unfoldingWord_en_tn/jer/48/15.md

# Moab will be devastated and its cities attacked

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The enemy army will devastate Moab and attack its cities" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# its finest young men have gone down to the place of slaughter

The best men of Moab going to battle and being killed is spoken of as if they were animals taken to a place to be slaughtered. AT: "their fine young men will all be slaughtered" or "the enemy army will kill all of the finest men of Moab" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# This is the king's declaration

Here "king" refers to Yahweh. This can be stated in first person. See how you translated this in [Jeremiah 46:18](../46/18.md). AT: "This is what I, the king, declare" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]])

# Moab's disaster is soon to happen; calamity is hurrying quickly

These two sentences mean basically the same thing and emphasize that Moab's destruction will happen very soon. AT: "Moab's enemies will destroy her very soon" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# calamity is hurrying quickly

Something terrible happening soon is spoken of as if calamity were something that could move quickly to a place. AT: "terrible things will happen very soon" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# the strong staff, the honored rod, has been broken

Here the words "staff" and "rod" represent the power and political support that Moab provided to other nations. This can be stated in active form. AT: "Moab's enemies have ended her great power" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])