Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Woe to Nabo, for it is laid waste, and confounded: Cariathaim is taken: the strong city is confounded and hath trembled.

Ad Moab. Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Væ super Nabo, quoniam vastata est, et confusa! capta est Cariathaim, confusa est fortis, et tremuit.

And thus to Moab speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. Alas for Nabo, spoiled and shamed, for Cariathaim taken, the high fortress humbled, a prey to alarms!

There is no more rejoicing in Moab over Hesebon: they have devised evil. Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Therefore shalt thou in silence hold thy peace, and the sword shall follow thee.

Non est ultra exsultatio in Moab contra Hesebon: cogitaverunt malum: Venite, et disperdamus eam de gente. Ergo silens conticesces, sequeturque te gladius.

For Moab, scant triumph; against Hesebon there are plots a-brewing, Away with it, a nation let it be no more! Silence for thee, a long silence; the sword is at thy heels.

A voice of crying from Oronaim: waste, and great destruction.

Vox clamoris de Oronaim, vastitas et contritio magna.

From Oronaim the cry goes up, rack and ruin everywhere;

Moab is destroyed: proclaim a cry for her little ones.

Contrita est Moab: annuntiate clamorem parvulis ejus.

Moab lies crushed, let Segor echo the cry!

For by the ascent of Luith shall the mourner go up with weeping: for in the descent of Oronaim the enemies have heard a howling of destruction.

Per ascensum enim Luith plorans ascendet in fletu, quoniam in descensu Oronaim hostes ululatum contritionis audierunt.

Weep they and wail, that climb the slopes of Luith; all the way down from Oronaim their foes may hear it, the cry of desolation.

Flee, save your lives: and be as heath in the wilderness.

Fugite, salvate animas vestras, et eritis quasi myricæ in deserto:

Fly he must that would escape with life, stripped though he be as the desert tamarisk.

For because thou hast trusted in thy bulwarks, and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chamos shall go into captivity, his priests, and his princes together.

pro eo enim quod habuisti fiduciam in munitionibus tuis et in thesauris tuis, tu quoque capieris: et ibit Chamos in transmigrationem, sacerdotes ejus et principes ejus simul.

Ill reposed that confidence in ramparts of thine, stores of thine; taken thou shalt be like the rest, and Chamos go into exile, all his priests and all his votary chiefs with him.

And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: and the valleys shall perish, and the plains shall be destroyed, for the Lord hath spoken:

Et veniet prædo ad omnem urbem, et urbs nulla salvabitur: et peribunt valles, et dissipabuntur campestria, quoniam dixit Dominus:

Of all thy cities, none shall be safe from the spoiler’s entry; wasted thy valleys shall be, swept bare the hill-sides; the Lord decrees it.

Give a flower to Moab, for in its flower it shall go out: and the cities thereof shall be desolate, and uninhabited.

Date florem Moab, quia florens egredietur: et civitates ejus desertæ erunt, et inhabitabiles.

Weave a coronal for Moab; in the flower of her pride she goes into exile, and all her cities lie desolate, none to dwell there.

Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully: and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from blood.

Maledictus qui facit opus Domini fraudulenter, et maledictus qui prohibet gladium suum a sanguine.

Cursed the man who goes about the Lord’s work grudgingly, nor with blood stains his sword!

Moab hath been fruitful from his youth, and hath rested upon his lees: and hath not been poured out from vessel to vessel, nor hath gone into captivity: therefore his taste hath remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

Fertilis fuit Moab ab adolescentia sua, et requievit in fæcibus suis: nec transfusus est de vase in vas, et in transmigrationem non abiit: idcirco permansit gustus ejus in eo, et odor ejus non est immutatus.

Since those first days of his, ever was Moab too rich; he, that knew not exile, is like a wine that has settled on its lees, never decanted; tang and reek of it were never lost;

Therefore behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send him men that shall order and overturn his bottles, and they shall cast him down, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles one against another.

Propterea ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et mittam ei ordinatores et stratores laguncularum: et sternent eum, et vasa ejus exhaurient, et lagunculas eorum collident.

a time is coming now, the Lord says, when I mean to send certain stewards of mine that shall tilt those jars; draw wine, drain goblet, and break jar to pieces!

And Moab shall be ashamed of Chamos, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, in which they trusted.

Et confundetur Moab a Chamos sicut confusa est domus Israël a Bethel, in qua habebat fiduciam.

Chamos will play Moab false, as Bethel played Israel false, when Israel trusted in its sanctuary.

How do you say: We are valiant, and stout men in battle?

Quomodo dicitis: Fortes sumus, et viri robusti ad præliandum?

Ay, boast on of your bravery, tell us you are warriors all!

Moab is laid waste, and they have cast down her cities: and her choice young men are gone down to the slaughter: saith the king, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

Vastata est Moab, et civitates illius succiderunt, et electi juvenes ejus descenderunt in occisionem, ait Rex: Dominus exercituum nomen ejus.

Yet Moab is laid waste, its townships aflame, all the flower of its chivalry gone to their death; so that king decrees, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

The destruction of Moab is near to come: the calamity thereof shall come on exceeding swiftly.

Prope est interitus Moab ut veniat, et malum ejus velociter accurret nimis.

Not long delayed, Moab’s last hour; runs on swift feet his calamity.

Comfort him, all you that are round about him, and all you that know his name, say: How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod?

Consolamini eum, omnes qui estis in circuitu ejus: et universi qui scitis nomen ejus, dicite: Quomodo confracta est virga fortis, baculus gloriosus?

Mourn with him, you that are his neighbours, you that are his familiars; so trusty a rod broken, a staff so fair.

Come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst, O dwelling of the daughter of Dibon: because the spoiler of Moab is come up to thee, he hath destroyed thy bulwarks.

Descende de gloria, et sede in siti, habitatio filiæ Dibon, quoniam vastator Moab ascendit ad te: dissipavit munitiones tuas.

Poor maid of Dibon, come down from thy splendour and sit on the parched ground; the spoiler of Moab has scaled thy heights, dismantled thy walls;

Stand in the way, and look out, O habitation of Aroer: inquire of him that fleeth: and say to him that hath escaped: What is done?

In via sta, et prospice, habitatio Aroër: interroga fugientem, et ei qui evasit dic: Quid accidit?

poor maid of Aroer, by the wayside linger and look around thee; ask of the fugitives, How went the day?

Moab is confounded, because he is overthrown: howl ye, and cry, tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is wasted.

Confusus est Moab, quoniam victus est. Ululate, et clamate: annuntiate in Arnon, quoniam vastata est Moab,

Alas, Moab’s hope is lost; Moab lies conquered. Loud be the cry of lament in Arnon, that tells of fields laid waste;

And judgment is come upon the plain country: upon Helon, and upon Jasa, and upon Mephaath.

et judicium venit ad terram campestrem, super Helon, et super Jasa, et super Mephaath,

doom on the hill-country, on Helon, Jasa, and Mephaath,

And upon Dibon, and upon Nabo, and upon the house of Deblathaim,

et super Dibon, et super Nabo, et super domum Deblathaim,

Dibon, Nabo, and Beth-Deblathaim,

And upon Cariathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmaon,

et super Cariathaim, et super Bethgamul, et super Bethmaon,

Cariathaim, Beth-gamul, Bethmaon,

And upon Carioth, and upon Bosra: and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

et super Carioth, et super Bosra, et super omnes civitates terræ Moab, quæ longe et quæ prope sunt.

Carioth, and Bosra, and all the cities of Moab, far and near.

The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.

Abscissum est cornu Moab, et brachium ejus contritum est, ait Dominus.

Blunted now is that horn, the Lord says, crushed that strong arm!

Make him drunk, because he lifted up himself against the Lord: and Moab shall dash his hand in his own vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

Inebriate eum, quoniam contra Dominum erectus est: et allidet manum Moab in vomitu suo, et erit in derisum etiam ipse.

Senseless let him fall, that once for the divine power vaunted himself a match; a laughing-stock let him be, that once, vomiting over his wine, clapped hands

For Israel hath been a derision unto thee: as though thou hadst found him amongst thieves: for thy words therefore, which thou hast spoken against him, thou shalt be led away captive.

Fuit enim in derisum tibi Israël: quasi inter fures reperisses eum: propter verba ergo tua quæ adversum illum locutus es, captivus duceris.

in derision to make a laughing-stock of Israel! An interloper thou didst call him, and now, for this ill speaking of thine, thyself shalt be cast into exile.

Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, you that dwell in Moab: and be ye like the dove that maketh her nest in the mouth of the hole in the highest place.

Relinquite civitates, et habitate in petra, habitatores Moab: et estote quasi columba nidificans in summo ore foraminis.

Leave your cities, Moabites, and take to the hills; make the dove your model, that ever at the outermost edge of cave will build her nest.

We have heard the pride of Moab, he is exceeding proud: his haughtiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the loftiness of his heart.

Audivimus superbiam Moab: superbus est valde: sublimitatem ejus, et arrogantiam, et superbiam, et altitudinem cordis ejus.

The boasting of Moab has long been in our ears, as it was ever boastful; proud, scornful, boastful Moab, with head so high in air!

I know, saith the Lord, his boasting, and that the strength thereof is not according to it, neither hath it endeavoured to do according as it was able.

Ego scio, ait Dominus, jactantiam ejus, et quod non sit juxta eam virtus ejus, nec juxta quod poterat conata sit facere.

Well I know, the Lord says, those high pretensions of hers, that have no strength to warrant them, those dreams that never come true!

Therefore will I lament for Moab, and I will cry out to all Moab, for the men of the brick wall that mourn.

Ideo super Moab ejulabo, et ad Moab universam clamabo, ad viros muri fictilis lamentantes:

So, from one end of Moab to the other, there is dole and dirge, mournful hearing for the men behind those walls of hardened brick.

O vineyard of Sabama, I will weep for thee, with the mourning of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they are come even to the sea of Jazer: the robber hath rushed in upon thy harvest and thy vintage.

de planctu Jazer plorabo tibi, vinea Sabama. Propagines tuæ transierunt mare; usque ad mare Jazer pervenerunt: super messem tuam et vindemiam tuam prædo irruit.

Jazer laments for thee, vineyard of Sabama, and with Jazer I too will mourn; thy shoots reached from Jazer itself to the Dead Sea and beyond; now, harvest of thine and vintage of thine the spoiler has overrun.

Joy and gladness is taken away from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, and I have taken away the wine out of the presses: the treader of the grapes shall not sing the accustomed cheerful tune.

Ablata est lætitia et exsultatio de Carmelo et de terra Moab, et vinum de torcularibus sustuli: nequaquam calcator uvæ solitum celeuma cantabit.

From the garden-lands of Moab joy and triumph have died away; all the presses I have emptied of their wine, no vintage-song, no treading the grapes as of old.

From the cry of Hesebon even to Eleale, and to Jasa, they have uttered their voice: from Segor to Oronaim, as a heifer of three years old: the waters also of Nemrim shall be very bad.

De clamore Hesebon usque Eleale et Jasa, dederunt vocem suam; a Segor usque ad Oronaim, vitula conternante: aquæ quoque Nemrim pessimæ erunt.

The dirge goes up from Hesebon, from Eleale and Jasa; goes up all the way from Segor to Oronaim, like the lowing of heifer full-grown; foul run the waters of Nemrim.

And I will take away from Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and that sacrificeth to his gods.

Et auferam de Moab, ait Dominus, offerentem in excelsis, et sacrificantem diis ejus.

None will I leave in Moab, the Lord says, to worship at the hill-shrines, or do sacrifice to its gods.

Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes: and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of the brick wall: because he hath done more than he could, therefore they have perished.

Propterea cor meum ad Moab quasi tibiæ resonabit, et cor meum ad viros muri fictilis dabit sonitum tibiarum: quia plus fecit quam potuit, idcirco perierunt.

For Moab my heart wails like the wailing of flutes, wailing of flutes for those brick-walled cities of hers; too high she aimed, and see, they lie in ruins.

For every head shall be bald, and every beard shall be shaven: all hands shall be tied together, and upon every back there shall be haircloth.

Omne enim caput calvitium, et omnis barba rasa erit: in cunctis manibus colligatio, et super omne dorsum cilicium:

Every head is shorn, every beard shaved in mourning; with bound hands men go, sackcloth on their backs.

Upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof general mourning: because I have broken Moab as an useless vessel, saith the Lord.

super omnia tecta Moab, et in plateis ejus, omnis planctus: quoniam contrivi Moab sicut vas inutile, ait Dominus.

Roof-top and street in Moab is none but echoes with grief; I have cast Moab away, the Lord says, like a jar past mending.

How is it overthrown, and they have howled! How hath Moab bowed down the neck, and is confounded! And Moab shall be a derision, and an example to all round about him.

Quomodo victa est, et ululaverunt? quomodo dejecit cervicem Moab, et confusus est? eritque Moab in derisum, et in exemplum omnibus in circuitu suo.

Lament for Moab in defeat, bowed heads for Moab’s shame! A laughing-stock it will be and a by-word for all its neighbours.

Thus saith the Lord: Behold he shall fly as an eagle, and shall stretch forth his wings to Moab.

Hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce quasi aquila volabit, et extendet alas suas ad Moab.

An eagle’s flight yonder conqueror has, the Lord says, and will sweep down on Moab too.

Carioth is taken, and the strong holds are won: and the heart of the valiant men of Moab in that day shall be as the heart of a woman in labour.

Capta est Carioth, et munitiones comprehensæ sunt: et erit cor fortium Moab in die illa sicut cor mulieris parturientis,

Now Carioth is lost, and all the strongholds taken; cowed as woman’s heart in child-bearing are those warrior hearts;

And Moab shall cease to be a people: because he hath gloried against the Lord.

et cessabit Moab esse populus, quoniam contra Dominum gloriatus est.

Moab, that set the Lord at defiance, shall be a people no more.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare come upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.

Pavor, et fovea, et laqueus super te, o habitator Moab, dicit Dominus.

Terror in front of its people, the Lord says, trap and toil behind them;

He that shall flee from the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that shall get up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.

Qui fugerit a facie pavoris cadet in foveam, et qui conscenderit de fovea capietur laqueo: adducam enim super Moab annum visitationis eorum, ait Dominus.

from terror flee thou, into trap fall thou; from the trap free thee, toils shall fasten thee. Such shall be my year of reckoning with the men of Moab, the Lord says.

They that fled from the snare stood in the shadow of Hesebon: but there came a fire out of Hesebon, and a flame out of the midst of Seon, and it shall devour part of Moab and the crown of the head of the children of tumult.

In umbra Hesebon steterunt de laqueo fugientes, quia ignis egressus est de Hesebon, et flamma de medio Seon: et devorabit partem Moab, et verticem filiorum tumultus.

From the toils escaped, who turns to Hesebon for shelter? Helpless he stands; such a fire comes out from Hesebon, all Seon’s capital aflame, till cheek and head of blustering Moab are consumed.

Woe to thee, Moab, thou hast peristed, O people of Chamos: for thy sons, and thy daughters are taken captives.

Væ tibi, Moab: periisti, popule Chamos, quia comprehensi sunt filii tui et filiæ tuæ in captivitatem.

Alas, Moab, alas, people of Chamos, for thy undoing! Gone into exile now thy sons and daughters!

And I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the last days, saith the Lord. Hitherto the judgments of Moab.

Et convertam captivitatem Moab in novissimis diebus, ait Dominus. Hucusque judicia Moab.

Yet a time shall come at last, the Lord says, when her lot shall be reversed.Thus far the doom of Moab.