16 Send a ram to Yehudah’s (Judah) ruler
from Sela in the wilderness to the mountain of the daughter of Tsiyon (Zion).
2 Then just like birds flutter away from a nest that’s disturbed,
so too the Moav (Moab) women will head to the fords at the Arnon river.
3 Bring some advice. Make a decision.
Make some shade that’s dark in the middle of the day.
Hide the fugitives.
≈ Don’t expose the refugees.
4 Let Moav’s refugees live among you.
Be a shelter for them from the destroyer,
because the oppressor will give up.
Destruction will cease.
The oppressors will disappear from the land.
5 A king will be established based on loyal commitment.
A descendant of David who will rule with faithfulness—
one who judges fairly and strives for justice,
and who quickly does what is right.
6 We’ve heard about Moav’s (Moab) excessive pride,
and their haughtiness and arrogance,
but their boasting is empty.
7 So Moav mourns for itself—all of them.
They long for the raisin-cakes from Kir-Hareset.
They’re completely overcome
8 because Heshbon’s fields have dried up
as have Sivmah’s grapevines.
The rulers of nations have trampled down its best grapevines.
They reached Yazer—wandering through the wilderness.
Its shoots spread out—passing over the ocean.
9 So I’ll weep along with those weeping in Yazer for Sivmah’s grapevines.
I’ll water you with my tears, Heshbon and El’aleh,
because they’re shouting about your summer fruits and your harvest.
10 People will no longer be happy in their orchards,
≈ and celebrations will disappear from the vineyards.
There won’t be any singing or shouting in the wine-pressing pits,
≈ and the shouting of those treading the grapes will cease.
11 My stomach tightens like a harp string when I think about Moav.
≈ My insides groan about Kir-Hareset.
12 The people of Moav wear themselves out praying at their hilltop shrines.
≈ They go to their temple to pray, but it doesn’t help them.
13 That’s what Yahweh already said about Moav (Moab), 14 and now he says that within three years like a hirer labourer, Moav’s honour will disappear, because out of their large population, only a small and insignificant group will remain.
