1 And they will send ... to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

2 For the daughters of Moab will be like wandering birds, like a place from which the young birds have gone in flight, at the ways across the Arnon.

3 Give wise directions, make a decision; let your shade be as night in full day: keep safe those who are in flight; do not give up the wandering ones.

4 Let those who have been forced out of Moab have a resting-place with you; be a cover to them from him who is making waste their land: till the cruel ones are cut off, and wasting has come to an end, and those who take pleasure in crushing the poor are gone from the land.

5 Then a king's seat will be based on mercy, and one will be seated on it in the tent of David for ever; judging uprightly, and quick to do righteousness.

6 We have had word of the pride of Moab, how great it is; how he is lifted up in pride and passion: his high words about himself are false.

7 For this cause everyone in Moab will give cries of grief for Moab: crushed to the earth, they will be weeping for the men of Kir-hareseth.

8 For the fields of Heshbon are waste, the vine of Sibmah is dead; the lords of nations were overcome by the produce of her vines; her vine-plants went as far as Jazer, and came even to the waste land; her branches were stretched out to the sea.

9 For this cause my sorrow for the vine of Sibmah will be like the weeping for Jazer: my eyes are dropping water on you, O Heshbon and Elealeh! For they are sounding the war-cry over your summer fruits and the getting in of your grain;

10 And all joy is gone; no longer are they glad for the fertile field; and in the vine-gardens there are no songs or sounds of joy: the crushing of grapes has come to an end, and its glad cry has been stopped.

11 For this cause the cords of my heart are sounding for Moab, and I am full of sorrow for Kir-heres.

12 And when Moab goes up to the high place, and makes prayer in the house of his god, it will have no effect.

13 This is the word which the Lord said about Moab in the past.

14 But now the Lord has said, In three years, the years of a servant working for payment, the glory of Moab, all that great people, will be turned to shame, and the rest of Moab will be very small and without honour.

1 Lähettäkää verolampaat maan hallitsijalle, viekää ne Selan seudulta autiomaan tietä tytär Siionin vuorelle!

2 Pakenevien lintujen, pesästä säikytetyn poikueen lailla Moabin tyttäret valittavat Arnonin kahlaamoilla:

5 silloin pystytetään jälleen Daavidin majaan uskollisuuden lujittama valtaistuin ja sillä istuu luotettava tuomari, joka tuntee lain ja toteuttaa oikeuden.

6 -- Me olemme kuulleet Moabin ylpeydestä -- miten kopea se on ollut! -- ja sen ylimielisyydestä ja ylvästelystä, pöyhkeydestä ja turhista puheista.

7 Siksi kaikki nyt valittelevat Moabissa, koko Moab valittelee surkeuttaan. Kir-Haresetin rypäleitä muistaessaan se vaipuu maahan itkien, nyyhkyttäen,

8 sillä kuihtuneet ovat Hesbonin rinteiden tarhat ja Sibman viiniköynnökset, joiden jalot rypäleet kaatoivat kansojen ruhtinaita. Kerran ne ulottivat kasvunsa Jaeseriin, haaroivat autiomaahan saakka ja rönsyilivät yli meren.

9 Sen tähden minä itken Jaeserin kanssa, itken Sibman viiniköynnöksiä. Kyynelilläni minä juotan teidät kylläisiksi, Hesbon ja Eleale, sillä kesken korjuujuhlien riemun on kajahtanut sotahuuto.

10 Tarhoista on korjattu pois ilo ja riemu, viinitarhoista ei kantaudu riemuhuutoja, viinikuurnissa ei poljeta rypäleitä, ilon äänet ovat vaienneet.

11 Siksi minun sisimpäni valittaa kuin harppu Moabin tähden, minun sydämeni valittaa Kir-Haresetin tähden.

12 Mutta kun Moab uhrikukkulallaan uuvuttaa itsensä juhlamenoissa ja pyhäkössään suorittaa kaikki rukoukset, se näkee vaivaa turhan tähden.

13 Tämän Herra on jo puhunut Moabista.