1. CONCERNING THE SONS OF AMMON thus saith the Lord, Are there no sons in Israel? or have they no one to succeed them? wherefore has Melchol inherited Galaad, and why shall their people dwell in their cities?
2. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will cause to be heard [Or, at, as far as, or against] in Rabbath a tumult of wars; and they shall become a waste and ruined place, and her altars shall be burned with fire; then shall Israel succeed to his dominion.
3. Howl, O Esebon, for Gai has perished; cry, ye daughters of Rabbath, gird yourselves with sack-clothes, and lament; for Melchol shall go into banishment, his priests and his princes together.
4. Why do ye exult in the plains of the Enakim, thou haughty daughter, that trustest in thy treasures, that sayest, Who shall come in to me?
5. Behold, I will bring terror upon thee, saith the Lord, from all the country round about thee; and ye shall be scattered every one right before him, and there is none to gather you.
6. CONCERNING DAMASCUS. Emath is brought to shame, and Arphath: for they have heard an evil report: they are amazed, they are angry, they shall be utterly unable to rest.
7. Damascus is utterly weakened, she is put to flight; trembling has seized upon her.
8. How has she not left my city, they have loved the village?
9. Therefore shall the young men fall in thy streets, and all thy warriors shall fall, saith the Lord.
10. And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the streets of the son of Ader.
11. CONCERNING KEDAR [Heb. the kingdoms of Hazor] THE QUEEN OF THE PALACE, WHOM NABUCHODONOSOR KING OF BABYLON SMOTE, thus saith the Lord; Arise ye, and go up to Kedar, and fill the sons of Kedem.
12. They shall take their tents and their sheep, they shall take for themselves their garments, and all their [Gr. vessels] baggage and their camels; and summon ye destruction against them from every side.
13. Flee ye, dig very deep for a dwelling-place, ye that dwell in the palace; for the king of Babylon has framed a counsel, and devised a device against you.
14. Rise up, and go up against a nation settled and dwelling at ease, who have no doors, nor [Lit. acorns; q. d. nuts, as of screws] bolts, nor bars, who dwell alone.
15. And their camels shall be a spoil, and the multitude of their cattle shall be destroyed: and I will scatter them as chaff with every wind, having their hair cut about their foreheads, I will bring on their overthrow from all sides, saith the Lord.
16. And the palace shall be a resting-place for ostriches, and desolate for ever: no man shall abide there, and no son of man shall dwell there.