Jeremiah 48
Legacy Standard Bible
Word Against Moab
48 Concerning (A)Moab. Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel,
“Woe to (B)Nebo, for it has been destroyed;
(C)Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured;
The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and [a]shattered.
2 There is praise for Moab no longer;
In (D)Heshbon they have devised calamity against her:
‘Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!’
You too, [b]Madmen, will be silenced;
The sword will follow after you.
3 The sound of an outcry from (E)Horonaim,
‘[c]Devastation and great destruction!’
4 Moab is broken;
Her little ones have made their cry of distress heard.
5 For by the ascent of (F)Luhith
They will ascend with continual weeping;
For at the descent of Horonaim
They have heard the distressed cry of destruction.
6 (G)Flee, escape with your lives,
That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.
7 For because of your (H)trust in your own works and treasures,
Even you yourself will be captured;
And (I)Chemosh will go off into exile
Together with his priests and his princes.
8 A destroyer will come to every city,
So that no city will escape;
The valley also will perish,
And the (J)plateau will be destroyed,
As Yahweh has said.
9 Give [d](K)wings to Moab,
For she will [e]flee away;
And her cities will become a (L)desolation,
Without inhabitants in them.
10 (M)Cursed be the one who does the work of Yahweh (N)with a slack hand,
And cursed be the one who restrains his (O)sword from blood.
11 “Moab has been (P)at ease since his youth;
He has also had (Q)quiet, like wine on [f]its dregs,
And he has not been (R)emptied from vessel to vessel,
Nor has he gone into exile.
Therefore [g]he retains his flavor,
And his aroma has not changed.
12 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter [h]his jars. 13 And Moab will be (S)ashamed of (T)Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of (U)Bethel, their trust.
14 How can you say, ‘We are (V)mighty warriors,
And men valiant for battle’?
15 Moab has been destroyed, and [i]men have gone up to [j]his cities;
His choicest [k](W)young men have also gone down to the slaughter,”
Declares the (X)King, whose name is Yahweh of hosts.
16 “The disaster of Moab will (Y)soon come,
And his calamity has quickly hastened.
17 Mourn for him, all you who live around him,
Even all of you who know his name;
Say, ‘How has the strong [l](Z)scepter been broken,
A staff of beauty!’
18 (AA)Come down from your glory
And inhabit [m]the parched ground,
O inhabitant of the (AB)daughter of (AC)Dibon;
For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you,
He has ruined your strongholds.
19 Stand by the road and keep watch,
O inhabitant of (AD)Aroer;
(AE)Ask him who flees and her who escapes
And say, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab has been put to shame, for it has been [n]shattered.
Wail and cry out;
Declare by the (AF)Arnon
That Moab has been destroyed.
21 “Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, upon (AG)Jahzah, and against (AH)Mephaath, 22 and against Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, 23 and against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and (AI)Beth-meon, 24 and against (AJ)Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25 The (AK)horn of Moab has been cut in pieces and his (AL)arm broken,” declares Yahweh. 26 “(AM)Make him drunk, for he has (AN)magnified himself against Yahweh; so Moab will [o]wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. 27 Now was not Israel a (AO)laughingstock to you? Or was he [p](AP)caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you (AQ)shake your head in scorn.
28 Leave the cities and dwell among the (AR)crags,
O inhabitants of Moab,
And be like a (AS)dove that nests
Beyond the mouth of the chasm.
29 (AT)We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—
Of his haughtiness, his (AU)pride, his arrogance, and the exaltedness of his heart.
30 I know his (AV)fury,” declares Yahweh,
“But it is nothing;
His idle boasts have accomplished nothing.
31 Therefore I will (AW)wail for Moab,
Even for all Moab will I cry out;
[q]I will moan for the men of (AX)Kir-heres.
32 More than the (AY)weeping for (AZ)Jazer
I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah!
Your branches stretched across the sea,
They reached to the sea of Jazer;
Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest
The destroyer has fallen.
33 So (BA)gladness and joy are gathered up
From the fruitful orchard, even from the land of Moab.
And I have made the wine to (BB)cease from the wine presses;
No one will tread them with shouting,
The shouting will not be shouts of joy.
34 (BC)From the outcry at Heshbon even to (BD)Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have given forth their voice, from (BE)Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. 35 I will make Moab cease,” declares Yahweh, “the one who offers offerings on the (BF)high place and the one who (BG)offers offerings in smoke to his gods.
36 “Therefore My (BH)heart moans for Moab like flutes; My heart also moans like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have (BI)lost the abundance it produced. 37 For (BJ)every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and (BK)sackcloth on the loins. 38 On all the (BL)rooftops of Moab and in its open squares [r]there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable (BM)vessel,” declares Yahweh. 39 “How [s]shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back—he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an (BN)object of terror to all around him.”
40 For thus says Yahweh:
“Behold, one will (BO)swoop like an eagle
And (BP)spread out his wings against Moab.
41 Kerioth has been captured,
And the strongholds have been seized,
So the (BQ)hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day
Will be like the heart of a (BR)woman in labor.
42 Moab will be (BS)destroyed from being a people
Because he has (BT)magnified himself against Yahweh.
43 (BU)Panic and pit and pitfall are coming upon you,
O inhabitant of Moab,” declares Yahweh.
44 “The one who (BV)flees from the panic
Will fall into the pit,
And the one who climbs up out of the pit
Will be caught in the pitfall;
For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab,
The year of their (BW)punishment,” declares Yahweh.
45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
Those who flee stand without strength;
For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon
And a (BX)flame from the midst of (BY)Sihon,
And it has devoured the (BZ)top of the head of Moab
And the scalps of [t]those who rumble.
46 (CA)Woe to you, Moab!
The people of (CB)Chemosh have perished;
For your sons have been taken away captive
And your daughters into captivity.
47 Yet I will [u](CC)return the [v]fortunes of Moab
In the last days,” declares Yahweh.
Thus far the judgment on Moab.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 48:1 Or dismayed
- Jeremiah 48:2 A city of Moab
- Jeremiah 48:3 Or destruction, cf. 48:1
- Jeremiah 48:9 Or salt
- Jeremiah 48:9 Or fall in ruins
- Jeremiah 48:11 Lit his
- Jeremiah 48:11 Lit his flavor has stayed in him
- Jeremiah 48:12 Lit their
- Jeremiah 48:15 Lit one has
- Jeremiah 48:15 Lit her
- Jeremiah 48:15 Warriors
- Jeremiah 48:17 Or rod
- Jeremiah 48:18 Lit in thirst
- Jeremiah 48:20 Or dismayed
- Jeremiah 48:26 Or splash into
- Jeremiah 48:27 Or found
- Jeremiah 48:31 Or He
- Jeremiah 48:38 Lit all of it is lamentation
- Jeremiah 48:39 Or dismayed
- Jeremiah 48:45 Lit sons of tumult
- Jeremiah 48:47 Or restore
- Jeremiah 48:47 Or captivity
Jeremiah 48
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Prophecies against Moab
48 About Moab,(A) this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:
Woe to Nebo,(B) because it is about to be destroyed;
Kiriathaim will be put to shame;(C) it will be taken captive.
The fortress will be put to shame and dismayed!
2 There is no longer praise for Moab;
they plan harm against her in Heshbon:(D)
Come, let’s cut her off from nationhood.
Also, Madmen,[a] you will be silenced;
the sword will pursue you.
3 A voice cries out from Horonaim,(E)
“devastation and great disaster!”
4 Moab will be shattered;
her little ones will cry out.
5 For on the Ascent to Luhith
they will be weeping continually,[b]
and on the descent to Horonaim
will be heard cries of distress over the destruction:(F)
6 Flee! Save your lives!
Be like a juniper bush[c](G) in the wilderness.
7 Because you trust in your works[d] and treasures,
you will be captured also.
Chemosh(H) will go into exile
with his priests and officials.
8 The destroyer will move against every town;
not one town will escape.
The valley will perish,
and the plain will be annihilated,(I)
as the Lord has said.
9 Make Moab a salt marsh,[e](J)
for she will run away;[f]
her towns will become a desolation,
without inhabitant.
10 The one who does
the Lord’s business deceitfully[g] is cursed,(K)
and the one who withholds
his sword from bloodshed is cursed.
11 Moab has been left quiet since his youth,
settled like wine on its dregs.(L)
He hasn’t been poured from one container to another
or gone into exile.
So his taste has remained the same,
and his aroma hasn’t changed.
12 Therefore look, the days are coming—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will send those to him, who will pour him out.
They will empty his containers
and smash his jars.
13 Moab will be put to shame because of Chemosh,
just as the house of Israel was put to shame
because of Bethel(M) that they trusted in.
14 How can you say, “We are warriors—
mighty men ready for battle”?
15 The destroyer of Moab and its towns
has come up,[h]
and the best of its young men
have gone down to slaughter.
This is the King’s declaration;
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(N)
16 Moab’s calamity is near at hand;
his disaster is rushing swiftly.
17 Mourn for him, all you surrounding nations,
everyone who knows his name.
Say: How the mighty scepter(O) is shattered,
the glorious staff!
18 Come down from glory; sit on parched ground,
resident of the daughter of Dibon,(P)
for the destroyer of Moab has come against you;
he has destroyed your fortresses.
19 Stand by the highway and look,
resident of Aroer!(Q)
Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping:(R)
What happened?
20 Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed.
Wail and cry out!
Declare by the Arnon
that Moab is destroyed.
21 “Judgment has come to the land of the plateau(S)—to Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath, 22 Dibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim, 23 Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon,(T) 24 Kerioth,(U) Bozrah, and all the towns of the land of Moab, those far and near. 25 Moab’s horn is chopped off;(V) his arm is shattered.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
26 “Make him drunk, because he has exalted himself against the Lord.(W) Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock. 27 Wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you?(X) Was he ever found among thieves?(Y) For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.”
28 Abandon the towns! Live in the cliffs,
residents of Moab!
Be like a dove
that nests inside the mouth of a cave.(Z)
29 We have heard of Moab’s pride,
great pride, indeed—
his insolence, arrogance, pride,
and haughty heart.
30 I know his outburst.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
It is empty.
His boast is empty.
31 Therefore, I will wail over Moab.
I will cry out for Moab, all of it;
he will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
32 I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah,
with more than the weeping for Jazer.
Your tendrils have extended to the sea;
they have reached to the sea and to Jazer.[i]
The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
33 Joy and celebration are taken from the fertile field
and from the land of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses;
no one will tread with shouts of joy.
The shouting is not a shout of joy.(AA)
34 “There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices as far as Jahaz(AB)—from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah—because even the waters of Nimrim have become desolate. 35 In Moab, I will stop”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the one who offers sacrifices on the high place and burns incense to his gods.(AC) 36 Therefore, My heart moans like flutes for Moab,(AD) and My heart moans like flutes for the people of Kir-heres. And therefore, the wealth he has gained has perished. 37 Indeed, every head is bald and every beard clipped;(AE) on every hand is a gash and sackcloth around the waist. 38 On all the rooftops of Moab and in her public squares, everyone is mourning because I have shattered Moab like a jar no one wants.”(AF) This is the Lord’s declaration. 39 “How broken it is! They wail! How Moab has turned his back! He is ashamed. Moab will become a laughingstock and a shock to all those around him.”(AG)
40 For this is what the Lord says:
He will swoop down like an eagle
and spread his wings against Moab.(AH)
41 The towns have[j] been captured,
and the strongholds seized.
In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman with contractions.(AI)
42 Moab will be destroyed as a people
because he has exalted himself against the Lord.(AJ)
43 Panic, pit, and trap
await you, resident of Moab.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
44 He who flees from the panic will fall in the pit,
and he who climbs from the pit
will be captured in the trap,
for I will bring against Moab
the year of their punishment.
This is the Lord’s declaration.(AK)
45 Those who flee will stand exhausted in Heshbon’s shadow
because fire has come out from Heshbon
and a flame from within Sihon.
It will devour Moab’s forehead
and the skull of the noisemakers.
46 Woe to you, Moab!
The people of Chemosh have perished
because your sons have been taken captive
and your daughters have gone into captivity.(AL)
47 Yet, I will restore the fortunes[k] of Moab in the last days.(AM)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
The judgment on Moab ends here.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 48:2 A city in Moab
- Jeremiah 48:5 Lit Luhith, weeping goes up with weeping
- Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer; Is 17:2; Jr 48:19
- Jeremiah 48:7 LXX reads strongholds
- Jeremiah 48:9 LXX reads a sign; Vg reads a flower; Syr, Tg read a crown
- Jeremiah 48:9 Hb obscure
- Jeremiah 48:10 Or negligently
- Jeremiah 48:15 Or Moab is destroyed; he has come up against its city
- Jeremiah 48:32 Some Hb mss read reached as far as Jazer
- Jeremiah 48:41 Or Kerioth has
- Jeremiah 48:47 Or will end the captivity
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.