Jeremiah, 48

1. Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded [and] taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

1. Concerning Moab. Yahweh the God of Israel, says this: "Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste. Kiriathaim is captured and disgraced; the fortress is shattered and abased.

2. [There shall be] no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from [being] a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

2. No more will Moab be praised; men in Heshbon are plotting her downfall: 'Let us put an end to that nation!' You, too, Madmen, will be subdued; behind you stalks the sword.

3. A voice of crying [shall be] from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

3. Listen, a cry from Horonaim - a cry of ruin and destruction!

4. Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

4. Moab is destroyed; her cry is heard as far as Zoar.

5. For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

5. Her little ones go up the way to Lulith, weeping bitterly as they make the ascent. On the descent to Horonaim the cry of destruction is still heard.

6. Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

6. Flee, run for your lives, like the wild asses in the desert.

7. For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity [with] his priests and his princes together.

7. Since you trusted in your deeds and riches, you also will be captured. Chemosh will go into exile, together with her priests and officials.

8. And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

8. Upon every city the destroyer comes, and not a single city escapes. The valley is despoiled, the plain plundered, as Yahweh has declared.

9. Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

9. Bury Moab for she has perished! Her cities will become desolate, with no inhabitant left.

10. Cursed [be] he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed [be] he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

10. A curse be on him who is lax in performing the work of Yahweh! A curse be on him who holds back his sword from shedding blood!

11. Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

11. From his youth Moab has lived at ease resting complacently upon lees, never having gone into exile, never having been decanted; so she kept her own flavor as wine, her aroma remained the same.

12. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

12. And so the day will come - Yahweh says - when I will send decanters to her. They will empty her flasks and break her jars.

13. And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

13. Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel has been ashamed of Bethel, in which they put their trust.

14. How say ye, We [are] mighty and strong men for the war?

14. How can you say, 'We are heroes and valiant men of war?'

15. Moab is spoiled, and gone up [out of] her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name [is] the LORD of hosts.

15. Moab will be destroyed, her towns shattered; her finest young men will be slaughtered - it is the King who speaks, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth.

16. The calamity of Moab [is] near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

16. Moab's ruin is near at hand; her downfall comes at top speed.

17. All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, [and] the beautiful rod!

17. All you her neighbors, mourn for her, all you who knew her well; say, "How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious rod!"

18. Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from [thy] glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, [and] he shall destroy thy strong holds.

18. Come down from glory, sit on the parched ground, all you who dwell in Dibon; Moab's destroyer has come against you, he has destroyed your stronghold.

19. O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, [and] say, What is done?

19. Stand by the way and watch closely, you who dwell in Aroer; ask the men who flee, the women who escape, ask them what has happened.

20. Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

20. Moab is shamed, oh, yes, destroyed; howl and cry out for her. Announce it by the Arnon that Moab is ruined.

21. And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

21. Judgment has come on the tableland: on Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,

22. And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

22. on Dibon, Nebo and Bethdiblathaim,

23. And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

23. on Kiriathaim, Bethgamul and Bethmeon,

24. And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

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

25. The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

25. The horn of Moab is cut off and her arm broken - it is Yahweh who speaks.

26. Make ye him drunken: for he magnified [himself] against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

26. Make her drunk! Because she magnified herself against Yahweh, Moab will wallow in her vomit and become a laughingstock in turn.

27. For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

27. Was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Was she found among thieves, that whenever you speak of her you wag your head?

28. O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove [that] maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

28. Leave the cities and dwell in the rocky cliffs, O inhabitants of Moab. Learn from the dove that makes its nest out of reach on the edge of a cliff.

29. We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

29. We have heard of the pride of Moab, of her loftiness and arrogance, of the haughtiness of her heart.

30. I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but [it shall] not [be] so; his lies shall not so effect [it].

30. Yahweh says: I know her insolence; her words are false, her deeds are vain.

31. Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; [mine heart] shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

31. And so I wail for Moab; for the whole of Moab I moan; for the men of Kir-heres I mourn.

32. O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach [even] to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

32. O vineyard of Sibmah, I weep for you more than for Jazer. Your branches spread as far as the sea, all the way to the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your harvest and your vintage.

33. And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; [their] shouting [shall be] no shouting.

33. Jubilation is at an end in the fruit gardens of Moab; the vintage shout of joy is not heard, for I have drained the wine from the wine vats.

34. From the cry of Heshbon [even] unto Elealeh, [and even] unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar [even] unto Horonaim, [as] an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

34. The cry of Heshbon and Elealeh is heard as far as Jahaz. From Zoar to Horonaim and Eglathshelishiyah, their lament is heard, for even the waters of Nimrim have become desolate.

35. Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

35. Yahweh says: I will bring to an end any man in Moab who offers sacrifice on the high place and burns incense to his gods.

36. Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches [that] he hath gotten are perished.

36. And that is why my heart, like a flute, sobs for Moab, moans for the men of Kir-heres whose accumulated riches have all perished.

37. For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

37. Every head is shorn, every beard cut off; gashes are on their hands, sackcloth covers their loins.

38. [There shall be] lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure, saith the LORD.

38. There is nothing but lamentation on all the housetops and in the public squares of Moab, for I have shattered her like a vessel that no one wants - says Yahweh.

39. They shall howl, [saying], How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

39. What terror has seized Moab, what wailing! Oh, how she has turned back in shame! Moab has become a laughingstock and a horror to her neighbors.

40. For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

40. For thus says Yahweh: Look, an eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab.

41. Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

41. The towns will be captured, the strongholds seized. The heart of Moab's warriors on that day will be like the heart of a woman in travail.

42. And Moab shall be destroyed from [being] a people, because he hath magnified [himself] against the LORD.

42. Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord.

43. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [shall be] upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

43. Terror, pit, and snare be upon you, O people of Moab - says Yahweh.

44. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, [even] upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

44. He who flees from terror will fall into the pit; he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; for I will let this happen to Moab in the year of her punishment - says Yahweh.

45. They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

45. Fugitives stop in the shadow of Heshbon, for a fire has gone from the house of Sihon, burning Moab's skull and her boasters' crown.

46. Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

46. Woe to you, Moab, people of Chemosh who suffer calamity! Your sons are taken into exile, your daughers into captivity.

47. Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far [is] the judgment of Moab.

47. But in the days to come I will restore the fortunes of Moab - Yahweh declares." The judgment on Moab ends here.