fathers; that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities. And I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son, saith the LORD. I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.

ii

Doom of Assyria

The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

55

iii

Doom of Philistia*

Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee,

Because the rod that smote thee is broken:

For out of the serpent's root shall come a basilisk,

And his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

And the firstborn of the poor shall feed,
And the needy shall lie down in safety:
And I will kill thy root with famine,
And thy remnant shall be slain.

Howl, O gate; cry, O city;

Thou art melted away, O Philistia, all of thee;

For there cometh a smoke out of the north,

And none standeth aloof at his appointed times.

What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.

* In the year that King Ahaz died was this oracle.

56

iv

Doom of Moab

I

For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought!

For in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought!

Bayith and Dibon are gone up to the high places to

weep;

Moab howleth upon Nebo, and upon Medeba!

On all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off;
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth :
On their housetops, and in their broad places, every
one howleth,

Weeping abundantly.

And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh;

Their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud, His soul trembleth within him.

My heart crieth out for Moab;

Her nobles flee unto Zoar, to Eglath-shelishiyah;

For by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; For in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.

For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate :

For the grass is withered away,

The tender grass faileth,

There is no green thing.

Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows.

For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; The howling thereof unto Eglaim,

And the howling thereof unto Beer-elim ;

For the waters of Dimon are full of blood.

For I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon him that escapeth of Moab, and upon the remnant of the land.

'Send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land,

'From Sela toward the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.'

For it shall be that, as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so shall the daughters of Moab be at the fords of Arnon.

'Give counsel, execute judgement,

'Make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday:

'Hide the outcasts,

Bewray not the wanderer;

'Let the outcasts of Moab dwell with thee,

'Be thou a covert to him from the face of the spoiler.'

For the extortioner is brought to nought, spoiling ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And a throne shall be established in mercy, and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David; judging, and seeking judgement; and swift to do righteousness.

2

We have heard of the pride of Moab,

That he is very proud;

Even of his arrogancy, and his pride, and his wrath :
His boastings are nought.

Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall

howl ;

For the raisin-cakes of Kir-hareseth shall ye mourn, utterly stricken.