16
1 Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land,* from Sela through the desert, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.† 2 The Moabite women at the fords of the Arnon‡ are like birds fluttering around when their nest is destroyed. 3 Think about it and make a decision. Make your shadow as invisible at midday as during the night. Hide the refugees; don't betray them as they run away.§ 4 Let my refugees stay among you, Moab.* Hide them from our enemies until the destroyer is no more, the destruction is over, and the aggressive invaders have gone.
5 Then a kingdom will be set up based on trustworthy love, and on its throne will sit a faithful king from the line of David. He will judge fairly, and will be passionately committed to doing what is right.
6 We know all about the pride of the Moabites, how terribly vain and conceited they are, completely arrogant! But their boasting is false. 7 All the Moabites grieve for Moab. They all mourn the loss of the raisin cakes† of Kir-hareseth, all of them destroyed. 8 Heshbon's fields have dried up, as have Sibmah's grapevines. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the vines that once branched out to Jazer and east towards the desert, and west as far as the sea.
9 So I cry with Jazer for Sibmah's vines; I soak Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Nobody shouts in celebration over your summer fruit and your harvest any more. 10 Joy and happiness are gone. Nobody celebrates in the harvest fields or the vineyards; nobody shouts happily. Nobody treads grapes in the winepresses. I have stopped their cheering. 11 Heartbroken I cry for Moab like sad music on a harp; deep inside I weep for Kir-hareseth. 12 The Moabites go and wear themselves out worshiping at their high places. They go to their shrines to pray, but it does them no good.
13 This is the message that the Lord has already delivered about Moab. 14 But now the Lord speaks again, and says, In three years, just as a contract worker precisely counts years, Moab's glory will turn into something to be laughed at. Despite there being so many Moabites now, soon there will only be a few feeble people left.
* 16:1 Referring to the king of Judah. † 16:1 “The daughter of Zion” is Jerusalem. ‡ 16:2 This was the ancient boundary between the Moabites and the Amorites. After the Israelites conquered the Amorites, their territory was meant to have been taken over by the tribes of Reuben and Dan, yet they did not fully approach this border. What seems to be happening here is that these inhabitants of Moab are wondering whether they should cross the river and leave their homeland. § 16:3 Some believe these words are from the Moabites to the people of Judah, others see them as the prophet's advice to the Moabites, encouraging them to look after refugees from Judah. * 16:4 Or “Let my refugees from Moab stay among you.” † 16:7 Not only a valuable food item, but also much used in pagan worship festivals.