Jeremiah 48:1-22

Prophecy against Moab

¹Concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:

“Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed;

Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured;

The high stronghold has been put to shame and shattered.

2“There is no longer praise for Moab;

In Heshbon they have devised disaster against her:

‘Come and let’s cut her off from being a nation!’

You too, Madmen, will be silenced;

The sword will follow you.

3“The sound of an outcry from Horonaim,

‘Devastation and great destruction!’

4“Moab is broken,

Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress.

5“For they will go up by the ascent of Luhith

With continual weeping;

For at the descent of Horonaim

They have heard the anguished cry of destruction.

6“Flee, save yourselves,

So that you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.

7“For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures,

You yourself will also be captured;

And Chemosh will go off into exile

Together with his priests and his leaders.

8“A destroyer will come to every city,

So that no city will escape;

The valley also will be ruined

And the plateau will be destroyed,

As the Lord has said.

9“Give wings to Moab,

For she will flee away;

And her cities will become a desolation,

Without inhabitants in them.

10“Cursed is the one who does the Lord’s work negligently,

And cursed is the one who restrains his sword from blood.

11“Moab has been at ease since his youth;

He has also been peaceful, like wine on its dregs,

And he has not been poured from vessel to vessel,

Nor has he gone into exile.

Therefore he retains his flavor,

And his aroma has not changed.

¹²Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will pour out his vessels and smash his jars. ¹³And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

14“How can you say, ‘We are warriors,

And men competent for battle’?

15“Moab has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities;

His choicest young men have also gone down to the slaughter,”

Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of armies.

16“The disaster of Moab will soon come,

And his catastrophe has hurried quickly.

17“Mourn for him, all you who live around him,

And all of you who know his name;

Say, ‘How the mighty scepter has been broken,

A staff of splendor!’

18“Come down from your glory

And sit on the parched ground,

O daughter living in Dibon,

For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you,

He has ruined your strongholds.

19“Stand by the road and keep watch,

You inhabitant of Aroer;

Ask him who flees and her who escapes

And say, ‘What has happened?’

20“Moab has been put to shame, for it has been shattered.

Wail and cry out;

Declare by the Arnon

That Moab has been destroyed.

²¹“Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah, and against Mephaath, ²²against Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,