Jeremia 48 | New International Version

A message about Moab

1 Concerning Moab: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold* will be disgraced and shattered. 2 Moab will be praised no more; in Heshbon* people will plot her downfall: “Come, let us put an end to that nation.” You, the people of Madmen,* will also be silenced; the sword will pursue you. 3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim, cries of great havoc and destruction. 4 Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out.* 5 They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim anguished cries over the destruction are heard. 6 Flee! Run for your lives; become like a bush* in the desert. 7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. 8 The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the Lord has spoken. 9 Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste*; her towns will become desolate, with no-one to live in them. 10 ‘A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed! 11 ‘Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another – she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. 12 But days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars. 13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel. 14 ‘How can you say, “We are warriors, men valiant in battle”? 15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,’ declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty. 16 ‘The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. 17 Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, “How broken is the mighty sceptre, how broken the glorious staff!” 18 ‘Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon, for the one who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities. 19 Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, “What has happened?” 20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. 21 Judgment has come to the plateau – to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath, 22 to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, 23 to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, 24 to Kerioth and Bozrah – to all the towns of Moab, far and near. 25 Moab’s horn* is cut off; her arm is broken,’ declares the Lord. 26 ‘Make her drunk, for she has defied the Lord. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. 27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her? 28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave. 29 ‘We have heard of Moab’s pride – how great is her arrogance! – of her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness of her heart. 30 I know her insolence but it is futile,’ declares the Lord, ‘and her boasts accomplish nothing. 31 Therefore I wail over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth. 32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps, you vines of Sibmah. Your branches spread as far as the sea*; they reached as far as* Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. 33 Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no-one treads them with shouts of joy. Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy. 34 ‘The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up. 35 In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods,’ declares the Lord. 36 ‘So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone. 37 Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth. 38 On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar that no-one wants,’ declares the Lord. 39 ‘How shattered she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule, an object of horror to all those around her.’ 40 This is what the Lord says: ‘Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. 41 Kerioth* will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labour. 42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord. 43 Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab,’ declares the Lord. 44 ‘Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment,’ declares the Lord. 45 ‘In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters. 46 Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. 47 ‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come,’ declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab.

New International Reader’s Version

A message about Moab

1 Here is what the LORD says about Moab. The LORD who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, ‘How terrible it will be for the city of Nebo! It will be destroyed. Kiriathaim will be captured. It will be put to shame. Its fort will be broken down. It will be put to shame. 2 Moab will not be praised anymore. In Heshbon people will plan its fall from power. They will say, “Come. Let’s put an end to that nation.” City of Madmen, you too will be silent. My sword will hunt you down. 3 Cries of sorrow come from Horonaim. The town is being completely destroyed. 4 Moab will be broken. Her little ones will cry out. 5 The people go up the hill to Luhith. They are weeping bitterly as they go. Loud cries are heard on the road down to Horonaim. People cry out because the town is being destroyed. 6 People of Moab, run away! Run for your lives! Become like a lonely bush in the desert. 7 You trust in the things you can do. You trust in your riches. So you too will be taken away as prisoners. Your god named Chemosh will be carried away. So will its priests and officials. 8 The one who is going to destroy you will come against every town. Not even one of them will escape. The valley and the high plain will be destroyed. The LORD has spoken. 9 Sprinkle salt all over Moab. It will be completely destroyed. Its towns will be a dry and empty desert. No one will live in them. 10 ‘May anyone who is lazy when they do the LORD’s work be under my curse! May anyone who keeps their sword from killing be under my curse! 11 ‘Moab has been at peace and rest from its earliest days. It is like wine that has not been shaken up. It has not been poured from one jar to another. Moab’s people have not been taken away from their land. They are like wine that tastes as it always did. Its smell has not changed at all. 12 But other days are coming,’ announces the LORD. ‘At that time I will send people who pour wine from pitchers. They will pour Moab out like wine. They will empty its pitchers. They will smash its jars. 13 Then Moab’s people will be ashamed of their god named Chemosh. They will be ashamed just as the people of Israel were when they trusted in their false god at Bethel. 14 ‘How can you say, “We are soldiers. We are men who are brave in battle”? 15 Moab will be destroyed. Its enemies will march into its towns. Its finest young men will die in battle,’ announces the King. His name is the LORD Who Rules Over All. 16 ‘The fall of Moab is near. Its time of trouble will come quickly. 17 All you who live around it, mourn for its people. Be sad, you who know how famous Moab is. Say, “Its powerful ruler’s sceptre is broken! His glorious sceptre is smashed.” 18 ‘Come down from your glorious city, you who live in Dibon. Come and sit on the thirsty ground. The one who destroys Moab will come up and attack you. Your enemies will destroy your cities that have high walls around them. 19 Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the men who are running away. Ask the women who are escaping. Ask them, “What has happened?” 20 Moab has been put to shame. It has been destroyed. Weep and cry out! Tell everyone Moab has been destroyed. Announce it by the River Arnon. 21 The high plain has been judged. So have Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath. 22 Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim have been judged. 23 So have Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon. 24 Kerioth and Bozrah have also been judged. And so have all the towns of Moab, far and near alike. 25 Moab’s power is gone. Its strength is broken,’ announces the LORD. 26 ‘Moab’s people think they are better than I am. So let their enemies make them drunk. Let the people get ill and throw up. Let them roll around in the mess they have made. Let people laugh at them. 27 Moab, you laughed at Israel, didn’t you? Were Israel’s people caught among robbers? Is that why you shake your head at them? Is that why you make fun of them every time you talk about them? 28 Leave your towns, you who live in Moab. Go and live among the rocks. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the entrance of a cave. 29 ‘We have heard all about Moab’s pride. We have heard how very proud they are. They think they are so much better than others. Their pride reaches deep down inside their hearts. 30 I know how rude they are. But it will not get them anywhere,’ announces the LORD. ‘Their boasting does not accomplish anything. 31 So I weep over Moab. I cry for all Moab’s people. I groan for the people of Kir Hareseth. 32 I weep for you as Jazer weeps, you vines of Sibmah. Your branches used to spread out. They went all the way down to the Dead Sea. They reached as far as the sea of Jazer. The one who destroys your country has taken away your grapes and ripe fruit. 33 Joy has left your orchards. Gladness is gone from your fields. I have stopped the flow of juice from your winepresses. No one treads your grapes with shouts of joy. There are shouts. But they are not shouts of joy. 34 ‘The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon. It rises as far as Elealeh and Jahaz. It rises from Zoar. It goes all the way to Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the waters at Nimrim are dried up. 35 In Moab people sacrifice offerings on the high places. They burn incense to their gods. But I will put an end to those people,’ announces the LORD. 36 ‘Like a flute my heart sings a song of sadness for Moab. It sings like a flute for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they had acquired is gone. 37 Every head is shaved. Every beard is cut off. Every hand is cut. And every waist is covered with the clothes of sadness. 38 Weeping is the only sound in Moab. It is heard on all its roofs. It is heard in the market. I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants,’ announces the LORD. 39 ‘How broken Moab is! How the people weep! They turn away from others because they are so ashamed. All those around them laugh at them. They are shocked at them.’ 40 The LORD says, ‘Look! Nebuchadnezzar is like an eagle diving down. He is spreading his wings over Moab. 41 Kerioth will be captured. Its forts will be taken. At that time the hearts of Moab’s soldiers will tremble in fear. They will be like the heart of a woman having a baby. 42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation. That is because its people thought they were better than the LORD. 43 You people of Moab,’ announces the LORD, ‘terror, a pit and a trap are waiting for you. 44 Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The time is coming when I will punish Moab,’ announces the LORD. 45 ‘In the shadow of Heshbon those who are trying to escape stand helpless. A fire has blazed out from Heshbon. Flames have come out from Sihon’s city. It burns the foreheads of Moab’s people. It burns the skulls of those who boast loudly. 46 How terrible it will be for you, Moab! Those who worship Chemosh are destroyed. Your sons are being taken to another country. Your daughters are taken away as prisoners. 47 ‘But in days to come I will bless Moab with great success again,’ announces the LORD. This ends the report about how the LORD would judge Moab.

Jeremia 48 | New International Version New International Reader’s Version

A message about Moab

A message about Moab