Jeremiah chapter 48
Jeremiah prophecies against Moab.
JEREMIAH PROPHECIES AGAINST MOAB
VERSE 1. Of Moab. The LORD of Hosts, 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.
Of Moab. The nation of Moab was east of the Dead Sea.
Moab was separated from Edom on the south by the Zered River.
It was separated from Ammon on the north by the Arnon River.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 3. The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
VERSE 4. Moab is destroyed. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 6. Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness.
VERSE 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.
you have trusted in your works. Instead of trusting the LORD God to save them, they only relied upon themselves.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 10. “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
NIV translation. A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!
does the work of the LORD negligently. Many believers are reluctant to minister to other people. They hide their light under a bushel basket.
him who keeps his sword from bloodshed. In the Bible, the word “sword” can often be taken as a euphemism for “the Bible.” Here are the verses about this »
VERSE 11. “Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, 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.
NIV translation. Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another– she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged.
he … his. The WEB translation refers to Moab using male pronouns.
she … her. But the NIV translation refers to Moab using female pronouns.
she tastes as she did. What does this refer to?
her aroma is unchanged. What does this refer to?
VERSE 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.
VERSE 13. Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
VERSE 14. “How do you say, ‘We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?’
VERSE 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 Hosts.
VERSE 16. “The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hurries fast.
VERSE 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!’
VERSE 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.
VERSE 19. Inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and watch. Ask him who flees, and her who escapes; say, ‘What has been done?’
VERSE 20. Moab is disappointed; for it is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
VERSE 21. Judgment has come on the plain country, on Holon, on Jahzah, on Mephaath,
VERSE 22. on Dibon, on Nebo, on Beth Diblathaim,
VERSE 23. on Kiriathaim, on Beth Gamul, on Beth Meon,
VERSE 24. on Kerioth, on Bozrah, and on all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
VERSE 25. The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” says the LORD.
VERSE 26. “Make him drunken; for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will be in derision.
he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab is profoundly arrogant.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 30. I know his wrath,” says the LORD, “that it is nothing; his boastings have done nothing.
VERSE 31. Therefore I will wail for Moab. Yes, I will cry out for all Moab. They will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 36. Therefore my heart sounds for Moab like pipes, and my heart sounds like pipes for the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the abundance that he has gotten has perished.
VERSE 37. For every head is bald, and every beard clipped. There are cuttings on all the hands, and sackcloth on the waist.
This verse describes outward signs of mourning or grief in those days:
head is bald. They shaved their heads.
beard clipped. They cut their beards.
cuttings on all the hands. They cut themselves.
sackcloth on the waist. They wore sackcloth.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.”
VERSE 40. For the LORD says: “Behold, he will fly as an eagle, and will spread out his wings against Moab.
he will fly as an eagle. Like an eagle that soars high above the vultures and crows that try to annoy it, the LORD God will lift us high above our enemies. Don’t lose hope! Read more »
VERSE 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.
VERSE 42. Moab will be destroyed from being a people, because he has magnified himself against the LORD.
VERSE 43. Terror, the pit, and the snare are on you, inhabitant of Moab,” says the LORD.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 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.
VERSE 46. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone; for your sons are taken away captive, and your daughters into captivity.
VERSE 47. “Yet I will reverse the captivity of Moab in the latter days,” says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
HCSB translation. Yet, I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the last days. This is the Lord’s declaration. The judgment on Moab ends here.
I will restore the fortunes of Moab.The bad days will end. Things will finally turn around.
The judgment on Moab ends here. It ends. It ends here and now.
JEREMIAH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.