THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 48 ©

A prophecy against the Moabites, because of their manifold sins, especially their intolerable insolence and contempt of God and His people, with a promise annexed.

1

AGAINST1 Moaba thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto 2Nebo! for it 3is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: 4Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

2

There shall be no more praise of Moab: in 5Heshbon 6they have 7devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a 8nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O 9Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

3

A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great 10destruction.

4

Moab is 11destroyed; 12her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

5

For in the going up of Luhith continual weepingb shall go up; for in the going down of 13Horonaim the enemies have heard a 14cry of destruction.

6

Flee, save your 15lives, and be like the 16heathc in the wilderness.

7

¶For because thou hast trusted in thy 17works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and 18Chemosh shall go forth into 19captivity with 20his priestsd and his princes together.

8

And the 21spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the 22plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

9

23Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

10

Cursed be he that doeth the work of the 24LORD 25deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from 26blood.

11

¶Moab hath been at 27ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his 28lees,e and hath not been 29emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste 30remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

12

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him 31wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and 32break their 33bottles.

13

And Moab shall be ashamed of 34Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of 35Beth-el 36theirf confidence.

14

¶How say ye, We are mighty and 37strong men for the war?

15

Moab 38is spoiled, and 39gone up out of 40her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the 41slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

16

The 42calamity of Moab is near to come, and his 43affliction hasteth fast.

17

All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his 44name, say, How is 45the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

18

Thou 46daughter that dost inhabit 47Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in 48thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

19

O inhabitant of 49Aroer, stand by the way, and espy;g ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, 50What is done?

20

Moab is confounded; for 51it is 52broken down: howlh and cry; tell ye it in 53Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

21

And 54judgment is come upon the 55plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

22

And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,

23

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

24

And upon Kerioth, and upon 56Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

25

The 57horn of Moab is cut off, and his 58arm is broken, saith the LORD.

26

¶Make 59ye him drunken: for he 60magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also 61shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in 62derision.

27

For was not Israel a 63derision unto thee? was he found among 64thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou 65skippedst for joy.

28

O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the 66rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the 67sides of the hole's mouth.

29

68We have heard the pridei of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30

I know his 69wrath, saith the LORD; 70but it shall not be so; his 71lies shall not so effect it.

31

Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart 72shall mourn for the men of 73Kir-heres.

32

O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee 74with the weeping of Jazer: thy 75plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the 76spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

33

And joyj and gladness is 77taken from the 78plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I 79have caused wine to fail from the 80winepresses: none shall tread with 81shouting; their shouting shall be no 82shouting.

34

From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they 83uttered their voice, from Zoarkeven unto Horonaim, as an 84heifer of three years old: for the waters also of 85Nimrim shall be desolate.

35

Moreover I will 86cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the 87high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

36

Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like 88pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: 89because the 90riches that 91he hath gotten 92are perished.

37

For 93every headlshall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings,m and upon the loins sackcloth.

38

There shall be lamentation 94generally upon all the 95housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a 96vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.

39

97They shall howl, saying, How is 98it 99broken down! how hath Moab turned the 100back with 101shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

40

For thus saith the LORD; Behold, 102he shall 103fly as an eagle,n and shall spread his wings over Moab.

41

104Kerioth is taken, and the strong 105holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s 106hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her 107pangs.

42

And Moab shall be destroyed 108from being a people, because he hath 109magnified himself against the LORD.

43

110Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

44

He that fleeth 111from 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.

45

They that fled 112stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a 113fireo shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame 114from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the 115head of the tumultuous ones.

46

116Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of 117Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

47

¶Yet will I 118bring again the 119captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. 120Thus far is the judgment of Moab.