Jeremiah 48
1 Of Moab. Thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo! For it is laid waste. Kiriathaim is put to shame; it is taken. Misgab is put to shame and broken down.
Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ismael the son of Nathanias the son of Eleasa of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, to Godolias to Massepha: and they ate bread there together.
2 The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O madmen, shall be brought to silence. The sword shall pursue thee.
And Ismael rose up, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Godolias, whom the king of Babylon had appointed [governor] over the land,
3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim: Desolation and great destruction!
and all the Jews that were with him in Massepha, and all the Chaldeans that were found there.
4 Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
And it came to pass on the second day after he had smitten Godolias, and no man knew [of it],
5 For they shall go up by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping, for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.
that there came men from Sychem, and from Salem, and from Samaria, [even] eighty men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and beating their breasts, and [they had] manna and frankincense in their hands, to bring [them] into the house of the Lord.
6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
And Ismael went out to meet them; [and] they went on and wept: and he said to them, Come in to Godolias.
7 For, because thou have trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his rulers together.
And it came to pass, when they had entered into the midst of the city, [that] he slew them [and cast them] into a pit.
8 And the destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as Jehovah has spoken.
But ten men were found there, and they said to Ismael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, wheat and barley, honey and oil. So he passed by, and slew them not in the midst of their brethren.
9 Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get her away. And her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.
Now the pit into which Ismael cast all whom he smote, is the great pit, which king Asa had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel: [even] this Ismael filled with slain men.
10 Cursed be he who does the work of Jehovah negligently, and cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood.
And Ismael brought back all the people that were left in Massepha, and the king's daughter, whom the captain of the guard had committed in charge to Godolias the son of Achicam: and he went away beyond the children of Ammon.
11 Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.
And Joanan the son of Caree, and all the leaders of the host that were with him, heard of all the evil deeds which Ismael had done.
12 Therefore, behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will send to him those who pour off, and they shall pour him off. And they shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles in pieces.
And they brought all their army, and went to fight against him, and found him near much water in Gabaon.
13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
And it came to pass, when all the people that was with Ismael saw Joanan, and the leaders of the host that was with him,
14 How can ye say, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?
that they returned to Joanan.
15 Moab is laid waste, and they have gone up into his cities. And his chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter, says the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.
But Ismael escaped with eight men and went to the children of Ammon.
16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hastens fast.
And Joanan, and all the leaders of the host that were with him, took all the remnant of the people, whom he [had] brought back from Ismael, mighty men in war, and the women, and the other [property], and the eunuchs, whom they [had] brought back from Gabaon:
17 All ye who are round about him, bemoan him, and all ye who know his name, say, How the strong staff has broken, the beautiful rod!
and they departed, and dwelt in Gaberoch-amaa, that is by Bethleem, to go into Egypt, for fear of the Chaldeans:
18 O thou daughter who dwells in Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst, for the destroyer of Moab has come up against thee. He has destroyed thy strongholds.
for they were afraid of them, because Ismael had smitten Godolias, whom the king of Babylon made [governor] in the land.
19 O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes. Say, What has been done?
20 Moab is put to shame, for it is broken down. Wail and cry, tell ye it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
21 And judgment has come upon the plain country: upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath,
22 and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,
23 and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,
24 and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, says Jehovah.
26 Make ye him drunken, for he magnified himself against Jehovah. And Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
27 For was not Israel a derision to thee? Was he found among thieves? For as often as thou speak of him, thou wag the head.
28 O ye inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of an abyss.
29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud, his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
30 I know his wrath, says Jehovah, that it is nothing. His boastings have wrought nothing.
31 Therefore I will wail for Moab, yea, I will cry out for all Moab. For they shall mourn the men of Kir-heres.
32 With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah. Thy branches passed over the sea. They reached even to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.
33 And gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab. And I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses. None shall tread with shouting. The shouting shall be no shouting.
34 From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, says Jehovah, him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods.
36 Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart sounds like pipes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten is perished.
37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. Upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation everywhere. For I have broken Moab like a vessel of which none delights, says Jehovah.
39 How it is broken down! How they do wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So Moab shall become a derision and a horror to all who are round about him.
40 For thus says Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.
41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against Jehovah.
43 Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, says Jehovah.
44 He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare. For I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, says Jehovah.
45 Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon. For a fire has gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
46 Woe to thee, O Moab! The people of Chemosh is undone, for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity.
47 Yet I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, says Jehovah. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
