“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek^[a](B) taken possession of Gad?^(C)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
² But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry^(D)
    against Rabbah^(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,^(F)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,^(G)”
says the Lord.
³ “Wail, Heshbon,^(H) for Ai^(I) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth^(J) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek^(K) will go into exile,^(L)
    together with his priests and officials.
⁴ Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,^(M)
    you trust in your riches^(N) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’^(O)
5 I will bring terror on you
    from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
    and no one will gather the fugitives.^(P)

⁶ “Yet afterward, I will restore^(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.

“For three sins of Ammon,^(A)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he ripped open the pregnant women^(B) of Gilead
    in order to extend his borders,
¹⁴ I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah^(C)
    that will consume^(D) her fortresses
amid war cries^(E) on the day of battle,
    amid violent winds^(F) on a stormy day.
¹⁵ Her king^[a] will go into exile,
    he and his officials together,^(G)”
says the Lord.^(H)

¹⁰ This is what they will get in return for their pride,^(L)
    for insulting^(M) and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.^(N)
11 The Lord will be awesome^(O) to them
    when he destroys all the gods^(P) of the earth.^(Q)
Distant nations will bow down to him,^(R)
    all of them in their own lands.

“‘A sword,^(B) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
²⁹ Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations^(C) about you,
it will be laid on the necks
    of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
    whose time of punishment has reached its climax.^(D)

³⁰ “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.^(E)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,^(F)
    I will judge you.
³¹ I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe^(G) out my fiery anger^(H) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.^(I)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,^(J)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered^(K) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”