16 Send lambs^(A) as tribute^(B)
    to the ruler of the land,
from Sela,^(C) across the desert,
    to the mount of Daughter Zion.^(D)
2 Like fluttering birds
    pushed from the nest,^(E)
so are the women of Moab^(F)
    at the fords^(G) of the Arnon.^(H)

³ “Make up your mind,” Moab says.
    “Render a decision.
Make your shadow like night—
    at high noon.
Hide the fugitives,^(I)
    do not betray the refugees.
⁴ Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you;
    be their shelter^(J) from the destroyer.”

The oppressor^(K) will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;^(L)
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
⁵ In love a throne^(M) will be established;^(N)
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house^[a] of David^(O)—
one who in judging seeks justice^(P)
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

⁶ We have heard of Moab’s^(Q) pride^(R)—
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her conceit, her pride and her insolence;
    but her boasts are empty.
⁷ Therefore the Moabites wail,^(S)
    they wail together for Moab.
Lament and grieve
    for the raisin cakes^(T) of Kir Hareseth.^(U)
8 The fields of Heshbon^(V) wither,^(W)
    the vines of Sibmah^(X) also.
The rulers of the nations
    have trampled down the choicest vines,^(Y)
which once reached Jazer^(Z)
    and spread toward the desert.
Their shoots spread out^(AA)
    and went as far as the sea.^[b](AB)
9 So I weep,^(AC) as Jazer weeps,
    for the vines of Sibmah.
Heshbon and Elealeh,^(AD)
    I drench you with tears!^(AE)
The shouts of joy^(AF) over your ripened fruit
    and over your harvests^(AG) have been stilled.
¹⁰ Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards;^(AH)
    no one sings or shouts^(AI) in the vineyards;
no one treads^(AJ) out wine at the presses,^(AK)
    for I have put an end to the shouting.
¹¹ My heart laments for Moab^(AL) like a harp,^(AM)
    my inmost being^(AN) for Kir Hareseth.
¹² When Moab appears at her high place,^(AO)
    she only wears herself out;
when she goes to her shrine^(AP) to pray,
    it is to no avail.^(AQ)

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.^(AY)
2 The cities of Aroer^(AZ) will be deserted
    and left to flocks,^(BA) which will lie down,^(BB)
    with no one to make them afraid.^(BC)
3 The fortified^(BD) city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory^(BE) of the Israelites,”^(BF)
declares the Lord Almighty.

⁴ “In that day^(BG) the glory^(BH) of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste^(BI) away.
⁵ It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering^(BJ) the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain^(BK)
    in the Valley of Rephaim.^(BL)
6 Yet some gleanings will remain,^(BM)
    as when an olive tree is beaten,^(BN)
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁷ In that day^(BO) people will look^(BP) to their Maker^(BQ)
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One^(BR) of Israel.
⁸ They will not look to the altars,^(BS)
    the work of their hands,^(BT)
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles^[c](BU)
    and the incense altars their fingers^(BV) have made.

¹⁰ You have forgotten^(BX) God your Savior;^(BY)
    you have not remembered the Rock,^(BZ) your fortress.^(CA)
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,^(CB)
11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning^(CC) when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest^(CD) will be as nothing^(CE)
    in the day of disease and incurable^(CF) pain.^(CG)

¹² Woe to the many nations that rage^(CH)—
    they rage like the raging sea!^(CI)
Woe to the peoples who roar^(CJ)—
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!^(CK)
13 Although the peoples roar^(CL) like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes^(CM) them they flee^(CN) far away,
driven before the wind like chaff^(CO) on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.^(CP)
14 In the evening, sudden^(CQ) terror!^(CR)
    Before the morning, they are gone!^(CS)
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

Go, swift messengers,
to a people tall and smooth-skinned,^(CX)
    to a people feared far and wide,
an aggressive^(CY) nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers.^(CZ)

³ All you people of the world,^(DA)
    you who live on the earth,
when a banner^(DB) is raised on the mountains,
    you will see it,
and when a trumpet^(DC) sounds,
    you will hear it.
⁴ This is what the Lord says to me:
    “I will remain quiet^(DD) and will look on from my dwelling place,^(DE)
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,^(DF)
    like a cloud of dew^(DG) in the heat of harvest.”
⁵ For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone
    and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off^(DH) the shoots with pruning knives,
    and cut down and take away the spreading branches.^(DI)
6 They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey^(DJ)
    and to the wild animals;^(DK)
the birds will feed on them all summer,
    the wild animals all winter.

from a people tall and smooth-skinned,^(DM)
    from a people feared^(DN) far and wide,
an aggressive nation of strange speech,
    whose land is divided by rivers^(DO)—