שִׁלְחוּ כַר מֹשֵׁל אֶרֶץ מִסֶּלַע מִדְבָּרָה אֶל הַר בַּת צִיּוֹן

Moav will require assistance, and to that end will turn to the government on Mount Zion: Send a flock, or send a gift, for the ruler of the land, from Sela Midbara, a place in Moav, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

וְהָיָה כְעוֹף נוֹדֵד קֵן מְשֻׁלָּח תִּהְיֶינָה בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב מַעְבָּרֹת לְאַרְנוֹן

It shall be that like a wandering bird driven from a nest, so will be the daughters of Moav when they flee, arriving at the fords of the Arnon Stream.

הָבִיאִי עֵצָה עֲשׂוּ פְלִילָה שִׁיתִי כַלַּיִל צִלֵּךְ בְּתוֹךְ צָהֳרָיִם סַתְּרִי נִדָּחִים נֹדֵד אַל תְּגַלִּי

The prophet presents the people of Moav addressing their land: Provide counsel; execute justice; set your shadow like night during noon. This is a metaphor for one who seeks the cover of night when he feels most exposed. Hide outcasts; do not reveal the wanderer. Make sure that the wandering exiles are not discovered. While the land of Moav is not flat, it lacks high mountains where its people can hide.

יָגוּרוּ בָךְ נִדָּחַי מוֹאָב הֱוִי סֵתֶר לָמוֹ מִפְּנֵי שׁוֹדֵד כִּי אָפֵס הַמֵּץ כָּלָה שֹׁד תַּמּוּ רֹמֵס מִן הָאָרֶץ

Let my outcasts reside with you, Moav; be a cover for them, the refugees, from before the plunderer. Some commentaries explain the phrase “Let my outcasts reside with you,” as an appeal addressed by the prophet to Moav that it should offer refuge to Israel when they flee the Assyrians. Others interpret the phrase as a request on the part of an emissary of Moav that Zion should offer refuge to those fleeing from Moav. For it, all of Moav’s wealth, is no more, sucked dry; succulence is eliminated by the enemy. The trampling animals, the herds of sheep, have ceased from the land.

וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא וְיָשַׁב עָלָיו בֶּאֱמֶת בְּאֹהֶל דָּוִד שֹׁפֵט וְדֹרֵשׁ מִשְׁפָּט וּמְהִר צֶדֶק

Ultimately, a stable and proper government and judiciary will be established in the house of David: A royal throne will be established with grace, and he will sit upon it in truth, with loyalty and integrity, in the tent of David, adjudicating and seeking justice, and prompt to act with righteousness.

שָׁמַעְנוּ גְאוֹן מוֹאָב גֵּא מְאֹד גַּאֲוָתוֹ וּגְאוֹנוֹ וְעֶבְרָתוֹ לֹא כֵן בַּדָּיו

In contrast to the fate of Zion, Moav will be destroyed: We heard of the pride of Moav, very proud: his haughtiness, his pride, and his anger toward surrounding nations. The Moavites portrayed themselves as exceedingly important; however, not so are his pretensions [lo khen baddav]: their accomplishments did not match their immense pride. Alternatively, the arrogant words that Moav fabricated [badda] were incorrect [lo khen].

לָכֵן יְיֵלִיל מוֹאָב לְמוֹאָב כֻּלֹּה יְיֵלִיל לַאֲשִׁישֵׁי קִיר חֲרֶשֶׂת תֶּהְגּוּ אַךְ נְכָאִים

Therefore, following the overwhelming defeat of the proud Moavites, the surviving members of Moav will wail for Moav; they will all wail. For the foundations of the great city of Kir Hareset you will yearn, even lament with words of sorrow over the destroyed city.

כִּי שַׁדְמוֹת חֶשְׁבּוֹן אֻמְלָל גֶּפֶן שִׂבְמָה — בַּעֲלֵי גוֹיִם הָלְמוּ שְׂרוּקֶּיהָ עַד יַעְזֵר נָגָעוּ תָּעוּ מִדְבָּר שְׁלֻחוֹתֶיהָ נִטְּשׁוּ עָבְרוּ יָם

For the fields of Heshbon are ravaged, the vine of the city of Sivma, the nobles of nations beat its branches which reached to Yazer, which wandered in the wilderness; its offshoots spread, crossing the sea.

עַל כֵּן אֶבְכֶּה בִּבְכִי יַעְזֵר גֶּפֶן שִׂבְמָה אֲרַיָּוֶךְ דִּמְעָתִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן וְאֶלְעָלֵה כִּי עַל קֵיצֵךְ וְעַל קְצִירֵךְ 'הֵידָד' נָפָל

Therefore, I will weep with the weeping of Yazer, vine of Sivma; I will soak you with my tears, Heshbon and Elaleh, for upon your summer fruits and your harvest, the hurrah has fallen off. The typical joy and celebration of the summer and the harvest have been suspended. Alternatively, the verse refers to the celebratory cries of Moav’s conquerors.

וְנֶאֱסַף שִׂמְחָה וָגִיל מִן הַכַּרְמֶל וּבַכְּרָמִים לֹא יְרֻנָּן לֹא יְרֹעָע יַיִן בַּיְקָבִים לֹא יִדְרֹךְ הַדֹּרֵךְ 'הֵידָד' הִשְׁבַּתִּי

Joy and happiness will be taken away from the farmland, and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, no cheer; the treader will not tread wine from grapes in the winepresses; I have stopped the joyous shouts of hurrah.

עַל כֵּן מֵעַי לְמוֹאָב כַּכִּנּוֹר יֶהֱמוּ וְקִרְבִּי לְקִיר חָרֶשׂ

Therefore, my innards will moan for Moav like a harp, and my insides for Kir Heres, the Kir Hareset mentioned above in verse 7. The prophet commiserates with Moav over its pitiful losses and downfall.

וְהָיָה כִי נִרְאָה כִּי נִלְאָה מוֹאָב עַל הַבָּמָה וּבָא אֶל מִקְדָּשׁוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל — וְלֹא יוּכָל

It, this disaster, will be when it is seen that Moav has wearied of worshipping its deities on the shrine, or has wearied of waging war, and comes to his temple to pray, but is unable. Overcome by hopelessness and despair, the Moavites will lose the ability to organize worship, and they will not be able to recover from their plight.

זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' אֶל מוֹאָב מֵאָז

This is the matter that the Lord spoke with regard to Moav in time past, in an earlier prophecy.

וְעַתָּה דִּבֶּר ה' לֵאמֹר בְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים כִּשְׁנֵי שָׂכִיר וְנִקְלָה כְּבוֹד מוֹאָב בְּכֹל הֶהָמוֹן הָרָב וּשְׁאָר מְעַט מִזְעָר לוֹא כַבִּיר

But now the Lord has spoken a new prophecy, saying: In another three years, like the years of a hired laborer, the honor of Moav will be demeaned in the whole great tumult, and will remain miniscule, of no importance. Just as a hired laborer does not work beyond a previously agreed-upon time, so too, the honor of Moav will be demeaned in exactly three years.