Jeremiah 48

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.footnote a

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.footnote bfootnote c

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.footnote d

6Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.footnote e

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.footnote f

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.footnote g

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 Beth-el 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.footnote h

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?footnote i

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 Beth-diblathaim,

23And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,

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.footnote j

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.footnote k

31Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kir-heres.

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.footnote l

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 Kir-heres: 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.footnote m

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.footnote n

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.footnote o

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.footnote p

46Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.footnote q

47Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Judgment on Moab

1Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:“Woe to Nebo,for it will be devastated.Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced;the fortress will be shattered and dismantled. 2There is no longer praise for Moab;in Heshbonfootnote athey devise evil against her:‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’You too, O people of Madmen,footnote bwill be silenced;the sword will pursue you. 3A voice cries out from Horonaim:‘Devastation and great destruction!’ 4Moab will be shattered;her little ones will cry out.footnote c

5For on the ascent to Luhiththey weep bitterly as they go,and on the descent to Horonaimcries of distress resoundover the destruction: 6‘Flee! Run for your lives!Become like a juniper in the desert.footnote d’

7Because you trust in your works and treasures,you too will be captured,and Chemosh will go into exilewith his priests and officials. 8The destroyer will move against every city,and not one town will escape.The valley will also be ruined,and the high plain will be destroyed,as the LORD has said.

9Put salt on Moab,for she will be laid waste;footnote eher cities will become desolate,with no one to dwell in them. 10Cursed is the one who is remissin doing the work of the LORD,and cursed is he who withholdshis sword from bloodshed.

11Moab has been at ease from youth,settled like wine on its dregs;he has not been poured from vessel to vesselor gone into exile.So his flavor has remained the same,and his aroma is unchanged. 12Therefore behold, the days are coming,declares the LORD,when I will send to him wanderers,who will pour him out.They will empty his vesselsand shatter his jars. 13Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,just as the house of Israel was ashamedwhen they trusted in Bethel.

14How can you say, ‘We are warriors,mighty men ready for battle’? 15Moab has been destroyedand its towns have been invaded;the best of its young menhave gone down in the slaughter,declares the King,whose name is the LORD of Hosts. 16Moab’s calamity is at hand,and his affliction is rushing swiftly. 17Mourn for him, all you who surround him,everyone who knows his name;tell how the mighty scepter is shattered—the glorious staff!

18Come down from your glory; sit on parched ground,O daughter dwelling in Dibon,for the destroyer of Moab has come against you;he has destroyed your fortresses. 19Stand by the road and watch,O dweller of Aroer!Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping,‘What has happened?’ 20Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered.Wail and cry out!Declare by the Arnonthat Moab is destroyed.

21Judgment has come upon the high plain—upon Holon, Jahzah,footnote fand Mephaath, 22upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, 23upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, 24upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab,those far and near.

25The horn of Moab has been cut off,and his arm is broken,”declares the LORD. 26“Make him drunk,because he has magnified himself against the LORD;so Moab will wallow in his own vomit,and he will also become a laughingstock. 27Was not Israel your object of ridicule?Was he ever found among thieves?For whenever you speak of himyou shake your head.

28Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks,O dwellers of Moab!Be like a dovethat nests at the mouth of a cave. 29We have heard of Moab’s pomposity,his exceeding pride and conceit,his proud arrogance and haughtiness of heart. 30I know his insolence,”declares the LORD,“but it is futile.His boasting is as empty as his deeds.

31Therefore I will wail for Moab;I will cry out for all of Moab;I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.footnote g 32I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah,more than I weep for Jazer.Your tendrils have extended to the sea;footnote hthey reach even to Jazer.footnote iThe destroyer has descendedon your summer fruit and grape harvest. 33Joy and gladness are removed from the orchardand from the fields of Moab.I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;no one treads them with shouts of joy;their shouts are not for joy.

34There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh;they raise their voices to Jahaz,from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah;for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.

35In Moab, declares the LORD,I will bring an endto those who make offerings on the high placesand burn incense to their gods. 36Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab;it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres,because the wealth they acquired has perished.

37For every head is shavedand every beard is clipped;on every hand is a gash,and around every waist is sackcloth. 38On all the rooftops of Moaband in the public squares,everyone is mourning;for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,”declares the LORD. 39“How shattered it is! How they wail!How Moab has turned his back in shame!Moab has become an object of ridicule and horrorto all those around him.”

40For this is what the LORD says:“Behold, an eagle swoops downand spreads his wings against Moab. 41Kirioth has been taken,and the strongholds seized.In that day the heart of Moab’s warriorswill be like the heart of a woman in labor. 42Moab will be destroyed as a nationbecause he vaunted himself against the LORD.

43Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,”declares the LORD. 44“Whoever flees the panicwill fall into the pit,and whoever climbs from the pitwill be caught in the snare.For I will bring upon Moabthe year of their punishment,”declares the LORD. 45“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow,because fire has gone forth from Heshbonand a flame from within Sihon.It devours the foreheads of Moaband the skulls of the sons of tumult. 46Woe to you, O Moab!The people of Chemosh have perished;for your sons have been taken into exileand your daughters have gone into captivity. 47Yet in the latter days I will restore Moab from captivity,footnote j”declares the LORD.Here ends the judgment on Moab.