¹This is the book which telleth how Meqabees found the children of Israel in Mesopotamia, which is a part of Syria, and slew them in that region, beginning from Jabbok even unto the square of Jerusalem; and it telleth how he laid waste the country.

²For the Syrians, the Edomites, and the Amalekites were joined together with the Moabite man, Meqabees, who laid waste the land of Jerusalem—for they encamped from Samaria unto the square of Jerusalem and throughout all the region thereof—and they slew in war, sparing none save a remnant of the people who fled.

³When the children of Israel did evil, the LORD stirred up Meqabees, the man of Moab, against them, and he smote them with the sword.

⁴Because of this, the enemies of the LORD and the nations boasted over His honoured country and sware by their transgressions.

⁵The Philistines and the Edomites encamped there; the LORD sent them because the people had dealt falsely concerning His Word, and they began to take vengeance and to lay waste the land of the LORD.

⁶The country of Meqabees is Riemat, which is a part of Moab; he arose out of his country with great might, and they that were with him likewise sware oaths.

⁷They encamped in the region of Gilead, which is the lot of Mesopotamia unto Syria, that they might destroy the land of the LORD. There he besought the Amalekites and Philistines for aid, giving unto them much silver and gold, chariots and horses, that they might be one with him in his transgression.

⁸They came together and brake down the fortress; and they that dwelt therein shed blood as water.

⁹They made Jerusalem as a lodge in a vineyard, a shelter for a night; he caused a cry to be heard within her, and wrought all the abominable works which the LORD hateth. They defiled also the land of the LORD, which was aforetime filled with praise and honour.

¹⁰They made the flesh of thy beloved ones and the corpses of thy servants to be meat for the beasts of the wilderness and for the fowls of heaven.

¹¹They plundered the orphans and the widows; without fear of the LORD, they did as Satan taught them. Until the LORD, who trieth the reins and the heart, was provoked unto wrath, they ripped open the wombs of women with child.

¹²And they returned unto their own country rejoicing, for they had wrought evil against the people of the LORD, bearing away the spoil which they had taken from the honoured land.

¹³And when they returned and entered into their houses, they made feasts and songs and clapping of hands.