For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken out of his hand all his land unto Arnon.

And I sent ambassadors out of the wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying,

Heshbon and all her cities that are in the plain, Dibon, and Bamothbaal and Bethbaalmeon,

Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim; thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.

And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh: their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; each one of them shall cry out for his soul.

For the vines of Heshbon were cut off and the vines of Sibmah; the lords of the Gentiles have trodden down the offshoots thereof, which had come even unto Jazer and extended through the wilderness; they had gone over the sea.

Moab shall no longer be praised; they have devised evil against Heshbon, saying, Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

The cry, from Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, they have uttered their voice; from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as a heifer of three years old; for the waters of Nimrim shall also be destroyed.

Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled; cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth; lament and run to and fro by the hedges, for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.