1 Thus says theLord:

“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four,

I will not turn away itspunishment,

Because heburned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.

2 But I will send a fire upon Moab,

And it shall devour the palaces ofKerioth;

Moab shall die with tumult,

With shoutingandtrumpet sound.

3 And I will cut offthe judge from its midst,

And slay all its princes with him,”

Says theLord.

Judgment on Judah

4 Thus says theLord:

“For three transgressions ofJudah, and for four,

I will not turn away itspunishment,

Because they have despised the law of theLord,

And have not kept His commandments.

Their lies lead them astray,

Lieswhich their fathers followed.

5 But I will send a fire upon Judah,

And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says theLord:

“For three transgressions ofIsrael, and for four,

I will not turn away itspunishment,

Becausethey sell the righteous for silver,

And thepoor for a pair of sandals.

7 They pant after the dust of the earthwhichison the head of the poor,

Andpervert the way of the humble.

A man and his father go in to thesamegirl,

To defile My holy name.

8 They lie downby every altar on clothestaken in pledge,

And drink the wine of the condemnedinthe house of their god.

9 “YetitwasIwhodestroyed theAmorite before them,

Whose heightwaslike theheight of the cedars,

And hewasasstrong as the oaks;

Yet Idestroyed his fruit above

And his roots beneath.

10 AlsoitwasIwhobrought you up from the land of Egypt,

Andled you forty years through the wilderness,

To possess the land of the Amorite.

11 I raised up some of your sons asprophets,

And some of your young men asNazirites.

Isitnot so, O you children of Israel?”

Says theLord.

12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,

And commanded the prophetssaying,

‘Do not prophesy!’

13 “Behold,I am weighed down by you,

As a cart full of sheaves is weighed down.

14 Therefore flight shall perish from the swift,

The strong shall not strengthen his power,

Nor shall the mighty deliver himself;

15 He shall not stand who handles the bow,

The swift of foot shall not escape,

Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.

16 The most courageous men of might

Shall flee naked in that day,”

Says theLord.