabites.

[11] Moab hath been fruitful from his youth, and hath rested upon his lees: and hath not been poured out from vessel to vessel, nor hath gone into captivity: therefore his taste hath remained in him, and his scent is not changed. [12] Therefore behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send him men that shall order and overturn his bottles, and they shall cast him down, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles one against another. [13] And Moab shall be ashamed of Chamos, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, in which they trusted. [14] How do you say: We are valiant, and stout men in battle? [15] Moab is laid waste, and they have cast down her cities: and her choice young men are gone down to the slaughter: saith the king, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

[11] "Moab hath been fruitful": That is, rich and flourishing.

[11] "And hath rested upon his lees": That is, remained in its bad morals; as wine not decanted has its lees mixed and remains muddy.

[13] "Of Bethel": That is, of their golden calf which they worshipped in Bethel.

[16] The destruction of Moab is near to come: the calamity thereof shall come on exceeding swiftly. [17] Comfort him, all you that are round about him, and all you that know his name, say: How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod? [18] Come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst, O dwelling of the daughter of Dibon: because the spoiler of Moab is come up to thee, he hath destroyed thy bulwarks. [19] Stand in the way, and look out, O habitation of Aroer: inquire of him that fleeth: and say to him that hath escaped: What Is done? [20] Moab is confounded, because he is overthrown: howl ye, and cry, tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is wasted.

[21] And judgment is come upon the plain country: upon Helon, and upon Jasa, and upon Mephaath. [22] And upon Dibon, and upon Nabo, and upon the house of Deblathaim, [23] And upon Cariathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmaon, [24] And upon Carioth, and upon Bosra: and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. [25] The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.

[25] "The horn of Moab is cut off": That is, the strength of Moab is cut off. A metaphor drawn from animals whose strength is in their horns.

[26] Make him drunk, because he lifted up himself against the Lord: and Moab shall dash his hand in his own vomit, and he also shall be in derision. [27] For Israel hath been a derision unto thee: as though thou hadst found him amongst thieves: for thy words therefore, which thou hast spoken against him, thou shalt be led away captive. [28] Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, you that dwell in Moab: and be ye like the dove that maketh her nest in the mouth of the hole in the highest place. [29] We have heard the pride of Moab, he is exceeding proud: his haughtiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the loftiness of his heart. [30] I know, saith the Lord, his boasting, and that the strength thereof is not according to it, neither hath it endeavoured to do according as it was able.

[31] Therefore will I lament for Moab, and I will cry out to all Moab, for the men of the brick wall that mourn. [32] O vineyard of Sabama, I will weep for thee, with the mourning of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they are come even to the sea of Jazer: the robber hath rushed in upon thy harvest and thy vintage. [33] Joy and gladness is taken away from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, and I have taken away the wine out of the presses: the treader of the grapes shall not sing the accustomed cheerful tune. [34] From the cry of Hesebon even to Eleale, and to Jasa, they have uttered their voice: from Segor to Oronaim, as a heifer of three years old: the waters also of Nemrim shall be very bad. [35] And I will take away from Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and that sacrificeth to his gods.

[36] Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes: and my heart a sound like pipes for the men of the brick wall: because he hath done more than he could, therefore they have perished. [37] For every head shall be bald, and every beard shall be shaven: all hands shall be tied together, and upon every back there shall be haircloth. [38] Upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof general mourning: because I have broken Moab as an useless vessel, saith the Lord. [39] How is it overthrown, and they have howled! How hath Moab bowed down the neck, and is confounded! And Moab shall be a derision, and an example to all round about him. [40] Thus saith the Lord: Behold he shall fly as an eagle, and shall stretch forth his wings to Moab.

[41] Carioth is taken, and the strong holds are won: and the heart of the valiant men of Moab in that day shall be as the heart of a woman in labour. [42] And Moab shall cease to be a people: because he hath gloried against the Lord. [43] Fear, and the pit, and the snare come upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord. [44] He that shall flee from the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that shall get up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation, saith the Lord. [45] They that fled from the snare stood in the shadow of Hesebon: but there came a fire out of Hesebon, and a flame out of the midst of Seon, and it shall devour part of Moab. and the crown of the head of the children of tumult.

[43] "Fear": That is, the sword of the enemy.

[43] "The pit": That is, unforeseen calamities.

[43] "The snare": That is, the ambushes laid by the enemy.

[46] Woe to thee, Moab, thou hast perished, O people of Chamos: for thy sons, and thy daughters are taken captives. [47] And I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the last days, saith the Lord. Hitherto the judgments of Moab.