Jeremiah 48
1 Of Moab. The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo! For it is laid waste. Kiriathaim is disappointed. It is taken. Misgab is put to shame and broken down.
Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: Woe to Nabo, for it is laid waste, and confounded: Cariathaim is taken: the strong city is confounded and hath trembled.
2 The praise of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come! Let’s cut her off from being a nation.’ You also, Madmen, will be brought to silence. The sword will pursue you.
There is no more rejoicing in Moab over Hesebon: they have devised evil. Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Therefore shalt thou in silence hold thy peace, and the sword shall follow thee.
3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
A voice of crying from Oronaim: waste, and great destruction.
4 Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
Moab is destroyed: proclaim a cry for her little ones.
5 For they will 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.
For by the ascent of Luith shall the mourner go up with weeping: for in the descent of Oronaim the enemies have heard a howling of destruction.
6 Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.
Flee, save your lives: and be as heath in the wilderness.
7 For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken. Chemosh will go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
For because thou hast trusted in thy bulwarks, and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chamos shall go into captivity, his priests, and his princes together.
8 The destroyer will come on every city, and no city will escape; the valley also will perish, and the plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken.
And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: and the valleys shall perish, and the plains shall be destroyed, for the Lord hath spoken:
9 Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get herself away: and her cities will become a desolation, without anyone to dwell in them.
Give a flower to Moab, for in its flower it shall go out: and the cities thereof shall be desolate, and uninhabited.
10 “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully: and cursed be he that withholdeth his sword from blood.
11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his dregs, 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 hath been fruitful from his youth, and hath rested upon his lees: and hath not been poured out from vessel to vessel, nor hath gone into captivity: therefore his taste hath remained in him, and his scent is not changed.
12 Therefore behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will send to him those who pour off, and they will pour him off; and they will empty his vessels, and break their containers in pieces.
Therefore behold the days come, saith the Lord, and I will send him men that shall order and overturn his bottles, and they shall cast him down, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles one against another.
13 Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chamos, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, in which they trusted.
14 “How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war’?
How do you say: We are valiant, and stout men in battle?
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 the LORD of Hosts.
Moab is laid waste, and they have cast down her cities: and her choice young men are gone down to the slaughter: saith the king, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
16 “The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.
The destruction of Moab is near to come: the calamity thereof shall come on exceeding swiftly.
17 All you who are around him, bemoan him; and all you who know his name, say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’
Comfort him, all you that are round about him, and all you that know his name, say: How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod?
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 thy glory, and sit in thirst, O dwelling of the daughter of Dibon: because the spoiler of Moab is come up to thee, he hath destroyed thy bulwarks.
19 Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, ‘What has been done?’
Stand in the way, and look out, O habitation of Aroer: inquire of him that fleeth: and say to him that hath escaped: What Is done?
20 Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
Moab is confounded, because he is overthrown: howl ye, and cry, tell ye it in Amen, that Moab is wasted.
21 Judgment has come on the plain country— on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath,
And judgment is come upon the plain country: upon Helon, and upon Jasa, and upon Mephaath.
22 on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim,
And upon Dibon, and upon Nabo, and upon the house of Deblathaim,
23 on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon,
And upon Cariathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmaon,
24 on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
And upon Carioth, and upon Bosra: 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 the LORD.
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.
26 “Make him drunk, for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will be in derision.
Make him drunk, because he lifted up himself against the Lord: and Moab shall dash his hand in his own vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
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.
For Israel hath been a derision unto thee: as though thou hadst found him amongst thieves: for thy words therefore, which thou hast spoken against him, thou shalt be led away captive.
28 You inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock. Be like the dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the abyss.
Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, you that dwell in Moab: and be ye like the dove that maketh her nest in the mouth of the hole in the highest place.
29 “We have heard of the pride of Moab. He is very proud in his loftiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the arrogance of his heart.
We have heard the pride of Moab, he is exceeding proud: his haughtiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the loftiness of his heart.
30 I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “that it is nothing; his boastings have done nothing.
I know, saith the Lord, his boasting, and that the strength thereof is not according to it, neither hath it endeavoured to do according as it was able.
31 Therefore I will wail for Moab. Yes, I will cry out for all Moab. They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
Therefore will I lament for Moab, and I will cry out to all Moab, for the men of the brick wall that mourn.
32 With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah. Your branches passed over the sea. They reached even to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruits and on your vintage.
O vineyard of Sabama, I will weep for thee, with the mourning of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they are come even to the sea of Jazer: the robber hath rushed in upon thy harvest and thy vintage.
33 Gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab. I have caused wine to cease from the wine presses. No one will tread with shouting. The shouting will be no shouting.
Joy and gladness is taken away from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, and I have taken away the wine out of the presses: the treader of the grapes shall not sing the accustomed cheerful tune.
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 will also become desolate.
From the cry of Hesebon even to Eleale, and to Jasa, they have uttered their voice: from Segor to Oronaim, as a heifer of three years old: the waters also of Nemrim shall be very bad.
35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab,” says the LORD, “him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods.
And I will take away from Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and that sacrificeth to his gods.
36 Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like flutes, and my heart sounds like flutes for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten has perished.
Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes: and my heart a sound like pipes for the men of the brick wall: because he hath done more than he could, therefore they have perished.
37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. There are cuttings on all the hands, and sackcloth on the waist.
For every head shall be bald, and every beard shall be shaven: all hands shall be tied together, and upon every back there shall be haircloth.
38 On all the housetops of Moab, and in its streets, there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which no one delights,” says the LORD.
Upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof general mourning: because I have broken Moab as an useless vessel, saith the Lord.
39 “How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So will Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.”
How is it overthrown, and they have howled! How hath Moab bowed down the neck, and is confounded! And Moab shall be a derision, and an example to all round about him.
40 For the LORD says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle, and will spread out his wings against Moab.
Thus saith the Lord: Behold he shall fly as an eagle, and shall stretch forth his wings to Moab.
41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized. The heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
Carioth is taken, and the strong holds are won: and the heart of the valiant men of Moab in that day shall be as the heart of a woman in labour.
42 Moab will be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against the LORD.
And Moab shall cease to be a people: because he hath gloried against the Lord.
43 Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you, inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare come upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.
44 “He who flees from the terror will fall into the pit; and he who gets up out of the pit will be taken in the snare, for I will bring on him, even on Moab, the year of their visitation,” says the LORD.
He that shall flee from the fear, shall fall into the pit: and he that shall get up out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.
45 “Those who fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire has gone out of Heshbon, and a flame from the middle of Sihon, and has devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
They that fled from the snare stood in the shadow of Hesebon: but there came a fire out of Kesebon, and a flame out of the midst of Seen, and it shall devour part of Moab. and the crown of the head of the children of tumult.
46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity.
Woe to thee, Moab, thou hast perished, O people of Chamos: for thy sons, and thy daughters are taken captives.
47 “Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
And I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the last days, saith the Lord. Hitherto the judgments of Moab.
