Jeremiah 48
1 Concerning Moab, thus saith ye Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Woe vnto Nebo: for it is wasted: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and afraide.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Moab: Disaster is coming to the town of Nebo, because it will be destroyed. The town of Kiriathaim will be captured and humiliated; the fortress will be torn down and its people shamed.
2 Moab shall boast no more of Heshbon: for they haue deuised euill against it. Come, and let vs destroy it, that it be no more a nation: also thou shalt be destroyed, O Madmen, and the sworde shall pursue thee.
No one praises Moab anymore. People in Heshbon are plotting, “We will destroy Moab as a nation. People of the town of Madmen, we will silence you too—you will be attacked by swords and chased down.”
3 A voyce of crying shall be from Horonaim with desolation and great destruction.
Listen to the cries from Horonaim: “Violence and terrible destruction!”
4 Moab is destroyed: her litle ones haue caused their crie to be heard.
Moab will be smashed. Hear the little ones crying for help.
5 For at the going vp of Luhith, the mourner shall goe vp with weeping: for in the going downe of Horonaim, the enemies haue heard a cry of destruction,
People weep as they go up to Luhith; and as they come down to Horonaim their sad cries at the destruction echo around.
6 Flee and saue your liues, and be like vnto the heath in the wildernesse.
Run away! Save yourselves! Be like a scrawny tamarisk tree in the desert!
7 For because thou hast trusted in thy workes and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken, and Chemosh shall goe forth into captiuitie with his Priestes and his princes together.
It's because you put your confidence in what you do and what you own that you too will be captured. Your god Chemosh will be taken into exile along with his priests and leaders.
8 And the destroyer shall come vpon all cities, and no citie shall escape: the valley also shall perish and the plaine shalbe destroyed as the Lord hath spoken.
The invaders will attack every town; not a single one will escape destruction. The valley will be ruined, and the plain will be destroyed, for the Lord has spoken.
9 Giue wings vnto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shalbe desolate, without any to dwell therein.
Put up gravestones in Moab, because the country will become a wasteland. Its towns will be turned into ruins where no one lives.
10 Cursed be he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth backe his sword from blood.
A curse on those who don't do the Lord's work properly. A curse on those who don't use their swords to kill.
11 Moab hath bene at rest from his youth, and he hath setled on his lees, and hath not bene powred from vessell to vessell, neither hath he gone into captiuitie: therefore his taste remained in him and his sent is not changed.
The people of Moab have been living comfortably since the country was founded. They're like wine that hasn't been disturbed, not poured from one container to another. So the taste and fragrance remains the same. They haven't experienced exile.
12 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will send vnto him such as shall carie him away, and shall emptie his vessels, and breake their bottels.
But watch out, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will send them “winemakers” who will pour them out like wine. They will empty out the Moabites, and smash them like jars.
13 And Moab shalbe ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence.
Then the Moabites will feel let down by Chemosh, just as the people of Israel felt let down when they trusted in the golden calf idol at Bethel.
14 Howe thinke you thus, We are mightie and strong men of warre?
How on earth can you Moabites say, “We're heroes, strong men ready to fight in battle”?
15 Moab is destroyed, and his cities burnt vp, and his chose yong men are gone downe to slaughter, saith ye King, whose name is ye Lord of hostes.
Moab is going to be destroyed and its towns conquered. Its finest young men will be killed, declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
16 The destruction of Moab is ready to come, and his plague hasteth fast.
Moab's doom is about to happen; destruction is rushing down on them.
17 All ye that are about him, mourne for him, and all ye that knowe his name, say, Howe is the strong staffe broken, and the beautifull rod!
Mourn for them, all you surrounding nations, everyone who knows them! Let others know how the great scepter has been smashed, the rod that once proudly ruled!
18 Thou daughter that doest inhabite Dibon, come downe from thy glory, and sit in thirst: for the destroyer of Moab shall come vpon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holdes.
Come down from your glory and sit on the dusty ground, you who live in Dibon, for Moab's destroyer will come and attack you, destroying your fortresses.
19 Thou that dwellest in Aroer, stand by the way, and beholde: aske him that fleeth and that escapeth, and say, What is done?
Stand at the roadside and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the men and women who are running away to escape, “What's happened?”
20 Moab is cofouded: for it is destroied: howle, and cry, tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is made waste,
Moab has been humiliated because it has been defeated. Weep and wail! Shout out beside the River Arnon that Moab has been destroyed!
21 And iudgement is come vpon the plaine countrey, vpon Holon and vpon Iahazah, and vpon Mephaath,
Punishment has arrived on the towns of the high plain—on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 And vpon Dibon, and vpon Nebo, and vpon the house of Diblathaim,
on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 And vpon Kiriathaim, and vpon Beth-gamul, and vpon Beth-meon,
on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 And vpon Kerioth, and vpon Bozrah, and vpon all the cities of ye land of Moab farre or neere.
on Kerioth, Bozrah, and on all the towns of Moab, whether far away or nearby.
25 The horne of Moab is cut off, and his arme is broken, saith the Lord.
Moab's strength is gone; their power has been broken, declares the Lord.
26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himselfe against the Lord: Moab shall wallowe in his vomite, and he also shalbe in derision.
Make the people of Moab drunk, because they defied the Lord. Then they will roll around in their own vomit, as people laugh at them.
27 For diddest not thou deride Israel, as though he had bene found among theeues? for when thou speakest of him, thou art moued.
Didn't you Moabites used to ridicule the Israelites? But they weren't ever found to be thieves, were they? Yet whenever you talk about them, you shake your heads in contempt.
28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leaue the cities, and dwell in the rockes, and be like the doue, that maketh her nest in the sides of the holes mouth.
You people living in Moab, run from your towns, go and live among the rocks. Be like a dove nesting on the cliffs at the entrance to a ravine.
29 We haue heard the pride of Moab (hee is exceeding proude) his stoutnesse, and his arrogancie, and his pride, and the hautinesse of his heart.
We know all about how pompous Moabites are, how extremely proud and conceited they are, arrogantly thinking so highly of themselves.
30 I know his wrath, saith ye Lord, but it shall not be so: and his dissimulatios, for they do not right.
I'm well aware of how disrespectful they are, declares the Lord, but it doesn't matter. They make empty boasts, and what they do is just as empty.
31 Therefore will I howle for Moab, and I will crie out for all Moab: mine heart shall mourne for the men of Kir-heres.
So I will weep for Moab; I will cry out for all the Moabites; I will mourn for the people of Kir-heres.
32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weepe for thee, as I wept for Iazer: thy plants are gone ouer the sea, they are come to the sea of Iazer: ye destroyer is fallen vpon thy somer fruites, and vpon thy vintage,
will weep for you, people of the town of Sibmah with its vineyards, more than I weep for the town of Jazer. Your vines have spread to the sea, and all the way to Jazer. But the destroyer has stolen your harvest of summer fruit and grapes.
33 And ioye, and gladnesse is taken from the plentifull fielde, and from the land of Moab: and I haue caused wine to faile from the winepresse: none shall treade with shouting: their shouting shall be no shouting.
There's no more celebration and happiness in Moab's orchards and fields. I have stopped the grape juice flowing from the winepresses. No one shouts for joy as they tread out the grapes. No, their shouts now are not because of joy!
34 From the cry of Heshbon vnto Elaleh and vnto Iahaz haue they made their noyse from Zoar vnto Horonaim, ye heiffer of three yere old shall go lowing: for ye waters also of Nimrim shalbe wasted.
Cries for help reach from Heshbon to Elealeh and all the way to Jahaz. They're shouting out from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah, for even the water in the Nimrim Brook has dried up.
35 Moreouer, I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offered in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
I'm going to finish off those in Moab who sacrifice on the pagan high places and burn incense to their gods, declares the Lord.
36 Therefore mine heart shall sounde for Moab like a shaume, and mine heart shall sound like a shaume for the men of Ker-heres, because the riches that he hath gotten, is perished.
So I mourn inside like a flute playing a sad song for Moab; like a flute playing a funeral tune for the people of Kir-heres, because they've lost everything of value that they worked for.
37 For euery head shalbe balde, and euery beard plucked: vpon all the handes shall be cuttings, and vpon the loynes sackecloth.
As signs of their mourning, every head is shaved, every beard is trimmed, every hand has a gash, and every waist is wearing sackcloth.
38 And mourning shall be vpon all the house toppes of Moab and in all the streetes thereof: for I haue broken Moab like a vessell wherein is no pleasure, sayeth the Lord.
Everyone is mourning on all the flat roofs and streets of Moab, because I have smashed the country like a jar nobody wants, declares the Lord.
39 They shall howle, saying, How is he destroyed? howe hath Moab turned the backe with shame? so shall Moab be a derision, and a feare to all them about him.
Moab is completely shattered! Listen to them cry! See how the Moabites turn away in shame! All the surrounding nations are horrified at what's happened to the country, and ridicule its people.
40 For thus saith the Lord, Beholde, he shall flee as an eagle, and shall spread his wings ouer Moab.
This is what the Lord says: Watch as an enemy like an eagle swoops down, spreading its wings as it attacks Moab.
41 The cities are taken, and the strong holdes are wonne, and ye mightie mens hearts in Moab at that day shalbe as ye heart of a woman in trauaile.
Kirioth has been conquered, and the fortresses captured. At that time Moab's warriors will be as scared as a woman in labor.
42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath set vp himselfe against the Lord.
Moab will cease to exist as a nation because they defied the Lord.
43 Feare, and pit and snare shall be vpon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.
You people living in Moab, what's waiting for you are terror, traps, and snares, declares the Lord.
44 He that escapeth from the feare, shall fall in the pit, and he that getteth vp out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring vpon it, euen vpon Moab, the yeere of their visitation, sayeth the Lord.
You will run away in terror and fall into a trap, and when you climb out of the trap, you'll be caught in a snare. I will do this to the Moabites at the time when they're punished, declares the Lord.
45 They that fled, stoode vnder the shadowe of Heshbon, because of the force: for the fire came out of Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon, and deuoured the corner of Moab, and the top of the seditious children.
Those who run away will be left defenseless in Heshbon where they went for protection, because fire blazes out from Heshbon, a fire from where Sihon once reigned. It burns up the whole country of Moab and its defiant people.
46 Wo be vnto thee, O Moab: the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sonnes are taken captiues, and thy daughters led into captiuitie.
What a disaster has come to you Moabites! The people of Chemosh have been wiped out. Your sons and daughters have been taken prisoner and have gone into exile.
47 Yet will I bring againe the captiuitie of Moab in the latter dayes, sayeth the Lord. Thus farre of the iudgement of Moab.
But even so, later on, I will bring the people of Moab back from exile, declares the Lord. This is the end of the description of the judgment on Moab.
