CHAPTER 48

1 Concerning Moab: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, — Woe upon Nebo! for it is laid waste, Ashamed, taken is Kiriathaim; Ashamed is Misgab and dismayed.

2 No more shall be the boasting of Moab over Heshbon; They have consulted an evil against her, — “Come and let us cut her off from being a nation.” Also Madmen, thou shalt be cut off, After thee shall go the sword.

3 The sound of a cry from Horonaim! A waste and great destruction!

4 Distressed is Moab; A cry have her little ones made to be heard.

5 For in the ascent to Luhith, With weeping shall ascend weeping; For in the descent to Horonaim, The enemies a cry of distress shall hear:

6 Flee ye, save your lives; And ye shall be as the juniper in the desert,

7 Therefore, because thy confidence Was in thy works and in thy treasures, Even thou shalt be taken: And go forth shall Chemosh into captivity, His priests and his princes together.

8 And come shall a waster to every city, Nor shall a city escape; Perish also shall the valley, And destroyed shall be the plain, As Jehovah hath spoken.

9 Give wings to Moab, For flying she shall fly, And her cities shall be a waste, That there will be none to inhabit them.

10 Cursed is he who doeth the work of Jehovah deceitfully, And cursed is he who restrains his sword from blood.

11 Quiet has been Moab from his childhood, And hath settled on his dregs, And hath not been changed from vessel to vessel, And to captivity he hath not gone: Therefore remained has his flavor in him, And his odor was not changed.

12 Therefore, behold, the days are coming, saith Jehovah, That I will send to him drivers, Who will drive him out; And his vessels will they empty, And his bottles will they scatter:

13 And ashamed will be Moab of Chemosh, As ashamed was the house of Israel of Bethel, The object of their confidence.

14 How say ye, “We are valiant, and men strong for war:”

15 Wasted is Moab, and from his cities they have vanished, And his young men have descended to the slaughter, Saith the King, Jehovah of hosts is his name.

16 Nigh is the destruction of Moab to come, And her calamity greatly hastens. Be ye moved for him all who are around him, And all ye who know his name, say, — “How has the strong staff been broken, the beautiful rod!”

17 Come down from glory, and dwell in thirst, Thou inhabitant, the daughter of Dibon!

18 For the waster of Moab comes up against thee, The destroyer of thy fortresses.

19 On the way stand and look, Thou inhabitant of Aroer. Ask the fugitive, and her who has escaped, “Say, what hath happened?”

20 Ashamed is Moab, for he is broken. Howl ye, and cry out, And proclaim in Arnon that Moab is laid waste.

21 Judgment also shall come on the plain country, On Holon, and on Jahazah, and on Mephaath,

22 And on Dibon, and on Nebo, and on Beth-diblathaim,

23 And on Kiriathaim, and on Beth-gamul, and on Beth-meon,

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

25 Cut, off is the horn of Moab, And his strength is broken, saith Jehovah.

26 Make him drunk, for against Jehovah hath he magnified him- self; And roll himself shall Moab in his own vomit; And he also shall be a derision;

27 For has not Israel been a derision to thee? Has he been found among thieves? For since thou hast spoken of him, thou hast been excited.

28 Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, Ye inhabitants of Moab: And they shall be as a dove, Which makes a nest in the passages, Beyond the mouth of the cleft.

29 Heard have we of the pride of Moab; Very proud is his haughtiness, And his pride, and the loftiness of his heart.

30 I know, saith Jehovah, his insolence, And his lies are not stable they shall not do so

31 Therefore for Moab will I howl, And to all Moab will I cry aloud; I will mutter to the men of the city of potsherd.

32 With the weeping of Jazer Will I weep for thee, vine of Sibmah: Thy shoots have passed over the sea, Even to the sea came Jazer: On thy summer-fruits and on thy vintages Has fallen a waster.

33 And taken away shall be joy and exultation, From the fruitful field, from the land of Moab; And the wine from the presses will I make to cease: He will not tread with shouting, shouting, There will not be shouting.

34 At the cry of Heshbon, to Elealeh, to Jahaz, Will they send forth their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim; An heifer three years old is Moab; Verily even the waters of Nimrim shall be dried up.

35 And I will cause to cease from Moab, saith Jehovah, Him who offers on the high place, And who burns incense to his gods

36 Therefore my heart for Moab Shall make a sound like pipes, And my heart for the men of the city of potsherd Like pipes shall make a sound; For the treasures he had made have perished.

37 For on every head shall be baldness, And to every beard, a shaving, And on all hands, incisions, and on loins, sackcloth.

38 On all the roofs of Moab, And in all her streets, shall be mourning altogether; For I will break Moab like a vessel In which there is no pleasure, saith Jehovah.

39 How Moab is broken! they will howl; How has he turned his back! he is ashamed: Yea, Moab is become a derision, And a terror to all around.

40 For thus saith Jehovah, — Behold, as an eagle will he fly, And extend his wings over Moab:

41 Taken are the cities, the strongholds are seized, And the heart of the men of Moab shall be in that day As the heart of a woman in distress.

42 And broken shall Moab be, so as not to be a people, Because against Jehovah hath he exalted himself.

43 Terror, and the pit, and the snare, shall be on thee, Inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah:

44 He who flies from terror shall fall into the pit, And he who ascends from the pit shall be taken in the snare; For I will bring upon her, upon Moab, The year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.

45 Under the shadow of Heshbon shall they stand, Who from violence shall flee: But fire shall go forth from Heshbon, And a flame from the midst of Sihon; And it shall consume the corner of Moab, And the extremities of the sons of tumult.

46 Woe to thee, Moab! Perished have the people of Chemosh! For driven have been thy sons into captivity, And thy daughters into exile.

47 But I will restore the captivity of Moab In the latter days, saith Jehovah. Thus far the judgment of Moab.