Beginning

³ “Prepare your shields, large and small.
    March out for battle!
⁴ Harness the horses.
    Soldiers, get on your horses!
Go to your places for battle.
    Put on your helmets!
Polish your spears.
    Put on your armor!
⁵ What do I see?
    That army is terrified.
The soldiers are running away.
    Their warriors are defeated.
They run away quickly.
    They don’t look back.
    There is terror on every side!” says the Lord.
⁶ “The fast runners cannot run away.
    The strong soldiers cannot escape.
They will stumble and fall
    in the north, by the Euphrates River.
⁷ Who is this, rising up like the Nile River?
    Who comes like that strong, fast river?
⁸ Egypt rises up like the Nile River.
    It is Egypt that comes like that strong, fast river.
Egypt says, ‘I will rise up and cover the earth.
    I will destroy cities and the people in them!’
⁹ Horsemen, charge into battle!
    Chariot drivers, drive hard!
March on, brave soldiers—
    soldiers from Cush and Put who carry shields.
    March on, soldiers from Lydia who use bows.

¹⁰ “But that day belongs to the Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies.
    At that time he will give those people the punishment they deserve.
The sword will kill until it is finished.
    The sword will kill until it satisfies its thirst for blood.
This is because the Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies, will offer a sacrifice.
    That sacrifice is Egypt’s army in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.

¹¹ “Go to Gilead and get some balm.
    Go up, people of Egypt!
You will make up many medicines,
    but you will not be healed.
¹² The nations will hear of your shame.
    Your cries will fill all the earth.
One warrior will run into another.
    And both of them will fall down together!”

¹⁴ “Announce this message in Egypt, and prophesy it in Migdol.
    Preach this message also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:
‘Get ready for war.
    The battle is all around you.’
¹⁵ Egypt, why will your warriors be killed?
    They cannot stand because the Lord will push them down.
¹⁶ Those soldiers will stumble again and again.
    They will fall over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up. Let’s go back
    to our own people and our homeland.
    We must get away from our enemy’s sword!’
¹⁷ In their homelands those soldiers will say,
    ‘The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
    His time of glory is over!’”

¹⁸ The King’s name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
    He says, “As surely as I live,
a powerful leader will come.
    He will be strong as great Mount Tabor is higher than other mountains.
    He will be mighty as Mount Carmel is higher than the sea.
¹⁹ People of Egypt, pack your things
    to be taken away as captives.
This is because Memphis will be destroyed.
    The cities will be ruins, and no one will live there.

²⁰ “Egypt is like a beautiful young cow.
    But a horsefly is coming
    from the north to attack her.
²¹ The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army
    are like fat calves.
They will all turn and run away together.
    They will not stand strong against the attack.
Their time of destruction is coming.
    They will soon be punished.
²² Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
    The enemy comes closer and closer.
They will come against Egypt with axes.
    They are like men who cut down trees.
²³ They will chop down Egypt’s army
    as if it were a great forest,” says the Lord.
“There are more enemy soldiers than locusts.
    There are too many soldiers to count.
²⁴ The people of Egypt will be ashamed.
    They will be handed over to the enemy from the north.”

“See, the enemy is gathering in the north like rising waters.
    They will become like an overflowing stream.
They will cover the whole country like a flood.
    They will cover the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
    will cry for help.
    The people will cry painfully.
³ They will hear the sound of the running horses.
    They will hear the noisy chariots.
    They will hear the rumbling chariot wheels.
Fathers will not help their children to safety.
    Those fathers will be too weak to help.
⁴ The time has come
    to destroy all the Philistines.
It’s time to destroy all who are left alive
    who could help Tyre and Sidon.
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines.
    He will destroy those left alive from the island of Crete.
⁵ The people from Gaza will be sad and shave their heads.
    The people from Ashkelon will be made silent.
Those left alive from the valley,
    how long will you cut yourselves?^[a]

⁶ “You cry, ‘Sword of the Lord,
    how long will you keep fighting?
Return to your holder.
    Stop! Be still.’
⁷ But how can the sword of the Lord rest?
    The Lord gave it a command.
The Lord has ordered it
    to attack the city of Ashkelon and the seacoast.”

“How terrible it will be for Nebo.
    It will be ruined.
The town of Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured.
    The strong city will be disgraced and shattered.
² Moab will not be praised again.
    Men in the town of Heshbon plan Moab’s defeat.
    They say, ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation!’
Town of Madmen, you will also be silenced.
    The sword will chase you.
³ Listen to the cries from the town of Horonaim.
    They are cries of much confusion and destruction.
⁴ Moab will be broken up.
    Her little children will cry for help.
⁵ Moab’s people go up the path to Luhith.
    They cry loudly as they go.
On the road down to the town of Horonaim,
    cries of pain and suffering can be heard.
⁶ Run! Run for your lives!
    Go like a bush being blown through the desert.
⁷ You trust in the things you do and in your wealth.
    So you also will be captured.
The god Chemosh will be taken into captivity.
    And his priests and officers will be taken with him.
⁸ The destroyer will come against every town.
    Not one town will escape.
The valley will be ruined.
    The high plain will be destroyed.
    The Lord said this would happen.
⁹ Spread salt^[b] over the fields in Moab.
    The country will be an empty desert.
Moab’s towns will become empty.
    No one will live in them.
¹⁰ A curse will be on anyone who doesn’t do what the Lord says.
    A curse will be on anyone who keeps back his sword from killing.

¹¹ “The people of Moab have never known trouble.
    They are like wine left to settle.
They have never been poured like wine from one jar to another.
    They have not been taken into captivity.
So they taste as they did before.
    And their smell has not changed.
¹² A time is coming,” says the Lord.
    “And I will soon send men to pour you from your jars.
Those men will empty Moab’s jars.
    And they will smash their jugs.
¹³ The people of Israel trusted that god in Bethel.
    They were ashamed when there was no help.
In the same way Moab will be ashamed of their god Chemosh.

¹⁴ “You cannot say, ‘We are warriors!
    We are brave men in battle!’
¹⁵ The enemy will attack Moab and destroy their towns.
    Their best young men will be killed!” says the King.
    The King’s name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
¹⁶ “The end of Moab is near.
    They will soon be destroyed.
¹⁷ All you who live around Moab, cry for her.
    All you who know about her, cry for her.
Say, ‘The ruler’s power is broken.
    Moab’s power and glory are gone.’

¹⁸ “You people living in Dibon, come down from your place of honor.
    Sit on the dry ground.
This is because the destroyer of Moab is coming against you.
    And he will destroy your strong, walled cities.
¹⁹ You people living in Aroer,
    stand next to the road and watch.
See the man running away and the woman escaping.
    Ask them what happened.
²⁰ Moab will be ruined and filled with shame.
    Cry, Moab, cry out!
Announce at the Arnon River
    that Moab is destroyed.
²¹ People on the high plain have been punished.
    Judgment has come to these towns:
    Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath;
²²     Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim;
²³     Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon;
²⁴     Kerioth and Bozrah.
    Judgment has come to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
²⁵ Moab’s strength has been cut off.
    Moab’s arm is broken!” says the Lord.

²⁶ “The people of Moab thought they were greater than the Lord.
    So punish Moab until they act as if they are drunk.
Moab will fall and roll around in their own vomit.
    People will make fun of them.
²⁷ Moab, you made fun of Israel.
    Israel was caught in the middle of a gang of thieves.
You often spoke about Israel.
    And you shook your head and acted as if you were better than Israel.
²⁸ People in Moab, leave your towns empty.
    Go live among the rocks.
Be like a dove that makes its nest
    at the entrance of a cave!

²⁹ “We have heard that the people of Moab are proud
    and very conceited.
They are proud and think they are important.
    They were very proud in their hearts.”
³⁰ The Lord says,
    “I know Moab’s quick anger, but it is useless.
    Moab’s bragging accomplishes nothing.
³¹ So I cry sadly for Moab.
    I cry out for everyone in Moab.
    I moan for the men from Kir Hareseth.
³² I cry with the people of Jazer
    for the grapevines of Sibmah.
In the past your vines spread all the way to the sea.
    They reached as far as the sea of Jazer.
But the destroyer has taken
    your fruit and grapes.
³³ Joy and happiness are gone
    from the large fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses.
    No one walks on the grapes with shouts of joy.
There are shouts,
    but not shouts of joy.

³⁴ “Their crying can be heard
    from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz.
It can be heard from Zoar as far away as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah.
    Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.
³⁵ I will stop Moab
    from making burnt offerings at the places of worship.
I will stop them from burning incense to their gods,” says the Lord.

³⁶ “My heart cries for Moab like a flute playing a funeral song.
    It cries for the people from Kir Hareseth.
    Their money and riches have all been taken away.
³⁷ Everyone has a shaved head.
    Everyone’s beard is cut off.
Everyone’s hands are cut.
    Everyone wears rough cloth around his waist.^[c]
38 People are crying on every roof^[d] in Moab
    and in every public square.
There is nothing but sadness
    because I have broken Moab
    like a jar no one wants,” says the Lord.
³⁹ “Moab is shattered! The people are crying!
    Moab turns away in shame!
People all around her make fun of her.
    The things that happened fill them with fear.”

⁴⁰ This is what the Lord says:
    “Look! An eagle is diving down from the sky.
    It spreads its wings over Moab.
⁴¹ The towns of Moab will be captured.
    The strong, walled cities will be defeated.
At that time Moab’s warriors will be frightened.
    They will feel pain like a woman who is having a baby.
⁴² The nation of Moab will be destroyed.
    This is because they thought they were greater than the Lord.
⁴³ Fear, deep pits and traps wait for you,
    people of Moab,” says the Lord.
⁴⁴ “People will run from fear.
    But they will fall into the pits.
Anyone who climbs out of the pits
    will be caught in the traps.
I will bring the year of punishment to Moab,” says the Lord.

⁴⁵ “People have run from the powerful enemy.
    They ran to Heshbon for safety.
But fire started in Heshbon.
    A blaze broke out in Sihon’s town.
And it burns the leaders of Moab.
    It destroys those proud people.
⁴⁶ How terrible it will be for you, Moab!
    Chemosh’s people are being destroyed.
Your sons and daughters are being taken away as captives.

⁴⁷ “But in days to come,
    I will make good things happen again to Moab,” says the Lord.