God’s Message to Moab
15 This is a message about Moab:
In one night armies took the wealth from Ar in Moab,
and it was destroyed.
In one night armies took the wealth from Kir in Moab,
and it was destroyed.
2 The people of Dibon go to the places of worship to cry.
The people of Moab cry for the cities of Nebo and Medeba.
Every head and beard has been shaved to show how sad Moab is.
3 In the streets they wear rough cloth to show their sadness.
On the roofs[a] and in the public squares,
they are crying loudly.
4 People in the cities Heshbon and Elealeh cry out loud.
You can hear their voices far away in the city Jahaz.
Even the soldiers are frightened;
they are shaking with fear.
5 My heart cries with sorrow for Moab.
Its people run away to Zoar for safety;
they run to Eglath Shelishiyah.
People are going up the mountain road to Luhith,
crying as they go.
People are going on the road to Horonaim,
crying over their destruction.
6 But the water of Nimrim has dried up.
The grass has dried up,
and all the plants are dead;
nothing green is left.
7 So the people gather up what they have saved
and carry it across the Ravine of the Poplars.
8 Crying is heard everywhere in Moab.
Their crying is heard as far away as the city Eglaim;
it is heard as far away as Beer Elim.
9 The water of the city Dibon is full of blood,
and I, the Lord, will bring even more troubles to Dibon.
A few people living in Moab have escaped the enemy,
but I will send lions to kill them.
Footnotes
- 15:3 roofs In Bible times houses were built with flat roofs. The roof was used for drying things such as flax and fruit. And it was used as an extra room, as a place for worship, and as a cool place to sleep in the summer.