Jeremiah 48

Revised Geneva Translation

48 Concerning Moab, thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo, for it is wasted! Kirjathaim is shamed and captured! Misgab is shamed and afraid!

² “Moab shall no longer boast. In Heshbon, they have devised evil against it. Come, and let us destroy it, so that it is no longer a nation! Also, you shall be destroyed, O madmen, and the sword shall pursue you!

³ “There shall be a voice of crying from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction.

⁴ “Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused their cry to be heard.

⁵ “For at the going up of Luhith, the mourner shall go up with weeping. For in the going down of Horonaim, the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

⁶ “Flee and save your lives! And be like the heath in the wilderness.

⁷ “For because you hast trusted in your works and in your treasures, you shall also be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity together with his priests and his princes.

⁸ “And the destroyer shall come upon all cities, and no city shall escape. The valley shall also perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD has spoken.

⁹ “Give wings to Moab, so that he may flee and get away. For his cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell in them.

¹⁰ “Cursed is the one who does the work of the LORD deceitfully. And cursed is the one who restrains his sword from blood.

¹¹ “Moab has been at rest from his youth, and he has settled on his dregs, and has not been poured from vessel to vessel. Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore, his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed.

¹² “Therefore, behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will send to him those who shall carry him away, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

¹³ “And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the House of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

¹⁴ “How can you think ‘We are mighty and strong men of war?’

¹⁵ “Moab is destroyed, and his cities burnt up. And his chosen young men have gone down to slaughter,” says the King Whose Name is The LORD of Hosts.

¹⁶ “The destruction of Moab is ready to come, and his plague hastens quickly.

¹⁷ “All you who are around him, mourn for him. All you who know his name, say, ‘How the strong staff has broken, the beautiful rod!

¹⁸ “You, daughter who inhabits Dibon, come down from glory and sit in thirst. For the destroyer of Moab shall come upon you. He shall destroy your strongholds.

¹⁹ “You who dwell in Aroer, stand by the way and behold. Ask him who flees and who escapes, saying, ‘What has been done?’

²⁰ “Moab is shamed, for it is destroyed. Howl and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is made waste,

²¹ “and judgment has come upon the plain country, upon Holon and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath,

²² “and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon the House of Diblathaim,

²³ “and upon Kirjathaim, 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,” says the LORD.

²⁶ “Make him drunk. Because he magnified himself against the LORD, Moab shall wallow in his vomit. And he shall also be in derision.

²⁷ “For did you not deride Israel, as though he had been found among thieves? For when you speak of him, you are moved.

²⁸ “O you who dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rocks! And be like the dove that makes her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.

²⁹ “We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly prideful), his stoutness and his arrogancy, his pride and the haughtiness of his heart.

³⁰ “I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “but it shall not be so. For his bluster is not right.

³¹ “Therefore, I will howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab, shall mourn for the men of Kir Heres.

³² “O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for you as I wept for Jazer! Your plants have gone over the sea. They have come to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen upon your summer fruits, and upon your vintage.

³³ “And joy and gladness have been taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab. And I have caused wine to fail from the winepress. No one shall tread with shouting. Their shouting shall not be joyous.

³⁴ “From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz they have made their noise, from Zoar to Horonaim (as a heifer of three years old), for the waters of Nimrim shall also be wasted.

³⁵ “Moreover, I will cause to cease in Moab,” says the LORD, “him who offers in the high places, and him who burns incense to his gods.

³⁶ “Therefore, My Heart shall sound for Moab like a flute. And My Heart shall sound like a flute for the men of Kir Heres, because the riches that he has gotten have perished.

³⁷ “For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped. Upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

³⁸ “Mourning shall be upon all the housetops of Moab, and in all its streets. For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the LORD.

³⁹ “They shall howl, saying, ‘How is he destroyed? How has Moab turned the back with shame?’ So shall Moab be a derision and a fear to all those around him.”

⁴⁰ For thus says the LORD: “Behold, one shall flee as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

⁴¹ “The cities are taken, and the strongholds are won, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that time shall be as the heart of a woman in labor.

⁴² “And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he has set himself up against the LORD.

⁴³ “Fear, and pit, and snare upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD.

⁴⁴ “He who escapes from the fear shall fall in the pit. And he who gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare. For I will bring upon it, upon Moab, the year of their visitation,” says the LORD.

⁴⁵ “Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon, because of the force. For the fire came out of Heshbon, and a flame from Sihon, and devoured the corner of Moab, and the top of the seditious children.

⁴⁶ “Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish! For your sons are taken captives and your daughters led into captivity!

⁴⁷ “Yet I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.