Judgement on Moab

Jeremiah 48

Concerning Moab, YHWH Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“Woe to Nebo! For it is laid waste. Kiriathaim is disappointed. It is taken. Misgab+48:1 or, The stronghold is put to shame and broken down. The praise for Moab is no more. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Y’all come! Let’s cut her off from being a nation.’ You, the city of Madmen, will be silenced. The sword will pursue you. The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction! Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. 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. Flee, y’all! Save your* lives! Y’all should be like the juniper bush in the wilderness. Because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken captive. Chemosh will go out into exile, his priests and his princes together. The destroyer will come on every city, and no city will escape. The valley will be ruined, and the plain will be destroyed, as YHWH has spoken. Y’all give wings to Moab, so that she may fly away. Her cities will become a desolation, without anyone to dwell in them.

 

“Cursed is the one who does the work of YHWH negligently, and cursed is the one who restrains their sword from bloodshed.

 

“Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has undisturbed like dregs of wine, not poured from vessel to vessel. He has not gone into captivity, therefore his taste remains in him, and his aroma is unchanged. Therefore look, the days are coming,” says YHWH, “when I will send to him those who pour from pitchers, and they will pour him out, and they will empty his vessels, and shatter their containers in pieces. Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

 

“How can y’all say, ‘We are warriors, valiant men in battle’? Moab is laid waste, her towns invaded, and her choicest young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King, whose name is YHWH Almighty. “The destruction of Moab is coming soon, and his disaster hurries quickly. Mourn for him, all y’all around him; and those who know his name, y’all must say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’

 

“Come down from your glory, and sit in thirst, daughter who dwells in Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you. He has destroyed your strongholds. Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, ‘What has been done?’ Moab is disgraced, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Y’all must announce by the Arnon that Moab has been destroyed. Judgment has come on the land of plateau, on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath, on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim, on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon, on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near. The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” says YHWH.

 

“Y’all must make him drunk, for he magnified himself against YHWH. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will be in derision. For wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he found among thieves? For as often as you speak of him, you shake your head in scorn. Y’all must leave the towns and live among the rocks, residents of Moab. Y’all are to be like a dove that makes her nest over the mouth of the pit.

 

“We have heard of the pride of Moab. his arrogance of exceeding grandeur, his pride, and the majestic haughtiness of his heart. I know his fury,” says YHWH, “that it is nothing, his bragging have accomplished nothing. Therefore I will wail for Moab. Yes, I will cry out for all Moab. They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres. 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. 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. 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. Moreover I will put an end in Moab,” says YHWH, “him who offers in the high place, and him who burns incense to his gods. 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. For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. There are cuttings on all the hands, and sackcloth on the waist. 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 YHWH. “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.” For YHWH says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle, and will spread out his wings against Moab. 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. Moab will be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against YHWH. Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you, inhabitant of Moab,” says YHWH. “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 YHWH.

 

“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. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity.

 

“Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says YHWH.

Thus far is the judgment of Moab.