Jeremiah — Chapter 48

Concerning Moab.aA number of parallels to this chapter occur in Isa. 15–16. Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel:Alas, that Nebo should be ravaged,Kiriathaim captured and shamed,The strongholdbThe stronghold Or “Misgab.” shamed and dismayed!

Moab’s glory is no more;In Heshbon they have plannedcplanned Heb. ḥashebu, play on Heshbon. evil against her:“Come, let us make an end of her as a nation!”You too, O Madmen, shall be silenced;dsilenced Heb. tiddommi, play on Madmen, the name of a town. The sword is following you.

Hark! an outcry from Horonaim,Destruction and utter ruin!

Moab is broken;Her young ones cry aloud;eHer young ones cry aloud Emendation yields “They cry aloud as far as Zoar”; cf. Isa. 15.5.

They climb to LuhithWeeping continually;On the descent to HoronaimA distressing cry of anguish is heard:

Flee, save your lives!And be like Aroer in the desert.fAnd be like Aroer in the desert Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

Surely, because of your trustIn your wealth and in your treasures,You too shall be captured.And Chemosh shall go forth to exile,Together with his priests and attendants.

The ravager shall come to every town;No town shall escape.The valley shall be devastatedAnd the tableland laid waste—because GOD has spoken.

Give wings to Moab,For she must go hence.gwings to Moab, / For she must go hence Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Her towns shall become desolate,With no one living in them.

Cursed be he who is slack in doing GOD’s work! Cursed be he who withholds his sword from blood!

Moab has been secure from his youth on—He is settled on his leesAnd has not been poured from vessel to vessel—He has never gone into exile.Therefore his fine flavor has remainedAnd his bouquet is unspoiled.

But days are coming—declares GOD—when I will send to him those who will decant him;hdecant him Or “press forward against him”; cf. Isa. 63.1. they shall empty his vessels and smash his jars.

And Moab shall be shamed because of Chemosh, as the House of Israel were shamed because of Bethel, on whom they relied.

How can you say: We are warriors,Valiant men for war?

Moab is ravaged,His towns have been entered,His choice young menHave gone down to the slaughter—declares the KingiKing See note at 46.18. whose name is GOD of Hosts.

The doom of Moab is coming close,His downfall is approaching swiftly.

Condole with him, all who live near him,All you who know him by name!Say: “Alas, the strong rod is broken,The lordly staff!”

Descend from gloryAnd sit in thirst,jthirst Meaning of Heb. uncertain. O inhabitant of Fair Dibon;For the ravager of Moab has entered your town,He has destroyed your fortresses.

Stand by the road and look out,O inhabitant of Aroer.Ask of him who is fleeingAnd of her who is escaping:Say, “What has happened?”

Moab is shamed and dismayed;Howl and cry aloud!Tell at the ArnonThat Moab is ravaged!

Judgment has come upon the tableland—upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath;

upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim;

upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon;

upon Kerioth and Bozrah—upon all the towns of the land of Moab, far and near.

The might of Moab has been cut down,His strength is broken—declares GOD.

Get him drunkFor he vaunted himself against GOD.Moab shall vomit till he is drained,And he too shall be a laughingstock.

Wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you?Was he ever caught among thieves,That you should shake your headkshake your head In mockery. Whenever you speak of him?

Desert the citiesAnd dwell in the crags,O inhabitants of Moab!Be like a dove that nestsIn the sides of a pit.

We have heard of Moab’s pride—Most haughty is he—Of his arrogance and pride,His haughtiness and self-exaltation.

I know his insolence—declares GOD—the wickedness that is in him,lin him Cf. note at Isa. 16.6. the wickedness he hasmhe has Heb. “they have.” committed.

Therefore I will howl for Moab,I will cry out for all Moab,InI Heb. “He.” will moan for the people of Kir-heres.

With greater weeping than for JazerI weep for you, O vine of Sibmah,Whose tendrils crossed the sea,Reached to the sea,oReached to the sea Meaning of Heb. uncertain. to Jazer.A ravager has come downUpon your fig and grape harvests.

Rejoicing and gladnessAre gone from the farmland,From the country of Moab;I have put an end to wine in the presses,No one treads [the grapes] with shouting—The shout is a shout no more.pThe shout is a shout no more Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

There is an outcry from Heshbon to Elealeh,They raise their voices as far as Jahaz,From Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiah.The Waters of NimrimShall also become desolation.

And I will make an end in Moab—declares GOD—Of those who offer at a shrineAnd burn incense to their god.

Therefore,My heart moans for Moab like a flute;Like a flute my heart moansFor the people of Kir-heres—Therefore,The gains they have made shall vanishqTherefore, / The gains they have made shall vanish Meaning of Heb. uncertain.—

For every head is baldAnd every beard is shorn;On all hands there are gashes,And on the loins sackcloth.

On all the roofs of Moab,And in its squaresThere is naught but lamentation;For I have broken MoabLike a vessel no one wants—declares GOD.

How he is dismayed! Wail!How Moab has turned his back in shame!Moab shall be a laughingstockAnd a shock to all those near him.

For thus said GOD:See, he soars like an eagleAnd spreads out his wings against Moab!

Kerioth shall be capturedAnd the strongholds shall be seized.In that day, the heart of Moab’s warriorsShall be like the heart of a woman in travail.

And Moab shall be destroyed as a people,For he vaunted himself against GOD.

Terror, and pit, and traprTerror, and pit, and trap See note at Isa. 24.17. Upon you who dwell in Moab!—declares GOD.

He who flees from the terrorShall fall into the pit;And he who climbs out of the pitShall be caught in the trap.For I will bring upon MoabThe year of their doom—declares GOD.

In the shelter of HeshbonFugitives halt exhausted;For fire went forth from Heshbon,Flame from the midstsmidst Emendation yields “house.” of Sihon,Consuming the brow of Moab,The pate of the people of Shaon.tShaon Or “tumult.”

Woe to you, O Moab!The people of Chemosh are undone,For your sons are carried off into captivity,Your daughters into exile.

But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the days to come—declares GOD.Thus far is the judgment on Moab.