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A Message Concerning Moab

48 Concerning Moab, thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel:

“Woe to Nebo,
    for it is devastated.
It is ashamed,
    Kiriathaim is captured.
Misgab is ashamed,
    and it is filled with terror.
The glory of Moab is no longer.
    In Heshbon they planned evil against her.
Come and let us cut her off from being a nation.
Also, Madmen, you will be silent.
    After you will go the sword.
The sound of a cry of distress arises from Horonaim,
    devastation and great destruction.
Moab is broken,
    her little ones make heard[a] a cry for help.
For the ascent of Luhith,
    in weeping they go weeping,
For on the slope of Horonaim they have heard
    the distresses of the cry of distress of the destruction.
Flee! Save your life!
    For[b] you must not be like the juniper tree in the desert.
For because of your trusting in your works and in your treasures,
    even you yourselves will be taken,
and Chemosh will go out into the exile,
    his priests and his officials together.
And the destroyer will come to every town,
    and a town will not escape.
And the valley will be destroyed,
    and the plain will be destroyed, as Yahweh has spoken.
Give salt for Moab,
    for certainly she will go to ruin,
and her towns will become as a desolation,
    without[c] an inhabitant in them.
10 The one who does the work of Yahweh with slackness is cursed,
    and the one who keeps away blood from his sword is cursed.
11 Moab has been at ease from his youth,
    and he has been quiet on his dregs,
    and he has not been poured out from vessel to vessel,
    and he has not gone into exile.
Therefore[d] his taste has remained unchanged,
    and his fragrance has not changed.
12 Therefore[e] look, days are coming,” declares[f] Yahweh,
    “and I will send to him decanters,[g]
    and they will decant him,
    and his vessels they will empty out,
    and their jars they will smash.
13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,
    just as the house of Israel were ashamed of Bethel, their trust.
14 How can you say, ‘we are warriors,
    and men of might for the battle.’
15 Moab is destroyed,
    and his towns have gone up,
and the choice of his young men have gone down to the slaughtering,”
    declares[h] the King, Yahweh of hosts is his name.
16 “The disaster of Moab is near to come,
    and his disaster approaches very quickly.[i]
17 Mourn for him, all his surroundings,
    and all those who knew his name.
Say, ‘How the staff of might is broken,
    the staff of glory.’
18 Come down from glory and sit on the parched ground,
    O inhabitant, daughter of Dibon,
for the destroyer of Moab has come up against you,
    he has destroyed your fortifications.
19 Stand by the road and watch,
    O inhabitant of Aroer.
Ask the man who is fleeing and the woman who is escaping,
    say, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is ashamed,
    for it is filled with terror.
Wail and cry out,
    tell it by Arnon that Moab is devastated.

21 Judgment has also come to the land of the plain, to Holon, and to Jahaz, and on Mephaath, 22 and on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth-diblathaim, 23 and on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-gamul, and on Beth-meon, 24 and on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the towns of the land of Moab, the far and the near. 25 The horn of Moab is cut off and his arm is broken,” declares[j] Yahweh.

26 “Make him drunk,
    because he magnified himself against Yahweh,
and let Moab wallow in his vomit.
    And he also will become a laughingstock.
27 Now was not Israel the laughingstock to you?
    Or was he found among thieves?
For as often as[k] you spoke over him
    you shook your head.
28 Leave the towns and dwell on the rock,
    O inhabitants of Moab,
and be like the dove,
    it nests on the sides of the mouth of a ravine.
29 We have heard of the pride of Moab
    he is very proud—
his height, and his pride, and his arrogance,
    and the haughtiness of his heart.
30 I know his insolence,” declares[l] Yahweh,
    “and his boastings are false;[m]
    they act falsely.[n]
31 Therefore[o] over Moab I wail,
    and for all of Moab I cry out,
    for the people[p] of Kir-heres I moan.
32 More than the weeping of Jazer
    I weep for you, O vine Sibmah.
Your branches cross over the sea,
    up to the sea of Jazer they reach.
Upon your summer fruit and upon your vintage
    the destroyer has fallen.
33 And joy and rejoicing have been taken away from the fruitful land,
    even from the land of Moab.
And the wine from the wine presses
    I have caused to disappear.
He will not tread with exuberant shouts.[q]
    Exuberant shouts[r] will not be exuberant shouts.[s]
34 From the cry for help of Heshbon, up to Elealeh,
    up to Jahaz, they give their voice,
from Zoar up to Horonaim, up to Eglath-shelishiyah,
    for even the waters of Nimrim have become as a desolation.
35 And I will cause to disappear for Moab,” declares[t] Yahweh,
    the one who presents a sacrifice at a high place,
    and the one who burns a smoke offering to his gods.
36 Therefore[u] my heart moans for Moab like the flute.[v]
    It moans for the people[w] of Kir-heres like the flute.[x]
    Therefore[y] the wealth they gained has perished.
37 For on every head is baldness,
    and every beard is trimmed.
On all the hands, slashes,
    and on the loins, sackcloth.
38 On all the roofs of Moab, and in its public squares,
    there is wailing everywhere.
For I have broken Moab like a vessel,
    there is no delight in it,” declares[z] Yahweh.
39 “How it is filled with terror! How they wail!
    How Moab has turned his back! He is disgraced!
So Moab has become as a derision,
    and as a terror for all his surrounding peoples.”

40 For thus says Yahweh,

“Look, like an eagle he will swoop down,
    and he will spread out his wings against Moab.
41 Kerioth will be taken,
    and the strongholds will be conquered,
and the hearts[aa] of the warriors of Moab will be on that day
    like the heart of a woman who is in labor.
42 And Moab will be destroyed from being a people,
    because against Yahweh he magnified himself.
43 Dread, and pit, and a trapping net are against you,
    O inhabitant of Moab,” declares[ab] Yahweh.
44 “He who flees before[ac] the dread
    will fall into the pit,
and the one who climbs up from the pit
    will be caught in the trapping net,
for I will bring on Moab
    the year of their punishment,” declares[ad] Yahweh.
45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
    fugitives stand without strength,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
    and a flame from Sihon.
And it has eaten the forehead of Moab,
    and the skulls[ae] of the people[af] of tumult.
46 Woe to you, Moab!
    The people of Chemosh have perished.
For your sons have been taken into captivity,
    and your daughters into captivity.
47 Yet I will restore the fortunes[ag] of Moab
    in the last of the days,” declares[ah] Yahweh.

Thus far[ai] is the judgment of Moab.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 48:4 Literally “cause to hear”
  2. Jeremiah 48:6 Literally “And”
  3. Jeremiah 48:9 Literally “from there is not”
  4. Jeremiah 48:11 Literally “Unto thus”
  5. Jeremiah 48:12 Literally “To thus”
  6. Jeremiah 48:12 Literally “a declaration of”
  7. Jeremiah 48:12 Literally “those who tilt”
  8. Jeremiah 48:15 Literally “a declaration of”
  9. Jeremiah 48:16 Literally “hastens greatly”
  10. Jeremiah 48:25 Literally “a declaration of”
  11. Jeremiah 48:27 Literally “from enough”
  12. Jeremiah 48:30 Literally “a declaration of”
  13. Jeremiah 48:30 Literally “not right”
  14. Jeremiah 48:30 Literally “not right”
  15. Jeremiah 48:31 Literally “Unto thus”
  16. Jeremiah 48:31 Or “men”
  17. Jeremiah 48:33 Hebrew “exuberant shout”
  18. Jeremiah 48:33 Hebrew “Exuberant shout”
  19. Jeremiah 48:33 Hebrew “exuberant shout”
  20. Jeremiah 48:35 Literally “a declaration of”
  21. Jeremiah 48:36 Literally “Unto thus”
  22. Jeremiah 48:36 Hebrew “flutes”
  23. Jeremiah 48:36 Or “men”
  24. Jeremiah 48:36 Hebrew “flutes”
  25. Jeremiah 48:36 Literally “Unto thus”
  26. Jeremiah 48:38 Literally “a declaration of”
  27. Jeremiah 48:41 Hebrew “heart”
  28. Jeremiah 48:43 Literally “a declaration of”
  29. Jeremiah 48:44 Literally “from the face of”
  30. Jeremiah 48:44 Literally “a declaration of”
  31. Jeremiah 48:45 Hebrew “skull”
  32. Jeremiah 48:45 Or “sons”
  33. Jeremiah 48:47 Hebrew “fortune”
  34. Jeremiah 48:47 Literally “a declaration of”
  35. Jeremiah 48:47 Literally “Up to here”

A Prophecy against Moab

48 To Moab: This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“How terrible for Nebo, for it’s laid waste.
    Kiriathaim is put to shame, it’s captured.
        The fortress is put to shame, it’s shattered.
The pride of Moab is no more.
    In Heshbon they plotted evil against her:
‘Come and let’s eliminate her as a nation.’
    Madmen[a] will also be silenced,
        and the sword will pursue you.
The sound of crying will come from Horonaim,
    devastation and great destruction.
Moab will be destroyed;
    her little ones will cry out.
Indeed, at the ascent of Luhith
    people will go up with bitter weeping.
At the descent of Horonaim
    the anguished cries over the destruction will be heard.
Flee, save your lives,
    and you will be like a wild donkey[b] in the desert.
But, because you trust in your deeds and your riches,
    you will also be captured.
Chemosh[c] will go out into exile,
    along with his priests and officials.
A destroyer will come to every town
    and no town will escape.
The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed.”
    This[d] is what the Lord has said!
“Put salt[e] on Moab[f]
    for she will surely fall.
Her towns will become desolate places,[g]
    without any inhabitants in them.
10 Cursed is the one who is slack
    in doing the Lord’s work.
Cursed is the one who holds back his sword
    from shedding[h] blood.
11 Moab has been at ease from his youth.
    He has been undisturbed like wine[i] on its dregs
        and not poured from vessel to vessel.
He has not gone into exile.
    Therefore, his flavor has remained,
        and his aroma has not changed.

12 “Therefore, look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll send those who tip over vessels[j] to him, and they’ll tip him over. They’ll empty his vessels and shatter his jars. 13 Moab will be ashamed because of Chemosh just as the house of Israel was ashamed because of Bethel, their confidence.

14 “How can you say, ‘We’re strong warriors,
    and soldiers ready[k] for battle’?
15 Moab will be destroyed,
    and the enemy[l] will come up against her cities.
Her finest young men will go down to slaughter,”
    declares the King,
        whose name is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
16 “Moab’s disaster is near at hand,
    and his calamity is coming very quickly.
17 Mourn for him, all who live around him,
    and all who know his name.
Say, ‘Oh how the mighty rod is broken,
    the glorious staff.’
18 “Come down from glory, and sit on parched ground,
    O woman who lives in Dibon,
for the destroyer of Moab will come up
    against you to destroy you.
        He will destroy your strongholds.
19 Stand by the road and keep watch,
    O woman who lives in Aroer.
Ask the man who flees and the woman who escapes.
    Say, ‘What happened’?
20 Moab will be put to shame,
    for it will be destroyed.
Wail and cry out.
    Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

21 Judgment has come to the plateau:[m]
    to Holon and Jahzah,
and against Mephaath,
22     Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 against Kerioth, Bozrah,
and all the towns in the land of Moab,
    both far and near.
25 The strength[n] of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,”
    declares the Lord.
26 “Make him drunk for he has exalted himself
    against the Lord.
Moab will wallow in his vomit,
    and he will be the object of mocking.
27 Wasn’t Israel an object of mocking for you?
    Wasn’t he treated like a thief,[o]
so that whenever you spoke about him
    you shook your head in contempt?[p]
28 Abandon the cities, and live on the cliffs,[q]
    you inhabitants of Moab.
Be like a dove that builds a nest
    by the mouth of a cave.
29 We have heard about Moab’s pride—
    he’s very proud—
his haughtiness, his arrogance,
    his insolence, and his conceit.[r]
30 I know his gall,”
    declares the Lord,
“and it’s futile;
    the boasting that they do is futile.
31 Therefore, I’ll wail for Moab,
    and for the whole of Moab I’ll cry out,
    for the men of Kir-heres I’ll moan.
32 More than the weeping for Jazer,[s]
    I’ll weep for you, vine of Sibmah.[t]
Your branches spread out to the sea,
    and reached as far as the Sea of Jazer.[u]
On your summer fruit and grapes[v]
    the destroyer will fall.
33 Gladness and rejoicing will be taken away
    from the fruitful land.[w]
From the land of Moab I’ll cause the wine
    in the wine presses to stop flowing.[x]
The workers won’t tread[y] the grapes with a loud shout.[z]
    There will be no shout!

34 “From the cry of Heshbon, to Elealeh, to Jahaz they have lifted up their voice. From Zoar to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah, even the waters of Nimrim will become a desolate place. 35 In Moab,” declares the Lord, “I’ll put an end to the one who offers a burnt offering on the high place and to the one who burns incense to his gods. 36 Therefore my heart wails for Moab like flutes[aa] and my heart wails for the men of Kir-heres like flutes. Therefore they’ll lose the abundance they produced. 37 Indeed every head will be bald[ab] and every beard cut short.[ac] There will be gashes on all the hands[ad] and sackcloth on the loins. 38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets there will be nothing but mourning, for I’ll break Moab like a vessel that no one wants,” declares the Lord. 39 “How it will be shattered! How they’ll wail! How Moab will turn his back in shame! Moab will be an object of ridicule and terror to all those around him.”

40 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, like an eagle one will fly swiftly
    and spread his wings against Moab.
41 The towns[ae] will be captured
    and the strongholds seized.
On that day the hearts of the warriors of Moab
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation[af]
    because he exalted himself against the Lord.
43 Terror, pit, and trap will be used[ag] against you
    who live in Moab,”
        declares the Lord.
44 “The one who flees from the terror
    will fall into a pit.
And the one who comes up out of the pit
    will be caught in a trap.
For I’ll bring upon her, that is upon Moab,
    the time of her[ah] punishment,”
        declares the Lord.
45 “The fugitives will stand without strength
    in the shadow of Heshbon,
for fire will go out from Heshbon
    and a flame from the middle of Sihon.
It will devour the forehead of Moab
    and the heads of the rebellious people.[ai]
46 How terrible for you, Moab!
    The people of Chemosh[aj] will perish.
Indeed, your sons will be taken into captivity,
    and your daughters as well.[ak]
47 But I’ll restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days,”
    declares the Lord.

This concludes the judgment on Moab.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 48:2 Madmen was a town in Moab. The name sounds like the Heb. word silenced
  2. Jeremiah 48:6 So LXX; MT reads Aroer
  3. Jeremiah 48:7 Chemosh was the chief Moabite deity.
  4. Jeremiah 48:8 The Heb. lacks this.
  5. Jeremiah 48:9 Or take wing
  6. Jeremiah 48:9 I.e. as a sign of destruction
  7. Jeremiah 48:9 Lit. a desolation
  8. Jeremiah 48:10 The Heb. lacks shedding
  9. Jeremiah 48:11 The Heb. lacks like wine
  10. Jeremiah 48:12 The Heb. lacks vessels
  11. Jeremiah 48:14 The Heb. lacks ready
  12. Jeremiah 48:15 Lit. he
  13. Jeremiah 48:21 Moab was located on a plateau overlooking the Jordan River.
  14. Jeremiah 48:25 Lit. horn
  15. Jeremiah 48:27 Lit. found among thieves
  16. Jeremiah 48:27 The Heb. lacks in contempt
  17. Jeremiah 48:28 Or among the crags; i.e. on the face of a cliff
  18. Jeremiah 48:29 Lit. the elevation of his heart
  19. Jeremiah 48:32 Jazer was a town in Moab.
  20. Jeremiah 48:32 Sibmah was a town in Moab noted for its vineyards.
  21. Jeremiah 48:32 I.e. the Dead Sea
  22. Jeremiah 48:32 Lit. your vintage
  23. Jeremiah 48:33 Or from Carmel
  24. Jeremiah 48:33 The Heb. lacks flowing
  25. Jeremiah 48:33 Lit. He won’t tread
  26. Jeremiah 48:33 Lit. with a shout, shout
  27. Jeremiah 48:36 I.e. flutes were played as a part of mourning for the dead
  28. Jeremiah 48:37 I.e. heads were shaved as a sign of mourning
  29. Jeremiah 48:37 I.e. beards were cut short as a sign of mourning
  30. Jeremiah 48:37 I.e. people cut themselves as a sign of mourning
  31. Jeremiah 48:41 Or Kerioth
  32. Jeremiah 48:42 Lit. from being a nation
  33. Jeremiah 48:43 The Heb. lacks used
  34. Jeremiah 48:44 Lit. their
  35. Jeremiah 48:45 Lit. sons of tumult
  36. Jeremiah 48:46 Chemosh was the chief deity of Moab.
  37. Jeremiah 48:46 Lit. daughters into captivity