48
1 Of
Moab. The LORD
of Armies, the
God of Israel,
says:
“Woe to Nebo!
For it is
laid waste.
Kiriathaim is disappointed.
It is taken.
Misgab
is put to shame
and broken down.
2 The
praise of Moab
is no more.
In Heshbon they
have devised evil
against her:
‘Come! Let’s cut
her off from
being a nation.’
You also, Madmen,
will be brought
to silence.
The sword will
pursue you.
3 The
sound of a
cry from Horonaim,
desolation and
great destruction!
4 Moab
is destroyed.
Her little ones
have caused a cry
to be heard.
5 For
they will go
up by the
ascent of Luhith
with continual
weeping.
For at the
descent of
Horonaim they have
heard the distress
of the cry
of destruction.
6 Flee!
Save your lives!
Be like the
juniper bush in
the wilderness.
7 For,
because you
have trusted in
your works and
in your treasures,
you also will
be taken.
Chemosh will go
out into captivity,
his priests and
his princes
together.
8 The
destroyer will
come on every
city,
and no city
will escape;
the valley also
will perish,
and the plain
will be destroyed,
as the LORD
has spoken.
9 Give
wings to Moab,
that she may fly
and get herself
away:
and her cities
will become a
desolation,
without anyone to
dwell in them.
10 “Cursed is
he who does
the work of
the LORD
negligently;
and cursed is he
who keeps back his
sword from blood.
11 “Moab
has been at
ease from his
youth,
and he has
settled on his
dregs,
and has not
been emptied from
vessel to vessel,
neither has he
gone into
captivity;
therefore his
taste remains in
him,
and his scent
is not changed.
12 Therefore
behold, the days
come,” says the
LORD,
“that I will
send to him those
who pour off,
and they will pour
him off;
and they will
empty his vessels,
and break their
containers in
pieces.
13 Moab
will be ashamed of
Chemosh,
as the house
of Israel
was ashamed of
Bethel, their
confidence.
14 “How do you say, ‘We
are mighty men,
and valiant men
for the war’?
15 Moab
is laid waste,
and they have
gone up into
his cities,
and his chosen
young men have
gone down to
the slaughter,”
says the King,
whose name is
the LORD of
Armies.
16 “The
calamity of Moab
is near to come,
and his affliction hurries
fast.
17 All
you who are
around him, bemoan
him;
and all you
who know his
name, say,
‘How the strong
staff is broken,
the beautiful
rod!’
18 “You
daughter who
dwells in Dibon,
come down from
your glory,
and sit in
thirst;
for the destroyer
of Moab has
come up against
you.
He has destroyed
your strongholds.
19 Inhabitant
of Aroer, stand
by the way
and watch.
Ask him who
flees, and her
who escapes;
say, ‘What has
been done?’
20 Moab
is disappointed;
for it is
broken down.
Wail and cry!
Tell it by
the Arnon, that
Moab is laid waste.
21 Judgment
has come on
the plain country—
on Holon, on
Jahzah, on
Mephaath,
22 on
Dibon, on Nebo,
on Beth Diblathaim,
23 on
Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul,
on Beth Meon,
24 on
Kerioth, on Bozrah,
and on all
the cities of
the land of Moab,
far or near.
25 The
horn of Moab
is cut off,
and his arm
is broken,” says
the LORD.
26 “Make
him drunk,
for he magnified
himself against
the LORD.
Moab will wallow
in his vomit,
and he also
will be in
derision.
27 For wasn’t
Israel a derision
to you?
Was he found
among thieves?
For as often
as you speak
of him,
you shake
your head.
28 You
inhabitants of
Moab, leave the
cities, and dwell
in the rock.
Be like the
dove that makes
her nest over
the mouth of
the abyss.
29 “We
have heard of
the pride of
Moab.
He is very
proud in his
loftiness, his
pride,
his arrogance,
and the arrogance
of his heart.
30 I
know his wrath,”
says the LORD, “that
it is nothing;
his boastings have
done nothing.
31 Therefore
I will wail
for Moab.
Yes, I will
cry out for
all Moab.
They will mourn
for the men
of Kir Heres.
32 With
more than the
weeping of Jazer
I will weep
for you, vine
of Sibmah.
Your branches
passed over the
sea.
They reached even
to the sea
of Jazer.
The destroyer has
fallen on your
summer fruits
and on your
vintage.
33 Gladness
and joy is taken
away from the
fruitful field
and from the
land of Moab.
I have caused
wine to cease
from the wine
presses.
No one will
tread with
shouting.
The shouting will
be no shouting.
34 From
the cry of
Heshbon even
to Elealeh,
even to Jahaz
they have uttered
their voice,
from Zoar even
to Horonaim,
to Eglath Shelishiyah;
for the waters
of Nimrim will
also become
desolate.
35 Moreover I
will cause to
cease in Moab,”
says the LORD,
“him who offers
in the high
place,
and him who
burns incense to
his gods.
36 Therefore
my heart sounds
for Moab like
flutes,
and my
heart sounds like
flutes for the
men of Kir Heres.
Therefore the
abundance that he
has gotten
has perished.
37 For
every head is
bald,
and every beard
clipped.
There are
cuttings on all
the hands,
and sackcloth on
the waist.
38 On
all the housetops
of Moab,
and in its
streets, there is
lamentation everywhere;
for I have
broken Moab like
a vessel in
which no one
delights,” says
the LORD.
39 “How it
is broken down!
How they wail!
How Moab has
turned the back
with shame!
So will Moab
become a derision
and a terror
to all who
are around him.”
40 For
the LORD says: “Behold, he will fly
as an eagle,
and will spread
out his wings
against Moab.
41 Kerioth
is taken,
and the
strongholds are
seized.
The heart of
the mighty men
of Moab at
that day
will be as
the heart of
a woman in her
pangs.
42 Moab
will be destroyed
from being a
people,
because he has
magnified himself
against the LORD.
43 Terror,
the pit, and
the snare are
on you,
inhabitant of
Moab,” says the
LORD.
44 “He
who flees from the
terror will fall
into the pit;
and he who gets
up out of
the pit will
be taken in
the snare,
for I will
bring on him,
even on Moab,
the year of
their visitation,”
says the LORD.
45 “Those
who fled stand
without strength under
the shadow of
Heshbon;
for a fire has
gone out of
Heshbon,
and a flame
from the middle of
Sihon,
and has devoured
the corner of
Moab,
and the crown
of the head
of the tumultuous
ones.
46 Woe to
you, O Moab!
The people of
Chemosh are undone;
for your sons
are taken away
captive,
and your
daughters into
captivity.
47 “Yet
I will reverse
the captivity of
Moab in the latter
days,”
says the LORD.
Thus far is
the judgment of
Moab.