A-Z: General definitions: Woes

Definition

1. In the sense of “Woe to someone”: prophetic denunciations;

2. In the sense of “woe is me”, laments. Both forms are found in the prophetic books of the Bible (Jeremiah 48:46; Isaiah 6:5).

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Concerning Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste! Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; the fortress is put to shame and broken down; ²the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: Come, let us cut her off from being a nation! You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you. ³A voice! A cry from Horonaim, Desolation and great destruction! ⁴Moab is destroyed; her little ones have made a cry. ⁵For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distressed cry of destruction. ⁶Flee! Save yourselves! You will be like a juniper in the desert! ⁷For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials. ⁸The destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord has spoken. ⁹Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them. ¹⁰Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. ¹¹Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. ¹²Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his jars in pieces. ¹³Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence. ¹⁴How do you say, We are heroes and mighty men of war? ¹⁵The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. ¹⁶The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly. ¹⁷Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff. ¹⁸Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds. ¹⁹Stand by the way and watch, O inhabitant of Aroer! Ask him who flees and her who escapes; say, What has happened? ²⁰Moab is put to shame, for it is broken; wail and cry! Tell it beside the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. ²¹Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon, and Jahzah, and Mephaath, ²²and Dibon, and Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, ²³and Kiriathaim, and Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, ²⁴and Kerioth, and Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. ²⁵The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, declares the Lord. ²⁶Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against the Lord, so that Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he too shall be held in derision. ²⁷Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head? ²⁸Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab! Be like the dove that nests in the sides of the mouth of a gorge. ²⁹We have heard of the pride of Moab - he is very proud - of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. ³⁰I know his insolence, declares the Lord; his boasts are false, his deeds are false. ³¹Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn. ³²More than for Jazer I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches passed over the sea, reached to the Sea of Jazer; on your summer fruits and your grapes the destroyer has fallen. ³³Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy. ³⁴From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also have become desolate. ³⁵And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the Lord, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god. ³⁶Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished. ³⁷For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth. ³⁸On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the Lord. ³⁹How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him. ⁴⁰For thus says the Lord: Behold, one shall fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab; ⁴¹the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains; ⁴²Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he magnified himself against the Lord. ⁴³Terror, pit, and snare are before you, O inhabitant of Moab! declares the Lord. ⁴⁴He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the Lord. ⁴⁵In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stop without strength, for fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the house of Sihon; it has destroyed the forehead of Moab, the crown of the sons of tumult. ⁴⁶Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone, for your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters into captivity. ⁴⁷Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord. Thus far is the judgment on Moab.

¹Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. ²There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee. ³A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction. ⁴Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. ⁵For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. ⁶Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. ⁷For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. ⁸And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken. ⁹Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein. ¹⁰Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. ¹¹Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. ¹²Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles. ¹³And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence. ¹⁴How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war? ¹⁵Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. ¹⁶The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. ¹⁷All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod! ¹⁸Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds. ¹⁹O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done? ²⁰Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled, ²¹And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath, ²²And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim, ²³And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon, ²⁴And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. ²⁵The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD. ²⁶Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. ²⁷For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy. ²⁸O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth. ²⁹We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. ³⁰I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it. ³¹Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres. ³²O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage. ³³And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting. ³⁴From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate. ³⁵Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods. ³⁶Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished. ³⁷For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. ³⁸There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD. ³⁹They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. ⁴⁰For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab. ⁴¹Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. ⁴²And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. ⁴³Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. ⁴⁴He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. ⁴⁵They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. ⁴⁶Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives. ⁴⁷Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! ⁴And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵And I said: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! ⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷And he touched my mouth and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. ⁸And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here I am! Send me. ⁹And he said, Go, and say to this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. ¹⁰Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. ¹¹Then I said, How long, O Lord? And he said: Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, ¹²and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. ¹³And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump.

¹In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ²Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ⁴And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. ⁶Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: ⁷And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. ⁸Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. ⁹And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. ¹⁰Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. ¹¹Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, ¹²And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. ¹³But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

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