< Jeremiah 48 >

1 Of Moab, —Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, —Alas for Nebo, for it is laid waste, put to shame—captured, is Kiriathaim, put to shame is Misgab, and dismayed.
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 No more, is the praise of Moab, In Heshbon, have they devised against her, calamity, Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation, —Even thou, Madmen also, shalt be silenced, After thee, shall march the sword.
And Ismael rose up, and the ten men that were with him, and struck Godolias, whom the king of Babylon had appointed [governor] over the land,
3 A voice of outcry, from Horonaim, —Wasting and great destruction!
and all the Jews that were with him in Massepha, and all the Chaldeans that were found there.
4 Moab is broken: Her little ones, have caused to be heard an outcry.
And it came to pass on the second day after he had struck Godolias, and no man knew [of it],
5 For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping, one ascendeth—with weeping, —For in the descent of Horonaim, the distress of the outcry of destruction, have they heard:
that there came men from Sychem, and from Salem, and from Samaria, [even] eighty men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes tore, and beating their breasts, and [they had] manna and frankincense in their hands, to bring [them] into the house of the Lord.
6 Flee deliver your own lives, —Then shall the women be as a shrub in the desert.
And Ismael went out to meet them; [and] they went on and wept: and he said to them, Come in to Godolias.
7 For seeing thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, Thou too, shalt be captured, —Then shall Chemosh go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.
And it came to pass, when they had entered into the midst of the city, [that] he killed them [and cast them] into a pit.
8 And the spoiler shall enter into every city, And not, a city, shall escape, Then shall perish the vale Then be destroyed the table-land, —As Yahweh hath said.
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 killed them not in the midst of their brethren.
9 Give wing to Moab, For she must, fly away; And her cities To desolation, shall be turned, With no inhabitant therein.
Now the pit into which Ismael cast all whom he struck, is the great pit, which king Asa had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel: [even] this Ismael filled with slain men.
10 Accursed be he that doeth the business of Yahweh carelessly; And, accursed be he that withholdeth 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, hath been at ease from his youth, And settled is he upon his lees, And hath not been poured out from vessel to vessel, Nor into captivity, hath gone, —For this cause, hath his flavour stood still within him, And his scent is unchanged.
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, lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, When I will send to him tilters and they shall tilt him, —And his vessels, shall they empty, And their jars, shall they dash in pieces.
And they brought all their army, and went to fight against him, and found him near much water in Gabaon.
13 Then shall Moab, be ashamed, of, Chemosh, —Just as, the sons of Israel, were 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, Heroes, are we? and Men of might for the war?
that they returned to Joanan.
15 Spoiled is Moab And her cities, hath he ascended, And the choice of his young men, have gone down to the slaughter, —Declareth The King, Yahweh of hosts, is his Name.
But Ismael escaped with eight men and went to the children of Ammon.
16 Near is the doom of Moab, to come, —And, his calamity, hasteth greatly.
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 Lament ye for him—All that are round about him, and All that know his name, —Say, How is broken—The staff of strength! The rod of beauty!
and they departed, and lived in Gaberoch-amaa, that is by Bethleem, to go into Egypt, for fear of the Chaldeans:
18 Come down from glory, and sit in thirst, O inhabitress daughter of Dibon; For the spoiler of Moab, hath come up against thee, He hath laid in ruins thy strongholds.
for they were afraid of them, because Ismael had struck Godolias, whom the king of Babylon made [governor] in the land.
19 Near the way, take thy stand and keep outlook, O inhabitress of Aroer: Ask—him that fleeth, and Her that hath escaped, Say, What hath happened?
20 Confounded is Moab! For it is broken down! Howl and make outcry, —Tell ye in Arnon, That Moab is spoiled;
21 And, judgment, hath come Upon the country of the table-land, —Upon Holon, and Upon Jazer 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, —Yea, upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.
25 Cut off is the horn of Moab, Yea, his arm, is broken, —Declareth Yahweh.
26 Make ye him drunken, Because against Yahweh, hath he magnified himself; So shall, Moab, stagger, into his own vomit, And shall become a derision, even he!
27 And was it not, a derision, that Israel became to thee? And was it not among thieves, he was found? For, as often as thou didst speak of him, thou didst wag the head!
28 Leave ye the cities and dwell in the cliff, Ye inhabitants of Moab; And become ye as a dove, that maketh her nest in the further-side of the fissure’s mouth.
29 We have heard the arrogance of Moab—proud exceedingly: His loftiness and his arrogance and his majesty, and his elevation of heart!
30 I know—Declareth Yahweh His passion—that’tis Unjust! His boastings, that Untrue have they made [them]!
31 For this cause over Moab, will I howl, And for all Moab, will I make outcry, —For the men of Kir-heres, must one moan!
32 Beyond the weeping of Jazer, will I weep for thee O vine of Sibmah, Thy tendrils, have gone over the sea, Unto the sea of Jazer, have they reached, Upon thy summer fruits And upon thy vintage, the spoiler, hath fallen.
33 So shall be withdrawn gladness and exultation—From the fruitful field and From the land of Moab, —And wine from the vats, have I caused to fail, They shall not tread with shouting, The shouting shall be no shouting!
34 From the outcry of Heshbon, Even unto Elealeh Even unto Jahaz, have they given forth their voice, From Zoar even unto Horonaim, the third Eglath, —For, even the waters of Nimrim, to utter desolation, have been turned:
35 Then will I cause to cease, from Moab, Declareth Yahweh, —him that offereth at a high-place, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
36 For this cause, my heart, for Moab, like flutes, shall make plaintive sounds, Yea my heart for the men of Kir-heres! like flutes, shall make plaintive sounds, Because, the abundance he hath gotten is lost!
37 For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
38 Upon all the housetops of Moab And in her broadways, it is all lamentation, —For I have broken Moab—Like a vessel wherein is no pleasure Declareth Yahweh.
39 How it is broken down! They have howled, How hath Moab turned the back, for shame, —So shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all round about him.
40 For, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, —And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
41 Captured is Kerioth, And the fortresses, are seized, —Then shall the heart of the heroes of Moab become in that day, As the heart of a woman in her pains.
42 Then shall, Moab, be destroyed from being a people, —Because against Yahweh, hath he magnified himself.
43 Terror and pit and snare are upon thee O inhabitant of Moab Declareth Yahweh:
44 He that fleeth from the face of the terror, Shall fall into the pit, And, he that getteth up out of the pit, Shall be captured by the snare, —For I will bring against her—against Moab, The year of their visitation, Declareth Yahweh.
45 In the shadow of Heshbon, stand strengthless, the fugitives, —For, a fire, hath gone forth out of Heshbon And shall flame out of the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the beard of Moab, And the crown of the head of the proudly tumultuous.
46 Woe to thee Moab! Lost are the people of Chemosh, —For thy sons have been taken, into captivity, And thy daughters into captivity.
47 Yet will I bring back the captivity of Moab, In the afterpart of the days, Declareth Yahweh, Thus far, is the sentence of Moab.

< Jeremiah 48 >