Jeremiah 48

Prophecy against Moab

1Concerning 1Moab. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Woe to 2Nebo, for it has been destroyed; 3Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The high stronghold has been put to shame and 4shattered.2There is no longer praise for Moab; In 5Heshbon they have devised disaster against her: ‘Come and let’s cut her off from being a nation!’ You too, 6Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow you.3The sound of an outcry from 7Horonaim, ‘Devastation and great destruction!’4Moab is broken, Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress.5For they will go up by the ascent of 8Luhith With continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the 9anguished cry of destruction.610Flee, save yourselves, So that you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.7For because of your 11trust in your own achievements and treasures, You yourself will also be captured; And 12Chemosh will go off into exile Together with his priests and his leaders.8A destroyer will come to every city, So that no city will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the 13plateau will be destroyed, As the Lord has said.9Give 1415wings to Moab, For she will 16flee away; And her cities will become a 17desolation, Without inhabitants in them.1018Cursed is the one who does the Lord’s work 19negligently, And cursed is the one who restrains his 20sword from blood.

11“Moab has been 21at ease since his youth; He has also been 22peaceful, like wine on 23its dregs, And he has not been 24poured from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore 25he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed. 12Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will pour out his vessels and smash 26his jars. 13And Moab will be 27ashamed of 28Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed of 29Bethel, their confidence.14How can you say, ‘We are 30warriors, And men competent for battle’?15Moab has been destroyed and 31men have gone up to 32his cities; His choicest 3334young men have also gone down to the slaughter,” Declares the 35King, whose name is the Lord of armies.16“The disaster of Moab will 36soon come, And his catastrophe has hurried quickly.17Mourn for him, all you who live around him, And all of you who know his name; Say, ‘How the mighty 3738scepter has been broken, A staff of splendor!’1839Come down from your glory And sit on the parched ground, O 40daughter living in 41Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds.19Stand by the road and keep watch, You inhabitant of 42Aroer; 43Ask him who flees and her who escapes And say, ‘What has happened?’20Moab has been put to shame, for it has been 44shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the 45Arnon That Moab has been destroyed.

21“Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, 46Jahzah, and against 47Mephaath, 22against Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, 23against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and 48Beth-meon, 24against 49Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25The 50horn of Moab has been cut off, and his 51arm broken,” declares the Lord. 26“52Make him drunk, for he has 53become 54arrogant toward the Lord; so Moab will 55vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. 27Now was Israel not a 56laughingstock to you? Or was he 5758caught among thieves? For whenever you speak about him you 59shake your head in scorn.28Leave the cities and live among the 60rocky cliffs, You inhabitants of Moab, And be like a 61dove that nests Beyond the mouth of the chasm.2962We have heard of the pride of Moab--he is very proud-- Of his haughtiness, his 63pride, his arrogance, and 64his self-exaltation.30I know his 65fury,” declares the Lord, “But it is futile; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing.31Therefore I will 66wail for Moab, For all of Moab I will cry out; 67I will moan for the men of 68Kir-heres.32More than the 69weeping for 70Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrils stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen.33So 71joy and rejoicing are removed From the fruitful field, and from the land of Moab. And I have 72eliminated the wine from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy. 3473From the outcry at Heshbon to 74Elealeh, to Jahaz they have 75raised their voice, from 76Zoar to Horonaim, and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. 35And I will put an end to Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the 77high place and the one who 7879burns incense to his gods.

36“Therefore My 80heart makes a sound like flutes for Moab; My heart also makes a sound like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have 81lost the abundance it produced. 37For 82every head is shaved bald, and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands, and 83sackcloth around the waists. 38On all the 84housetops of Moab and in its public squares 85there is mourning everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable 86vessel,” declares the Lord. 39“How 87shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back--he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an 88object of terror to all around him.”

40For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, one will 89fly swiftly like an eagle And 90spread out his wings against Moab.41Kerioth has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the 91hearts of the warriors of Moab on that day Will be like the heart of a 92woman in labor.42Moab will be 93destroyed from being a people Because he has 94become 95arrogant toward the Lord.4396Terror, pit, and snare are coming upon you, Inhabitant of Moab,” declares the Lord.44“The one who 97flees from the terror Will fall into the pit, And the one who climbs up out of the pit Will be caught in the snare; For I will bring upon her, upon Moab, The year of their 98punishment,” declares the Lord.

45“In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitives stand without strength; For a fire has spread out from Heshbon And a 99flame from the midst of 100Sihon, And it has devoured the 101forehead of Moab And the scalps of the 102loud revelers.46103Woe to you, Moab! The people of 104Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive, And your daughters into captivity.47Yet I will 105restore the fortunes of Moab In the 106latter days,” declares the Lord.

This is the extent of the judgment on Moab.