Jeremiah 48

1 Of Moab. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe unto Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken: Misgab is put to shame and broken down.

Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ismael the son of Nathanias the son of Eleasa of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, to Godolias to Massepha: and they ate bread there together.

2 The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her, Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O Madmen, shalt be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue thee.

And Ismael rose up, and the ten men that were with him, and struck Godolias, whom the king of Babylon had appointed [governor] over the land,

3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction!

and all the Jews that were with him in Massepha, and all the Chaldeans that were found there.

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

And it came to pass on the second day after he had struck Godolias, and no man knew [of it],

5 For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for in the going down of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.

that there came men from Sychem, and from Salem, and from Samaria, [even] eighty men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes tore, and beating their breasts, and [they had] manna and frankincense in their hands, to bring [them] into the house of the Lord.

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

And Ismael went out to meet them; [and] they went on and wept: and he said to them, Come in to Godolias.

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

And it came to pass, when they had entered into the midst of the city, [that] he killed them [and cast them] into a pit.

8 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.

But ten men were found there, and they said to Ismael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, wheat and barley, honey and oil. So he passed by, and killed them not in the midst of their brethren.

9 Give wings unto Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

Now the pit into which Ismael cast all whom he struck, is the great pit, which king Asa had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel: [even] this Ismael filled with slain men.

10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD negligently, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

And Ismael brought back all the people that were left in Massepha, and the king's daughter, whom the captain of the guard had committed in charge to Godolias the son of Achicam: and he went away beyond the children of Ammon.

11 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 remaineth in him, and his scent is not changed.

And Joanan the son of Caree, and all the leaders of the host that were with him, heard of all the evil deeds which Ismael had done.

12 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him them that pour off, and they shall pour him off; and they shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles in pieces.

And they brought all their army, and went to fight against him, and found him near much water in Gabaon.

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

And it came to pass, when all the people that was with Ismael saw Joanan, and the leaders of the host that was with him,

14 How say ye, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?

that they returned to Joanan.

15 Moab is laid waste, and they are gone up into her cities; and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

But Ismael escaped with eight men and went to the children of Ammon.

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

And Joanan, and all the leaders of the host that were with him, took all the remnant of the people, whom he [had] brought back from Ismael, mighty men in war, and the women, and the other [property], and the eunuchs, whom they [had] brought back from Gabaon:

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

and they departed, and lived in Gaberoch-amaa, that is by Bethleem, to go into Egypt, for fear of the Chaldeans:

18 O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab is come up against thee, he hath destroyed thy strong holds.

for they were afraid of them, because Ismael had struck Godolias, whom the king of Babylon made [governor] in the land.

19 O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy: ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What hath been done?

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

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

22 and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim;

23 and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon;

24 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, saith the LORD.

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

27 For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.

28 O ye inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the holes mouth.

29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, [that] he is very proud; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogancy, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 I know his wrath, saith the LORD, that it is nought; his boastings have wrought nothing.

31 Therefore will I howl for Moab; yea, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir-heres shall they mourn.

32 With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah: thy branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer: upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage the spoiler is fallen.

33 And gladness and joy is taken away, from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting.

34 From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, even unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become desolate.

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

36 Therefore mine heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and mine heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.

37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation every where: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.

39 How is it broken down! [how] do they howl! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a dismaying to all that are round about him.

40 For thus saith the LORD: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.

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

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

43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

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

45 They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon: for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

46 Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone: for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity.

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