15 The ^[a]burden of Moab.

For ^[b]in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for ^[c]in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought. ^2 [d]They are gone up to ^[e]Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth ^[f]over Nebo, and ^[g]over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off. ³ In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly. ⁴ And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him. ⁵ My heart crieth out for Moab; her ^[h]nobles flee unto Zoar, ^[i]to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction. ⁶ For the waters of Nimrim shall be ^[j]desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender grass faileth, there is no green thing. ⁷ Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows. ⁸ For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim. ⁹ For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.

30 Woe to the rebellious children, saith Jehovah, that take counsel, but not of me; and that ^[a]make a league, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, ² that set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to ^[b]strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! ³ Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. ⁴ For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors are come to Hanes. ⁵ They shall all be ashamed because of a people that cannot profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

⁶ The ^[c]burden of the beasts of the South.

Through the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit them. ⁷ For Egypt helpeth in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I ^[d]called her Rahab that sitteth still.

⁸ Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come ^[e]for ever and ever. ⁹ For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the ^[f]law of Jehovah; ¹⁰ that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits, ¹¹ get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. ¹² Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely thereon; ¹³ therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly in an instant. ¹⁴ And he shall break it as a potter’s vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing; so that there shall not be found among the pieces thereof a sherd wherewith to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.

¹⁵ For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. And ye would not: ¹⁶ but ye said, No, for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. ¹⁷ One thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as ^[g]a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.

¹⁸ And therefore will Jehovah wait, that he may be gracious unto you; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for Jehovah is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for him. ¹⁹ For ^[h]the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more; he will surely be gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear, he will answer thee. ^20 [i]And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy ^[j]teachers ^[k]be hidden anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy ^[l]teachers; ²¹ and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. ²² And ye shall defile the overlaying of thy graven images of silver, and the plating of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt ^[m]cast them away as an ^[n]unclean thing; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

²³ And he will give the rain for thy seed, wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures; ²⁴ the oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat ^[o]savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork. ²⁵ And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, brooks and streams of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. ²⁶ Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah bindeth up the hurt of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

²⁷ Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire; ²⁸ and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples. ²⁹ Ye shall have a song as in the night ^[p]when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come unto the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. ³⁰ And Jehovah will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with ^[q]a blast, and tempest, and hailstones. ³¹ For through the voice of Jehovah shall the Assyrian be dismayed; with his rod will he smite him. ³² And every ^[r]stroke of the ^[s]appointed staff, which Jehovah shall lay upon him, shall be with the sound of tabrets and harps; and in battles with the brandishing of his arm will he fight with them. ³³ For a Topheth is prepared of old; yea, for the king it is made ready; he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

¹⁷ Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

⁵ For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.