Jeremiah 48
48
A Prophecy against Moab
1This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Moab:
How horrible it will be for Nebo; it will be destroyed.
Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be captured.
Its stronghold will be put to shame and torn down.
2People will no longer praise Moab.
The people in Heshbon will plan Moab’s destruction.
“Let’s destroy that nation!”
You will be silenced, city of Madmen.
Death will come after you.
3People will cry out from Horonaim, “Looting and great destruction!”
4Moab will be broken.
Its little ones will cry out.
5People go up the pass of Luhith, crying bitterly as they go.
On the road down to Horonaim they have heard
the distressful cry of destruction.
6“Run away! Run for your lives!
Run like a wild donkey in the desert.”
7Since you trust the things you do and your treasures,
you will be captured.
Chemosh will go into captivity with all its priests and officials.
8The destroyer will come to every city, and no city will escape.
The valley will be destroyed, and the plain will be laid waste
as the Lord has threatened.
9Put salt on Moab.
It will be destroyed.
Its cities will become deserted ruins.
10Cursed are those who neglect doing the Lord’s work.
Cursed are those who keep their swords from killing.
11“Moab has lived securely ever since it was young.
Its people are like wine left to settle in a jar.
They aren’t poured from one jar to another.
They haven’t gone into captivity.
That is why its flavor has remained the same,
and its aroma hasn’t changed.
12That is why the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will send people to pour Moab out of its jars
and to smash its pitchers.
13Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh
as the nation of Israel was ashamed when it trusted Bethel.
14“How can you say, ‘We are soldiers and warriors’?
15The enemy will attack Moab and destroy its cities.
Its finest young men will be slaughtered,”
declares the king, whose name is the Lord of Armies.
16“Moab’s destruction is coming near; disaster is coming quickly.
17Mourn over it, all of its neighbors and everyone who knows its fame.
Say, ‘Look at the strong staff, the beautiful rod, that is broken!’
18“People of Dibon, come down from your place of honor
and sit on the dry ground.
The destroyers of Moab will attack you.
They will destroy your fortresses.
19Stand by the road in Aroer, and watch.
Ask those who are fleeing
and those who are escaping what is happening.
20They will answer, ‘Moab is disgraced; it is defeated.
Shout loudly, and cry.
Tell the news in Arnon that Moab is destroyed.’
21“Judgment has come to all the cities on the plain: to Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath, 22Dibon, Nebo, Beth Diblathaim, 23Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, Beth Meon, 24Kerioth, Bozrah, and on all the cities of Moab, far and near.
25“Moab’s horn is cut off, and its arm is broken,”
declares the Lord.
26“Get the people of Moab drunk; they have spoken against the Lord.
They will wallow in their own vomit, and people will laugh at them.
27People of Moab, didn’t you laugh at the people of Israel?
Were they caught among thieves?
Whenever you talk about them you shake your heads in contempt.
28People of Moab, abandon your cities.
Live among the cliffs.
Be like doves that make their nests at the entrance of a cave.
29“We have heard about the arrogance of Moab’s people.
They are very arrogant.
They are very arrogant, conceited, and boastful.
30I know how arrogant they are,” declares the Lord,
“but it isn’t right.
They brag and don’t do what they say.
31That is why I will weep for Moab and cry for all of Moab.
I will moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.
32I will cry for you as Jazer cries.
I will cry for you, grapevines of Sibmah.
Your branches ⌞once⌟ spread as far as the sea,
and they reached as far as the sea of Jazer.
The destroyer will destroy your ripened fruits and your grapes.
33Joy and gladness have disappeared from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I will stop the wine flowing from the winepresses.
No one will stomp on grapes with shouts of joy.
There will be shouts, but not shouts of joy.
34“The cry will be heard from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz. It will be heard from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the streams of Nimrim will dry up. 35I will stop those in Moab who come to worship sites, those who bring offerings to their gods,” declares the Lord. 36“That is why I moan for Moab like a flute. I sound like a flute for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they gained has disappeared.
37“Every head is shaved, and every beard is cut off. There are gashes on every hand and sackcloth on every waist. 38People in Moab will mourn on every rooftop and in every street. There will be mourning everywhere, because I will break Moab like a jar that no one wants,” declares the Lord. 39“They will cry, ‘Look how Moab is defeated! Moab turns away in shame!’ Moab has become something ridiculed and something held in contempt by everyone around it.
40“This is what the Lord says:
The enemy will swoop down like eagles and spread their wings over Moab.
41The cities will be taken, and the fortified places will be captured.
On that day Moab’s soldiers will be like women in childbirth.
42Moab will be destroyed as a nation,
because it spoke against the Lord.
43Disasters, pits, and traps are in store for those who live in Moab,”
declares the Lord.
44“Whoever flees from a disaster will fall into a pit.
Whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a trap.
I will bring a year of punishment to Moab,” declares the Lord.
45“Those who flee will stand exhausted in the shadow of Heshbon.
A fire will come out of Heshbon and a flame from Sihon.
It will burn the foreheads of the people of Moab
and the skulls of those noisy people.
46How horrible it will be for you, Moab.
You people of Chemosh will die.
Your sons will be taken away into exile,
and your daughters will be taken away into captivity.
47But I will restore Moab in the last days,” declares the Lord.
The judgment against Moab ends here.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 48
48
Prophecy against Moab
1Yahweh’s message for the land of Moab. # 48:1 Moab was a country east of the Dead Sea. Moab was a descendant of Lot, conceived out of incest with his daughter (Moab means “seed of the father” or “from my father”; see Gen. 19:30–37). Moab helped Nebuchadnezzar against Judah, but Nebuchadnezzar eventually turned against Moab, devastating and subduing them. Years before Jeremiah’s ministry, Ruth, a Moabite, had a role in forming the house of David, for she was his great-grandmother (see Ruth 4:17–22). For other prophecies against Moab, see Isa. 15:1–16:14; 25:10–12; Ezek. 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3; Zeph. 2:8–11. Yahweh, God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, says to you:
“Woe to the people of Nebo, # 48:1 The city of Nebo was near Mount Nebo, about twelve miles (nineteen kilometers) east of the northern end of the Dead Sea. See Num. 32:38. The name Nebo (or Nabu) means “Celestial Scribe.” Nabu was known as the god of intellectualism (literacy, wisdom, education). The Greeks called him Hermes, the Romans, Mercury, and the Egyptians, Anubis. for their city is destroyed!
Kiriathaim # 48:1 Kiriathaim was one of the cities of the Moabite plateau. Both Nebo and Kiriathaim were cities assigned to Nebo but were reclaimed by Moab as described in the Mesha Stele. is captured and totally humiliated.
They have torn down her proud fortress and put it to shame.
2The fame of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon, the enemy plotted Moab’s doom:
‘Come, let’s wipe her off the map.’
For indeed, my sword will leave only silence
in your town named Silent. # 48:2 Or “[the city named] Madmen,” which sounds like the Hebrew word for “silent.”
3Listen, the people of Horonaim cry out:
‘Destruction and violence!’
4Moab is shattered,
and her little ones cry out in distress.
5Yes, they are weeping all the way up to Luhith.
Yes, all the way down from Horonaim they hear
a distressful, painful cry.
6The people of Moab shout, ‘Flee for your lives
and be like a lonely shrub in the desert.’
7Moab, you put your faith in your works and your wealth.
That is why you, too, will be conquered.
Your god Chemosh # 48:7 Chemosh means “subduer [conqueror]” or “incubus [dark star].” Chemosh was a god associated with the Semitic mother-goddess Ishtar (or Astarte). See George Aaron Barton, The Jewish Encyclopedia, “Chemosh.” The Moabites were called the people of Chemosh (see Num. 21:29; Jer. 48:46). will go into captivity,
along with his priests and officials.
8The destroyer will attack every city;
not one will escape.
This enemy will ruin both the valleys and the plains,
just as Yahweh has said.
9Give Moab wings so she can fly away.
Her cities will be empty and desolate
with no one living in them.
10“Cursed be the one who does the work of Yahweh halfheartedly,
and cursed be the one who withholds his sword from blood. # 48:10 Obviously, in this case, killing the people of Moab was a task of summary judgment given by Yahweh.
11Moab has always lived securely
and has never been taken into exile.
Moab is like wine left to settle undisturbed,
and never poured from jar to jar.
It still has a good flavor,
and its taste has never changed.”
12But Yahweh declares, “The days are coming when I will send enemies who will pour her out like wine. They will empty her wine jar and smash it to pieces. 13Then Moab will be ashamed of their god Chemosh just as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, the god who was once their confidence.
14“How, then, can you say, ‘We are heroes of Moab
and mighty men of war’?
15The destroyer has attacked the cities and destroyed Moab,
and the best of her young men have gone down to the slaughter,”
declares King Yahweh, Commander of Angel Armies.
16“The fall of Moab is at hand,
and soon she will be destroyed.
17Grieve for her, all you neighboring countries
and all you who know her fame.
How shattered is its rule, that mighty rod,
that splendid scepter!
18You who live in Fair Dibon,
come down from your prideful place and sit in the dust.
For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you
and has destroyed your fortresses.
19You who live in Aroer,
stand at the side of the road and wait.
Ask the fleeing men and women:
‘What has happened?’
20They answer, ‘Moab is humiliated.
Weep and cry for Moab, for she has been defeated!’
Announce the news beside the Arnon River:
‘Moab is devastated.’
21“Yahweh has judged the cities of the plateau and has punished them. Those cities include Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath, 22Dibon, Nebo, Beth Diblathaim, 23Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, Beth Meon, 24Kerioth, and Bozrah. He has punished all the cities of Moab, far and near.” 25Yahweh declares: “All the strength # 48:25 Or “horn,” a metaphor in Hebrew for strength and authority. of Moab is cut off, and her power # 48:25 Or “arm,” a metaphor in Hebrew for power and might. is broken.”
Moab Will Be Humbled
26“Make Moab drink from this cup until drunk because she exalted herself against Yahweh. Drunken Moab will wallow in her own vomit until she makes the world laugh at her. 27And they will say, ‘Didn’t you make fun of Israel in the past? Didn’t you say Israel was nothing but crooks? Whenever you spoke of her, didn’t you shake your head in disgust?’
28“People of Moab, flee your cities and hide in the rocks.
Be like doves that make their nests among the cliffs. # 48:28 Or “outside the mouth of a cave.”
29Everyone knows about the pride of Moab.
I have heard about how very proud, arrogant, and lofty she is.
How highly she thinks of herself!
30But I, Yahweh, know of her insolent defiance.
Her boasts are empty and accomplish nothing.”
31Therefore I wail for Moab; # 48:31 The godly prophet Jeremiah mourned for the lost. He cried out on behalf of Moab.
I cry out for the whole country,
and I mourn for the people of Kir Hareseth. # 48:31 Or “Kir Hares.” Kir Hareseth means “city of pottery”; the city was the ancient capital of Moab. See 2 Kings 3:25; Isa. 16:7.
32I will weep for you more than I wept for Jazer, # 48:32 Jazer was an Ammonite city east of the Jordan, once occupied by the tribe of Gad (see Num. 21:32; 32:35).
O vine of Sibmah!
Your branches passed over the Dead Sea
and spread to the sea of Jazer. # 48:32 See Isa. 16:8.
An enemy has destroyed your figs and your grapes.
Yahweh Removes Moab’s Joy
33“The people no longer experience joy and gladness
in the fruitful land of Moab;
for I have stopped the people from making wine.
They are no longer shouting happily as they tread the grapes,
for no wine is coming out of the wine presses.
People are indeed shouting but not for joy.
34“The loud cries of Heshbon are heard as far as Elealeh and Jahaz. Cries from Zoar are heard in Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. The brook of Nimrim has dried up. 35I will eliminate Moab’s idolaters, those who offer sacrifices in the high place and make offerings to their god,” declares Yahweh.
Jeremiah Mourns for Moab
36Therefore, my heart sobs for Moab like a mournful flute. My heart moans as a sad funeral song played on a flute for the people of Kir Hareseth. All the wealth they accumulated has disappeared. 37Every head is shaved, and every beard is cut off as a sign of mourning. And around the waist is sackcloth, on all the hands are gashes. 38“On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets, people are mourning because I have broken Moab like a discarded vessel for which no one cares,” declares Yahweh. 39How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned her back in disgrace! All the surrounding nations find Moab a laughingstock and a thing of horror.
Yahweh’s Judgment of Moab
40For Yahweh says:
“Look, an enemy # 48:40 That is, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies. will swoop down
and attack Moab with no warning,
like an eagle diving from the sky.
41The enemy will capture the cities and the fortresses of Kerioth.
On that day, Moab’s warriors will be as frightened
as a woman in her birth pains.
42Moab will be destroyed,
wiped from the earth, # 48:42 This prophecy was fulfilled. After being taken into exile, the Moabites virtually disappeared as a people.
because she exalted herself against Yahweh.”
43For Yahweh declares,
“Terror, pit, and a snare
are waiting for you, people of Moab!
44The one who flees from the terror
will fall into the pit,
and the one who climbs out of the pit
will be caught in the snare.”
For Yahweh declares,
“I will bring upon Moab
the year of her punishment.
45In Heshbon’s shelter, exhausted refugees are helpless,
for fire came out from Heshbon,
a flame from the house of Sihon. # 48:45 Sihon was the king of the Amorites and once ruled his kingdom from Heshbon (see Deut. 2:24–30).
It has burned everything from the frontiers
to the mountain heights of those war-loving people,
the Moabites. # 48:45 Or “for fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from the city of Sihon; it devours Moab’s forehead and the crown of the sons of tumult.” Verses 45–47 are missing in the Septuagint.
46Woe to you, O Moab!
The people who worshiped Chemosh are gone,
for your sons have been taken captive
and your daughters into exile.
47Yet in the days to come,
I will bring Moab’s captives home,”
declares Yahweh.
This ends Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Moab.
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