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¹ Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel against Moab: Wo be to the citie of Nebo, for it is layde waste, brought to confusion, and Kiriathaim is taken: Misgab is brought to shame and afraide.² Moab can boast no more of Hesbon, for they haue deuised a mischiefe against it: Come [shall they say] let vs roote them out, that they may be no more a nation, thou also shalt be destroyed O Madmena, and the sworde shall persecute thee.³ A voyce shall crye from Horonaim: Great wasting and destruction shall come vpon them,⁴ Moab is made desolate, her litle ones haue cryed out.⁵ For at the going vp vnto Luith he arose with lamentation and mourning, and downe towarde Horonaim they hearde a cruel and deadly crye:⁶ Get you away, saue your liues, and be lyke vnto the heath in the wyldernesse.⁷ For because thou hast trusted in thine owne workes and treasure, thou shalt be taken: Chamos with his priestes and princes shall go away into captiuitie.⁸ The destroyer shall come vpon all cities, none shall escape: The valleys shalbe destroyed, and the fieldes shalbe layde waste, lyke as the Lorde hath spoken.⁹ Geue winges vnto Moab, that she get her away speedyly: for her cities shalbe made so desolate, that no man shall dwell therein.¹⁰ Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lorde fraudulently, and cursed be he that kepeth backe his sworde from sheddyng of blood.¹¹ Moab hath euer ben riche and carelesse from her youth vp, she hath ben still setled vpon lies, she was neuer yet put out of one vessell into another [that is] she neuer went away into captiuitie, therefore her taste remayneth, and her sauour is not yet chaunged.¹² But lo, the tyme commeth saith the Lorde, that I shall sende her trussers to trusse her vp, whiche shall remoue her from her dwelling, and emptie her vessels, and breake her wine pottes.¹³ And Moab shalbe ashamed of Chamos, lyke as Israel was ashamed of Bethel, wherein she put her trust.

¹⁴ Wherefore do ye thinke thus: we are mightie and strong men of warre?¹⁵ Moab is destroyed, and her cities brent vp, her chosen young men be slayne, saith the kyng whose name is the Lorde of hoastes.¹⁶ The destruction of Moab commeth on a pace, and her fall is at hande.¹⁷ All ye neighbours mourne for her, and all ye that knowe her name, say, O howe happeneth it that the strong staffe and the goodly rodde is thus broken?¹⁸ And thou daughter Dibon, come downe from thy glory, and sit in thyrst: for he that destroyeth Moab, shall come vp to thee also, and breake downe thy strong holdes.¹⁹ And thou that dwellest in Aroer, get thee to the streete, and looke about thee, aske them that are fled and escaped, and say, What thing is happened?²⁰ Oh Moab is confounded and ouercome: mourne and crye, tell it out at Arnon, that Moab is destroyed.²¹ For iudgement shall come vpon the playne lande [namely] vpon Holon, and Iahzah, and vpon Mephaath.²² And vpon Dibon, vpon Nabo, and Beth Deblathaim,²³ Upon Kiriathaim, and vpon Beth Gamul, vpon Beth Maon,²⁴ And vpon Carioth, vpon Bozra, and all the cities in the lande of Moab, whether they lye farre or neare.²⁵ The horne of Moab is smitten downe, and her arme broken saith the Lorde.²⁶ Make her drunken, for she magnified her selfe aboue the Lorde, that men may clap their handes at her vomite, and that she also may be laughed to scorne.²⁷ Diddest not thou laugh Israel to scorne, as though he had ben taken [with theft] among thieues? for so often as thou makest mention of hym, thou skippest for ioy.²⁸ Ye Moabites, leaue the cities, and dwel in rockes of stone, and become like doues that make their nestes in holes.²⁹ As for Moabs pride we haue hearde of it, she is very hye minded, I knowe her stoutenesse, her boasting, her arrogancie, and the pride of her stomacke, [saith the Lorde.]³⁰ I knowe (saith the Lorde) her indignation, she doth not right, her wordes are lyes, and they haue not dealt truely.³¹ Therefore will I mourne for Moab, for whole Moabs sake: my heart shall lament the men of Kirchares.³² O thou vineyarde of Sabamah, I wyll weepe for thee as for Iazer: thy vine braunches shall come ouer the sea vnto the sea of Iazer, the destroyer shal breake into thy haruest and grape gathering.³³ Myrth and cheare shalbe taken away from the fertile fielde, and from the lande of Moab: there shalbe no sweete wine in the presse, the treader shal haue no stomacke to crye, yea there shalbe none to crye vnto him,³⁴ Whiche aforetyme were hearde from Hesbon to Eleale, and Iahaz, whiche lyfted vp their voyce from Zoar vnto Horonaim, that bullocke of three yere olde: the waters also of Nemrim shalbe dryed vp.³⁵ Moreouer, I will make Moab ceasse saith the Lorde, from the offeringes and censing that she hath made vnto her gods in hye places.³⁶ Wherefore my heart mourneth for Moab like a crowde playing an heauie song, and for the mens sake of Kirchares my heart mourneth also, euen as a pipe that pipeth a dolefull song: for their riches which they haue gathered, shalbe destroyed.³⁷ All heades shalbe shauen, and all beardes clipped of, all handes bounde, and all loynes gyrded about with sackcloth.³⁸ Upon all the house toppes and streetes of Moab there shalbe lamentable mourning: for I wyl breake Moab lyke an vnprofitable vessell, saith the Lorde.³⁹ O howe is she destroyed? O howe mourneth she? O howe doth Moab hang downe her head and is ashamed? Thus shal Moab be a laughing stocke, and had in derision of all them that be rounde about her.⁴⁰ For thus saith the Lorde: Beholde, the enemie shall come fleeing as an Egle, and spreade his winges vpon Moab.⁴¹ They shall take the cities, and winne the strong holdes: then the mightie mens heartes in Moab, shalbe lyke the heart of a woman trauayling with chylde.⁴² And Moab shalbe made so desolate, that she shall no more be a people, because she hath set vp her selfe against the Lorde.⁴³ Feare, pit, and snare, shall come vpon thee O Moab, saith the Lorde.⁴⁴ Whoso escapeth the feare, shall fall into the pit, and whoso getteth out of the pit, shalbe taken in the snare: for I will bryng a yere of visitation vpon Moab, saith the Lorde.⁴⁵ They that are able to flee, shall stande vnder the shadowe of Hesbon, for there shall go a fire out of Hesbon, and a flambe from Sion, and shall burne vp that proude people of Moab, and the toppe of those seditious chyldren.⁴⁶ Wo be vnto thee O Moab, thou people of Chamos shalt perishe: yea thy sonnes and daughters shalbe led away captiue.⁴⁷ Yet at the last wyll I bryng Moab out of captiuitie agayne saith the Lord: Thus farre is of the plague of Moab.