< Jeremiah 48 >

1 Of Moab, —Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts God of Israel, —Alas for Nebo, for it is laid waste, put to shame—captured, is Kiriathaim, put to shame is Misgab, and dismayed.
Of Moab. The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo! For it is laid waste. Kiriathaim is disappointed. It is taken. Misgab is put to shame and broken down.
2 No more, is the praise of Moab, In Heshbon, have they devised against her, calamity, Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation, —Even thou, Madmen also, shalt be silenced, After thee, shall march the sword.
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.
3 A voice of outcry, from Horonaim, —Wasting and great destruction!
The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
4 Moab is broken: Her little ones, have caused to be heard an outcry.
Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
5 For the ascent of Luhith, with weeping, one ascendeth—with weeping, —For in the descent of Horonaim, the distress of the outcry of destruction, have they 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.
6 Flee deliver your own lives, —Then shall the women be as a shrub in the desert.
Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.
7 For seeing thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, Thou too, shalt be captured, —Then shall Chemosh go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.
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.
8 And the spoiler shall enter into every city, And not, a city, shall escape, Then shall perish the vale Then be destroyed the table-land, —As Yahweh hath said.
The destroyer will come on every city, and no city will escape; the valley also will perish, and the plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken.
9 Give wing to Moab, For she must, fly away; And her cities To desolation, shall be turned, With no inhabitant therein.
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 Accursed be he that doeth the business of Yahweh carelessly; And, accursed be he that withholdeth his sword, from blood!
“Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
11 Moab, hath been at ease from his youth, And settled is he upon his lees, And hath not been poured out from vessel to vessel, Nor into captivity, hath gone, —For this cause, hath his flavour stood still within him, And his scent is unchanged.
“Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his dregs, 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, lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, When I will send to him tilters and they shall tilt him, —And his vessels, shall they empty, And their jars, shall they dash in pieces.
Therefore behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “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 Then shall Moab, be ashamed, of, Chemosh, —Just as, the sons of Israel, were ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
14 How can ye say, Heroes, are we? and Men of might for the war?
“How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war’?
15 Spoiled is Moab And her cities, hath he ascended, And the choice of his young men, have gone down to the slaughter, —Declareth The King, Yahweh of hosts, is his Name.
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 the LORD of Hosts.
16 Near is the doom of Moab, to come, —And, his calamity, hasteth greatly.
“The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.
17 Lament ye for him—All that are round about him, and All that know his name, —Say, How is broken—The staff of strength! The rod of beauty!
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 Come down from glory, and sit in thirst, O inhabitress daughter of Dibon; For the spoiler of Moab, hath come up against thee, He hath laid in ruins thy strongholds.
“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 Near the way, take thy stand and keep outlook, O inhabitress of Aroer: Ask—him that fleeth, and Her that hath escaped, Say, What hath happened?
Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, ‘What has been done?’
20 Confounded is Moab! For it is broken down! Howl and make outcry, —Tell ye in Arnon, That Moab is spoiled;
Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
21 And, judgment, hath come Upon the country of the table-land, —Upon Holon, and Upon Jazer and Upon Mephaath;
Judgement has come on the plain country— on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath,
22 and Upon Dibon, and Upon Nebo, and Upon Beth-diblathaim;
on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim,
23 and Upon Kiriathaim, and Upon Beth-gamul, and Upon Beth-meon;
on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon,
24 and Upon Kerioth, and Upon Bozrah, —Yea, upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near.
on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
25 Cut off is the horn of Moab, Yea, his arm, is broken, —Declareth Yahweh.
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” says the LORD.
26 Make ye him drunken, Because against Yahweh, hath he magnified himself; So shall, Moab, stagger, into his own vomit, And shall become a derision, even he!
“Make him drunk, for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will be in derision.
27 And was it not, a derision, that Israel became to thee? And was it not among thieves, he was found? For, as often as thou didst speak of him, thou didst wag the head!
For wasn’t Israel a derision to you? Was he found amongst thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head.
28 Leave ye the cities and dwell in the cliff, Ye inhabitants of Moab; And become ye as a dove, that maketh her nest in the further-side of the fissure’s mouth.
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 the arrogance of Moab—proud exceedingly: His loftiness and his arrogance and his majesty, and his elevation of heart!
“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—Declareth Yahweh His passion—that’tis Unjust! His boastings, that Untrue have they made [them]!
I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “that it is nothing; his boastings have done nothing.
31 For this cause over Moab, will I howl, And for all Moab, will I make outcry, —For the men of Kir-heres, must one moan!
Therefore I will wail for Moab. Yes, I will cry out for all Moab. They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
32 Beyond the weeping of Jazer, will I weep for thee O vine of Sibmah, Thy tendrils, have gone over the sea, Unto the sea of Jazer, have they reached, Upon thy summer fruits And upon thy vintage, the spoiler, hath fallen.
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 So shall be withdrawn gladness and exultation—From the fruitful field and From the land of Moab, —And wine from the vats, have I caused to fail, They shall not tread with shouting, The shouting shall be no shouting!
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 outcry of Heshbon, Even unto Elealeh Even unto Jahaz, have they given forth their voice, From Zoar even unto Horonaim, the third Eglath, —For, even the waters of Nimrim, to utter desolation, have been turned:
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 Then will I cause to cease, from Moab, Declareth Yahweh, —him that offereth at a high-place, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab,” says the LORD, “him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods.
36 For this cause, my heart, for Moab, like flutes, shall make plaintive sounds, Yea my heart for the men of Kir-heres! like flutes, shall make plaintive sounds, Because, the abundance he hath gotten is lost!
Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like flutes, and my heart sounds like flutes for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten has perished.
37 For, every head, is baldness, And every beard, clipped: Upon all hands, are gashes, And upon the loins, sackcloth
For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. There are cuttings on all the hands, and sackcloth on the waist.
38 Upon all the housetops of Moab And in her broadways, it is all lamentation, —For I have broken Moab—Like a vessel wherein is no pleasure Declareth Yahweh.
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 the LORD.
39 How it is broken down! They have howled, How hath Moab turned the back, for shame, —So shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all round about him.
“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, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, —And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
For the LORD says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle, and will spread out his wings against Moab.
41 Captured is Kerioth, And the fortresses, are seized, —Then shall the heart of the heroes of Moab become in that day, As the heart of a woman in her pains.
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 Then shall, Moab, be destroyed from being a people, —Because against Yahweh, hath he magnified himself.
Moab will be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against the LORD.
43 Terror and pit and snare are upon thee O inhabitant of Moab Declareth Yahweh:
Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you, inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD.
44 He that fleeth from the face of the terror, Shall fall into the pit, And, he that getteth up out of the pit, Shall be captured by the snare, —For I will bring against her—against Moab, The year of their visitation, Declareth Yahweh.
“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 the LORD.
45 In the shadow of Heshbon, stand strengthless, the fugitives, —For, a fire, hath gone forth out of Heshbon And shall flame out of the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the beard of Moab, And the crown of the head of the proudly tumultuous.
“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 thee Moab! Lost are the people of Chemosh, —For thy sons have been taken, into captivity, And thy daughters into captivity.
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 will I bring back the captivity of Moab, In the afterpart of the days, Declareth Yahweh, Thus far, is the sentence of Moab.
“Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgement of Moab.

< Jeremiah 48 >