Judgment on Moab
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1Concerning Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to 2Nebo, for it is laid waste! 3Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; the fortress is put to shame 4and broken down;
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the renown of Moab is no more. In 5Heshbon they planned disaster against her: 'Come, let us cut her off 6from being a nation!' You also, O 7Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you.
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Moab is destroyed; her little ones have made a cry.
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9For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping;a for 10at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distressed cryb of destruction.
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For, 12because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and 13Chemosh 14shall go into exile with 15his priests and his officials.
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16The destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley shall perish, and 17the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken.
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"Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them.
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18"Cursed is he who does 19the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.
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"Moab has been at ease from his youth and has 20settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.
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"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break hisc jars in pieces.
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Then 21Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as 22the house of Israel was ashamed of 23Bethel, their confidence.
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"How do you say, 'We are heroes and mighty men of war'?
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The destroyer of 24Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have 25gone down to slaughter, declares 26the King, 27whose name is the LORD of hosts.
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The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly.
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28Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, 29'How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff.'
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30"Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of 31Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds.
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32Stand by the way 33and watch, O inhabitant of 34Aroer! Ask him who flees and her who escapes; say, 'What has happened?'
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Moab is put to shame, for it is broken; 35wail and cry! Tell it beside 36the Arnon, that 37Moab is laid waste.
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48"Make him drunk, 49because he magnified himself against the LORD, so that Moab shall 50wallow in his vomit, 51and he too shall be held in derision.
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52Was not Israel a derision to you? 53Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him 54you wagged your head?
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55"Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab! Be 56like the dove that nests in the sides of the mouth of a gorge.
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57We have heard of the pride of Moab-- he is very proud-- of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
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More than for 61Jazer I weep for you, 62O vine of 63Sibmah! 64Your branches passed over the sea, reached to the Sea of 65Jazer; on your summer fruits and your grapes the destroyer has fallen.
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66Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy.
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67"From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voice, from Zoar to 68Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also have become desolate.
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And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the LORD, him who offers sacrifice in 69the high place and makes offerings to his god.
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Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of 70Kir-hareseth. 71Therefore the riches they gained have perished.
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72"For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. 73On all the hands are gashes, and 74around the waist is sackcloth.
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On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like 75a vessel for which no one cares, declares the LORD.
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How it is broken! How they wail! 76How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab 77has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him."
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For thus says the LORD: "Behold, 78one shall fly swiftly like an eagle 79and spread his wings against Moab;
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80the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. 81The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of 82a woman in her birth pains;
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Moab shall be 83destroyed and be no longer a people, because 84he magnified himself against the LORD.
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He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. 86For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the LORD.
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"In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stop without strength, for fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the house of Sihon; it has destroyed 87the forehead of Moab, the crown of 88the sons of tumult.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)