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48 Of Moab. Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“Woe to Nebo!
    For it is laid waste.
Kiriathaim is disappointed.
    It is taken.
Misgab[a] is put to shame
    and broken down.
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.
The sound of a cry from Horonaim,
    desolation and great destruction!
Moab is destroyed.
    Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
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.
Flee! Save your lives!
    Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.
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.
The destroyer will come on every city,
    and no city will escape;
the valley also will perish,
    and the plain will be destroyed; as Yahweh has spoken.
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.

10 “Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently;
    and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

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.
12 Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh,
    “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.
13 Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,
    as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

14 “How do you say, ‘We are mighty men,
    and valiant men for the war’?
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 Yahweh of Armies.
16 “The calamity of Moab is near to come,
    and his affliction hurries fast.
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!’

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.
19 Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch.
    Ask him who flees, and her who escapes;
    say, ‘What has been done?’
20 Moab is disappointed;
    for it is broken down.
Wail and cry!
    Tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
21 Judgment has come on the plain country,
    on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath,
22     on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim,
23     on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon,
24     on Kerioth, on Bozrah,
    and on 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 Yahweh.

26 “Make him drunken;
    for he magnified himself against Yahweh.
Moab will wallow in his vomit,
    and he also will 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.
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.

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.
30 I know his wrath,” says Yahweh, “that it is nothing;
    his boastings have done nothing.
31 Therefore I will wail for Moab.
    Yes, I will cry out for all Moab.
    They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
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.
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.
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.
35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab,” says Yahweh,
    “him who offers in the high place,
    and him who burns incense to his 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 has perished.
37 For every head is bald,
    and every beard clipped.
There are cuttings on all the hands,
    and sackcloth on the waist.
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 Yahweh.
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.”
40 For Yahweh says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle,
    and will spread out his wings against 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.
42 Moab will be destroyed from being a people,
    because he has magnified himself against Yahweh.
43 Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you,
    inhabitant of Moab,” says Yahweh.
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 Yahweh.

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.
46 Woe to you, O Moab!
    The people of Chemosh are undone;
for your sons are taken away captive,
    and your daughters into captivity.

47 “Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,”
    says Yahweh.

Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 48:1 or, The stronghold

Judgment on Moab(A)

48 Concerning Moab:

Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel:

Woe to Nebo, for it is devastated.
    Kiriathaim is humiliated and captured;
    Misgab[a] is humiliated and dismayed.
There is no more praise for Moab;
    in Heshbon they have devised evil against her:
    “Come and let us cut it off from being a nation!”
Also you will be cut down, O Madmen.
    The sword will pursue you.
A sound of crying will be from Horonaim:
    “Devastation and great destruction!”
“Moab is destroyed”;
    her little ones have caused a cry of distress to be heard;
for by the Ascent of Luhith they will go up
    with continual weeping;
for at the descent of Horonaim
    they have heard a cry of destruction.
Flee, save your lives,
    and be like the juniper in the wilderness.
For because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures,
    you will also be captured;
and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity
    together with his priests and his officials.
The destroyer will come upon every city,
    and no city will escape.
The valley also will perish,
    and the plain will be destroyed,
    as the Lord has spoken.
Give wings to Moab,
    that she may flee and get away;
for the cities will become desolate,
    without any to dwell in them.

10 Cursed be he who does the work of the Lord negligently,
    and cursed be he who keeps back his sword from blood.

11 Moab has been at ease from his youth,
    and he has also been undisturbed,
    like wine on its dregs,
and he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
    nor has he gone into captivity.
Therefore his taste remained in him,
    and his scent has not changed.
12 Therefore, surely the days are coming,
    says the Lord,
when I will send to him those who tip vessels,
    and they will tip him over,
and will empty his vessels
    and break his bottles.
13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh,
    as the house of Israel was ashamed
    of Bethel, their confidence.

14 How do you say, “We are mighty
    and strong men for the war”?
15 Moab has been devastated and gone up out of her cities,
    and her chosen young men have also gone down to the slaughter,
    says the King whose name is the Lord of Hosts.
16 The calamity of Moab will come soon,
    and his affliction hastens fast.
17 All you who are about him, mourn for him.
    And all you who know his name,
say, “How the strong staff has been broken,
    the beautiful rod!”

18 O daughter who inhabits Dibon,
    come down from your glory
    and sit on the parched ground,
for the destroyer of Moab
    will come upon you,
    and he will destroy your strongholds.
19 O inhabitant of Aroer,
    stand by the road and keep watch.
Ask him who flees and her who escapes,
    and say, “What has happened?”
20 Moab has been humiliated, for it has been broken down.
    Howl and cry out.
Tell it in Arnon,
    that Moab has been devastated.
21 And judgment has come upon the plain country:
    upon Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath,
22     and Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23     and Kiriathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
24     and Kerioth and Bozrah,
    and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.
25 The horn of Moab has been cut off
    and his arm has been broken,
    says the Lord.

26 Make him drunk,
    for he magnified himself against the Lord.
Moab also will wallow in his vomit,
    and he also will be held in derision.
27 For was not Israel a derision to you?
    Or was he caught among thieves?
For each time you speak of him,
    you shake your head in scorn.
28 O you who dwell in Moab,
    leave the cities and dwell in the rock,
and be like the dove that makes her nest
    in the sides of the hole’s mouth.

29 We have heard of the pride of Moab
    (he is very proud),
of his loftiness, and his arrogance, and his pride,
    and the haughtiness of his heart.
30 I know his wrath,
    says the Lord,
    but it is futile. His lies have accomplished nothing.
31 Therefore I will howl for Moab,
    and I will cry out for all Moab.
    My heart shall mourn for the men of Kir Hareseth.
32 O vine of Sibmah,
    I will weep for you more than the weeping of Jazer.
Your plants have stretched over the sea,
    they reach even to the sea of Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen upon your summer fruits
    and upon your vintage.
33 Joy and gladness are taken away
    from the plentiful field, even from the land of Moab,
and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses;
    no one will tread with shouting.
    Their shouting will not be shouts of joy.

34 From the outcry of Heshbon even to Elealeh, and even to Jahaz,
    they have uttered their voice,
from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath Shelishiyah;
    for also the waters of Nimrim shall become desolate.
35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab,
    says the Lord,
    him who offers sacrifice in the high place
    and him who burns incense to his gods.

36 Therefore My heart will wail for Moab like pipes,
    and My heart will wail like pipes for the men of Kir Hareseth,
    because the riches that they have gotten have perished.
37 For every head will be bald
    and every beard clipped;
upon all the hands will be gashes,
    and upon the loins sackcloth.
38 There will be lamentation everywhere
    upon all the housetops of Moab
    and in the streets,
for I have broken Moab
    like a vessel in which is no pleasure,
    says the Lord.
39 How it is broken down! How they have wailed!
    How Moab has turned his back with shame!
So Moab will be a derision
    and a terror to all around him.

40 For thus says the Lord:

Look, one will fly as an eagle
    and spread his wings against Moab.
41 Kerioth has been captured,
    and the strongholds have been seized,
and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab in that day
    will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
42 Moab will be destroyed from being a people
    because he has magnified himself against the Lord.
43 Fear and the pit and the snare will be upon you,
    O inhabitant of Moab,
    says the Lord.
44 He who flees from the terror
    shall fall into the pit,
and he who gets up out of the pit
    will be taken in the snare;
for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab,
    the year of their punishment,
    says the Lord.

45 The fugitives stand without strength
    under the shadow of Heshbon;
for a fire will come out of Heshbon
    and a flame from the midst of Sihon,
and will devour the forehead of Moab
    and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
46 Woe to you, O Moab!
    The people of Chemosh have perished;
for your sons have been taken away captive
    and your daughters into captivity.

47 Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
    in the latter days,
    says the Lord.

Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 48:1 Or the stronghold.