16 Send lambs [C as tribute payment] to the ·king [ruler] of the land
Send it from Sela [C an Edomite city, later the Nabatean capital called Petra] through the desert
to the mountain of ·Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C Zion was the location of the Temple; 1:8].
2 The women of Moab
·try to cross the river [L at the fords of] Arnon
like little birds
·that have fallen [or pushed away; or scattered] from their nest.
3 They say: “·Help us [or Make a decision].
·Tell us what to do [or Grant us justice].
Protect us from our enemies
as ·shade [L shade like night] protects us from the noon sun.
·Hide us, because we are running for safety [L Shelter the fugitives/outcasts]!
Don’t ·give us to our enemies [betray/uncover the refugee].
4 Let ·those of us who were forced out [the fugitives/outcasts] of Moab live ·in your land [L among you].
Hide ·us [L them] from ·our enemies [L the destroyer].”
The ·enemy [oppressor] will ·be defeated [come to an end].
The ·robbing of Moab [L destruction] will stop;
those who ·hurt others [L trample] will disappear from the land.
5 Then a ·new loyal king will come [L throne will be established in faithfulness/lovingkindness];
·this faithful king will be from the family of David [L he will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; 9:1–7; 11:1–16].
He will judge ·fairly [with justice]
and ·do what is right [hasten righteousness].
6 We have heard that the people of Moab are proud
and very conceited.
They are very proud and angry,
but their bragging ·means nothing [is empty].
7 So ·the people of Moab will cry [L Moab wails for Moab];
they will all ·be sad [wail].
They will ·moan and groan [or mourn, utterly stricken]
for the raisin cakes [C perhaps associated with pagan ritual (Hos. 3:1); also known as an aphrodisiac (Song 2:5)] they had in Kir Hareseth.
8 But the fields of Heshbon ·cannot grow grapes [wither; dry up; L languish];
and the vines of Sibmah dry up;
·foreign rulers [L lords of the nations] have ·destroyed [struck down] the ·grapevines [choice plants].
The grapevines once spread as far as the city of Jazer and into the desert;
they had spread as far as the sea [C probably the Dead Sea].
9 I ·cry [weep] with the people of Jazer
for the grapevines of Sibmah.
I will ·cry with the [or drench you with tears, you] people of Heshbon and Elealeh.
·There will be no shouts of joy,
because there will be no harvest or ripe fruit [or Your enemies shout for joy over your fruit and harvest].
10 There will be no joy and happiness in the orchards
and no songs or shouts of joy in the vineyards.
No one ·makes [treads/stomps out] wine in the winepresses,
because I have put an end to shouts of joy.
11 My ·heart cries [inner parts moan/sigh] for Moab like a ·harp playing a funeral song [L harp];
·I am very sad [L my inner being] for Kir Hareseth.
12 The people of Moab will ·go to their places of worship [L appear and grow weary at their high places]
and will try to pray.
But when they go to their temple to pray,
they will not be able.
13 Earlier the Lord said these things about Moab. 14 Now the Lord says, “In three years ·all those people and what they take pride in [L the glory of Moab] will be ·hated [despised]. (This is three years as a hired helper would count time [C meaning carefully calculated, so as to be properly paid; 21:16].) There will be a few people left, but they will be ·weak [feeble].”