Jeremiah 48

1 Of Moab. The Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: Sorrow on Nebo, for it has been made waste; Kiriathaim has been put to shame and is taken: the strong place is put to shame and broken down.

Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe to Nebo! for it is laid waste: Kiriathaim is confounded [and] taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

2 The praise of Moab has come to an end; as for Heshbon, evil has been designed against her; come, let us put an end to her as a nation. But your mouth will be shut, O Madmen; the sword will go after you.

[There shall be] no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from [being] a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

3 There is the sound of crying from Horonaim, wasting and great destruction;

A voice of crying [shall be] from Horonaim, devastation and great destruction.

4 Moab is broken; her cry has gone out to Zoar.

Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

5 For by the slope of Luhith they will go up, weeping all the way; for on the way down to Horonaim the cry of destruction has come to their ears.

For in the ascent of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

6 Go in flight, get away with your lives, and let your faces be turned to Aroer in the Arabah.

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

7 For because you have put your faith in your strong places, you, even you, will be taken: and Chemosh will go out as a prisoner, his priests and his rulers together.

For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity [with] his priests and his princes together.

8 And the attacker will come against every town, not one will be safe; and the valley will be made waste, and destruction will come to the lowland, as the Lord has said.

And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

9 Put up a pillar for Moab, for she will come to a complete end: and her towns will become a waste, without anyone living in them.

Give wings to Moab, that it may flee and get away: for its cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell in them.

10 Let him be cursed who does the Lord's work half-heartedly; let him be cursed who keeps back his sword from blood.

Cursed [be] he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed [be] he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

11 From his earliest days, Moab has been living in comfort; like wine long stored he has not been drained from vessel to vessel, he has never gone away as a prisoner: so his taste is still in him, his smell is unchanged.

Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

12 So truly, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will send to him men who will have him turned over till there is no more wine in his vessels, and his wine-skins will be completely broken.

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send to him wanderers that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

13 And Moab will be shamed on account of Chemosh, as the children of Israel were shamed on account of Beth-el their hope.

And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence.

14 How say you, We are men of war and strong fighters?

How say ye, We [are] mighty and strong men for the war?

15 He who makes Moab waste has gone up against her; and the best of her young men have gone down to their death, says the King, whose name is the Lord of armies.

Moab is laid waste, and gone up [out of] her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the king, whose name [is] the LORD of hosts.

16 The fate of Moab is near, and trouble is coming on him very quickly.

The calamity of Moab [is] near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

17 All you who are round about him, give signs of grief for him, and all you who have knowledge of his name, say, How is the strong rod broken, even the beautiful branch!

All ye that are about him bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, [and] the beautiful rod!

18 Come down from your glory, O people of Dibon, and take your seat in the place of the waste; for the attacker of Moab has gone up against you, sending destruction on your strong places.

Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from [thy] glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, [and] he shall destroy thy strong holds.

19 O daughter of Aroer, take your station by the way, on the watch: questioning him who is in flight, and her who has got away safe, say, What has been done?

O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, [and] say, What is done?

20 Moab has been put to shame, she is broken: make loud sounds of grief, crying out for help; give the news in Arnon, that Moab has been made waste.

Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.

21 And punishment has come on the lowlands; on Holon and Jahzah, and on Mephaath,

And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

22 And on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth-diblathaim,

And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,

23 And on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-gamul, and on Beth-meon,

And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,

24 And on Kerioth, and on Bozrah, and on all the towns of the land of Moab, far and near.

And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, 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 full of wine, for his heart has been lifted up against the Lord: and Moab will be rolling in the food he was not able to keep down, and everyone will be making sport of him.

Make ye him drunken; for he magnified [himself] against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

27 For did you not make sport of Israel? was he taken among thieves? for whenever you were talking about him, you were shaking your head over him.

For was not Israel a derision to thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou hast spoken of him, thou hast leaped for joy.

28 O people of Moab, go away from the towns and take cover in the rock; be like the dove of the Arabah, which makes her living-place in holes.

O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove [that] maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

29 We have had word of the pride of Moab, how great it is; how he is lifted up in pride; and his great opinion of himself, and that his heart is lifted up.

We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogance, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 I have knowledge of his wrath, says the Lord, that it is nothing; his high-sounding words have done nothing.

I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but [it shall] not [be] so; his lies shall not so effect [it].

31 For this cause I will give cries of grief for Moab, crying out for Moab, even for all of it; I will be sorrowing for the men of Kir-heres.

Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; [my heart] shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

32 My weeping for you, O vine of Sibmah, will be more than the weeping of Jazer: your branches have gone over the sea, stretching even to Jazer: destruction has come down on your summer fruits and your cut grapes.

O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants have gone over the sea, they reach [even] to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler hath fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

33 All joy is gone; no longer are they glad for the fertile field and for the land of Moab; I have made the wine come to an end from the crushing vessels: no longer will the grapes be crushed with the sound of glad voices.

And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the wine-presses: none shall tread with shouting; [their] shouting [shall be] no shouting.

34 The cry of Heshbon comes even to Elealeh; to Jahaz their voice is sounding; from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim will become dry.

From the cry of Heshbon [even] to Elealeh, [and even] to Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar [even] to Horonaim, [as] a heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

35 And I will put an end in Moab, says the Lord, to him who is making offerings in the high place and burning perfumes to his gods.

Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

36 So my heart is sounding for Moab like the sound of pipes, and my heart is sounding like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: for the wealth he has got for himself has come to an end.

Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches [that] he hath gotten have perished.

37 For everywhere the hair of the head and the hair of the face is cut off: on every hand there are wounds, and haircloth on every body.

For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

38 On all the house-tops of Moab and in its streets there is weeping everywhere; for Moab has been broken like a vessel in which there is no pleasure, says the Lord.

[There shall be] lamentation generally upon all the house-tops of Moab, and in its streets: for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which [is] no pleasure, saith the LORD.

39 How is it broken down! how is Moab's back turned in shame! so Moab will be a cause of sport and of fear to everyone round about him.

They shall howl, [saying], How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

40 For the Lord has said, See, he will come like an eagle in flight, stretching out his wings against Moab.

For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

41 Kerioth is taken, and the strong places have been forced, and the hearts of Moab's men of war in that day will be like the heart of a woman in birth-pains.

Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

42 And Moab will come to an end as a people, because he has been lifting himself up against the Lord.

And Moab shall be destroyed from [being] a people, because he hath magnified [himself] against the LORD.

43 Fear and death and the net have come on you, O people of Moab, says the Lord.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [shall be] upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

44 He who goes in flight from the fear will be overtaken by death; and he who gets free from death will be taken in the net: for I will make this come on Moab, even the year of their punishment, says the Lord.

He that fleeth from the fear, shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth out of the pit, shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, [even] upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

45 Those who went in flight from the fear are waiting under the shade of Heshbon: for a fire has gone out from Heshbon and a flame from the house of Sihon, burning up the pride of Moab and the crown of the head of the violent ones.

They that fled stood under the shade of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

46 Sorrow is yours, O Moab! the people of Chemosh are overcome: for your sons have been taken away as prisoners, and your daughters made servants.

Woe be to thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

47 But still, I will let the fate of Moab be changed in the last days, says the Lord.

Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far [is] the judgment of Moab.