Jeremiah 48
1 Of Moab. "Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Woe to Nebo, because it is about to be destroyed; Kiriathaim will be put to shame, it will be taken captive. The fortress is put to shame and broken down.
Concerning 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.
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." You also, Madmen, shall be brought to silence: the sword shall pursue you.
There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you.
3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim, "destruction and great calamity."
A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’
4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.
5 For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.
For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:
6 "Flee, save your lives, and be like a shrub in the wilderness."
‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’
7 For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also shall be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his officials together.
Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.
8 The destroyer shall come on every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as YHWH has spoken.
The 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.
9 Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell in them.'
Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them.
10 Cursed is he who does the work of YHWH negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
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, neither has he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed.
Moab has been at ease from youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel or gone into exile. So his flavor has remained the same, and his aroma is unchanged.
12 Therefore look, the days come,' says YHWH, '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.
Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will send to him wanderers, who will pour him out. They will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.
13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.
14 How can you say, "We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?"
How can you say, ‘We are warriors, mighty men ready for battle’?
15 Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into his cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter,' says the King, whose name is YHWH of hosts.
Moab has been destroyed and its towns have been invaded; the best of its young men have gone down in the slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.
16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.
Moab’s calamity is at hand, and his affliction is rushing swiftly.
17 All you who are around him, bemoan him, and all you who know his name; say, "How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod."
Mourn for him, all you who surround him, everyone who knows his name; tell how the mighty scepter is shattered— the glorious staff!
18 You daughter who dwells in Dibon, come down from your glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, he has destroyed your strongholds.
Come 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.
19 Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, "What has been done?"
Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’
20 "Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down: wail and cry; tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste."
Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
21 Judgment has come on the plain country, on Holon, and on Jahzah, and on Mephaath,
Judgment has come upon the high plain— upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth Diblathaim,
upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 and on Kiriathaim, and on Beth Gamul, and on Beth Meon,
upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab, those far and near.
25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,' says YHWH.
The horn of Moab has been cut off, and his arm is broken,”
26 'Make him drunk; for he magnified himself against YHWH: and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
“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.
27 For wasn't Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.
28 You inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; and be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the abyss.
Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.
29 We have heard of the pride of Moab--he is very proud--of his pride, and his vanity, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart.
We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his proud arrogance and haughtiness of heart.
30 I know his wrath,' says YHWH, 'that it is nothing; his boastings have worked nothing.
I know his insolence,” declares the LORD, “but it is futile. His boasting is as empty as his deeds.
31 therefore I will wail for Moab; yes, I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
32 With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for you, vine of Sibmah: your branches passed over the sea, they reached even to Jazer; on your summer fruits and on your vintage the destroyer is fallen.
I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
33 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 wine presses: none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting.
Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and 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.
34 From the cry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim, to Eglath Shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.
There 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.
35 And I will cause to cease in Moab,' says YHWH, 'the one who offers sacrifice upon the high place, and the one who burns incense to his gods.
In Moab, declares the LORD, I will bring an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their 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.
Therefore 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.
37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the waist sackcloth.
For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.
38 On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which none delights,' says YHWH.
On all the rooftops of Moab and in the public squares, everyone is mourning; for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,”
39 How it is broken down. How they wail. How Moab has turned the back with shame. So shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.'
“How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”
40 For thus says YHWH: 'Look, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.
For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads 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.
Kirioth has been taken, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
42 Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against YHWH.
Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD.
43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are on you, inhabitant of Moab, says YHWH.
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,”
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 on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation,' says YHWH.
“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,”
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 city of Sihon, and it has destroyed the forehead of Moab, and the crown of the sons of tumult.
“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.
46 Woe to you, O Moab. The people of Chemosh is undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity.
Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.
47 Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days,' says YHWH. Thus far is the judgment of Moab."
Yet in the latter days I will restore Moab from captivity,” declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab.
