Jeremiah - Chapter 48

¹ On Moab. Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Wretched Nebo, for it has been ravaged, Kiriathaim has been shamed and taken, shame and distraction on the citadel,

² the pride of Moab is no more! At Heshbon they plotted her downfall, 'Come, let us put an end to her as a nation!' And you too, inhabitants of Madmen, will be silenced, the sword will be after you.

³ A cry of agony goes up from Horonaim, 'Devastation! Dire calamity.

⁴ Moab has been shattered,' the agonised cries of her little ones ring out.

⁵ Up the slope of Luhith, weeping they go. On the road down to Horonaim is heard the shriek of disaster,

⁶ 'Away! Flee for your lives like the wild donkey into the desert!'

⁷ Yes, since you relied on your deeds and your wealth, you will be captured too. Chemosh will go into exile, with all his priests and princes.

⁸ The despoiler will descend on every town, not one will escape; the Valley will be ravaged, the Plain be plundered as Yahweh has said.

⁹ Give Moab wings so that she can fly away, for her towns will be laid in ruins where no one will ever live again.

¹⁰ (Accursed be he who does Yahweh's work negligently! Accursed be he who deprives his sword of blood!)

¹¹ From his youth Moab lived at ease, he settled on his lees, never having been decanted, never having gone into exile: and so he kept his own flavour, his aroma was unchanged.

¹² And so the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall send him decanters to decant him; they will empty his pitchers and break his wine jars to bits.

¹³ Moab will be shamed by Chemosh then, as the House of Israel was shamed by Bethel in which they put their trust.

¹⁴ How can you say, 'We are heroes, sturdy fighting men'?

¹⁵ Moab has been ravaged, his cities scaled, the flower of his youth goes down to the slaughter, declares the King, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth.

¹⁶ Moab's ruin is coming soon, his downfall comes at top speed.

¹⁷ Grieve for him, all you living near him, all you who knew his name. Say, 'How shattered it is, that mighty rod, that splendid sceptre!'

¹⁸ Come down from your glory, sit on the parched ground, daughter of Dibon, for the despoiler of Moab has advanced on you, he has destroyed your strongholds.

¹⁹ Stand by the roadside, keep watch, daughter of Aroer. Question fugitive and runaway, ask, 'What has happened?'

²⁰ 'Moab has been shattered and shamed. Wail and shriek! Shout along the Arnon, Moab has been laid waste!'

²¹ Judgement has also come on the Plain, on Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath,

²² Dibon, Nebo, Beth-Diblathaim,

²³ Kiriathaim, Beth-Gamul, Beth-Meon,

²⁴ Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab, far and near.

²⁵ Moab's horn has been cut off, his arm is broken, Yahweh declares.

²⁶ Make him drunk! He has set himself up against Yahweh; let Moab wallow in his vomit and become a laughing-stock in his turn.

²⁷ Was Israel not a laughing-stock to you? Was he caught red-handed with the thieves, for you to shake your head whenever you mention him?

²⁸ Leave the towns, make the rocks your home, inhabitants of Moab. Learn from the dove that makes its nest in the walls of the gaping gorge.

²⁹ We have heard about Moab's pride, so very proud! What arrogance! What pride! What conceit! What a haughty heart!

³⁰ -I know all about his presumption, Yahweh declares, his empty boasting, those empty deeds of his!

³¹ -and so I lament for Moab, for all Moab I raise my cry and mourn for the people of Kir-Heres.

³² More than for Jazer I weep for you, vineyard of Sibmah: your shoots stretched beyond the sea, they reached all the way to Jazer. On your harvest and vintage the despoiler has descended.

³³ Gladness and joy have vanished from the orchards of Moab. I have dried up the wine in the presses, the treader of grapes treads no more, the joyful shouting has ceased.

³⁴ The cries of Heshbon and Elealeh can be heard as far as Jahaz. The shrieks resound from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-Shelishiyah, for even the Waters of Nimrim have become a wasteland.

³⁵ And in Moab I shall make an end, Yahweh declares, of anyone offering sacrifice on the high places and anyone offering incense to his gods.

³⁶ That is why my heart sobs like a flute for Moab, sobs like a flute for the people of Kir-Heres, since the wealth he had acquired is lost.

³⁷ Yes, every head is shaved, every beard cut off, gashes are on every hand, sackcloth round every waist.

³⁸ On all the housetops of Moab and in all its squares there is nothing but lamenting, for I have broken Moab like an unwanted pot, Yahweh declares.

³⁹ How shattered he is! Wail! Moab so shamefully in retreat! Moab has become a laughing-stock, a thing of horror to all his neighbours.

⁴⁰ For Yahweh says this: (Look, like an eagle, he will hover, spreading his wings over Moab.)

⁴¹ The towns have been captured, the strongholds seized. (And the heart of Moab's warriors, that day, will be like that of a woman in labour pains.)

⁴² Moab will be destroyed, no longer a people, for setting itself up against Yahweh.

⁴³ Terror, the pit and the snare for you, inhabitant of Moab, Yahweh declares.

⁴⁴ And anyone who escapes from terror will fall into the pit, and anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare. Yes, I shall bring all this on Moab when the year comes for punishing them, Yahweh declares.

⁴⁵ In the shelter of Heshbon the fugitives have paused, exhausted. But fire will burst from Heshbon, a flame from the palace of Sihon, consuming the brows of Moab, the head of a turbulent brood.

⁴⁶ Disaster for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are lost! For your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters into captivity.

⁴⁷ But I shall bring back Moab's captives in the final days, Yahweh declares. Thus far the judgement on Moab.

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