Chapter 48

Against Moab thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled:²⁷ Kiriathaim is confounded⁵² [and] taken:⁸ Misgab is confounded⁵² and dismayed.¹

[There shall be] no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised¹ evil against it; come,³ and let us cut it off⁵⁵ from [being] a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down,¹¹ O Madmen; the sword shall pursue^{4 310} thee.

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

Moab is destroyed;⁸ her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.⁵²

For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up;⁴ for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard¹ a cry of destruction.

Flee,³ save¹⁶ your lives, and be⁴ like the heath in the wilderness.

For because thou hast trusted² in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken:¹¹ and Chemosh shall go forth¹ into captivity [with] his priests and his princes together.

And the spoiler⁶ shall come⁴ upon every city, and no city shall escape:¹¹ the valley also shall perish,¹ and the plain shall be destroyed,⁸ as the LORD hath spoken.¹

Give³ wings unto Moab, that it may flee² and get away:⁴ for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell⁶ therein.

Cursed⁷ [be] he that doeth⁶ the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed⁷ [be] he that keepeth back⁶ his sword from blood.

Moab hath been at ease⁴⁰ from his youth, and he hath settled⁶ on his lees, and hath not been emptied⁹⁰ from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone¹ into captivity: therefore his taste remained¹ in him, and his scent is not changed.⁸

Therefore, behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that I will send¹⁴ unto him wanderers,⁶ that shall cause him to wander,¹⁴ and shall empty⁵⁵ his vessels, and break¹⁷ their bottles.

And Moab shall be ashamed¹ of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed¹ of Bethel their confidence.

How say⁴ ye, We [are] mighty and strong men for the war?

Moab is spoiled,²⁷ and gone up¹ [out of] her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down¹ to the slaughter, saith⁷ the King, whose name [is] the LORD of hosts.

The calamity of Moab [is] near to come,² and his affliction hasteth¹⁴ fast.

All ye that are about him, bemoan³ him; and all ye that know⁶ his name, say,³ How is the strong staff broken,⁸ [and] the beautiful rod!

Thou daughter that dost inhabit⁶ Dibon, come down³ from [thy] glory, and sit^{3 3427 6} in thirst; for the spoiler⁶ of Moab shall come¹ upon thee, [and] he shall destroy¹⁴ thy strong holds.

O inhabitant⁶ of Aroer, stand³ by the way, and espy;¹⁶ ask³ him that fleeth,⁵ and her that escapeth,¹² [and] say,³ What is done?⁸

Moab is confounded;⁵² for it is broken down:¹ howl⁵⁴ and cry;³ tell⁵⁴ ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,²⁷

And judgment is come¹ upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

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

The horn of Moab is cut off,⁸ and his arm is broken,⁸ saith⁷ the LORD.

Make ye him drunken:⁵⁴ for he magnified⁵² [himself] against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow¹ in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found⁸ among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst¹¹³ for joy.

O ye that dwell⁶ in Moab, leave³ the cities, and dwell³ in the rock, and be like the dove [that] maketh her nest¹⁷ in the sides of the hole's mouth.

We have heard¹ the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

I know¹ his wrath, saith⁷ the LORD; but [it shall] not [be] so; his lies shall not so effect¹ [it].

Therefore will I howl⁵⁵ for Moab, and I will cry out⁴ for all Moab; [mine heart] shall mourn⁴ for the men of Kirheres.

O vine of Sibmah, I will weep⁴ for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over¹ the sea, they reach¹ [even] to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler⁶ is fallen¹ upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

And joy and gladness is taken⁸ from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail⁵² from the winepresses: none shall tread⁴ with shouting; [their] shouting [shall be] no shouting.

From the cry of Heshbon [even] unto Elealeh, [and even] unto Jahaz, have they uttered¹ their voice, from Zoar [even] unto Horonaim, [as] an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

Moreover I will cause to cease⁵² in Moab, saith⁷ the LORD, him that offereth⁵⁶ in the high places, and him that burneth incense⁵⁶ to his gods.

Therefore mine heart shall sound⁴ for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound⁴ like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches [that] he hath gotten¹ are perished.¹

For every head [shall be] bald, and every beard clipped:⁷ upon all the hands [shall be] cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

[There shall be] lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken¹ Moab like a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure, saith⁷ the LORD.

They shall howl,⁵⁴ [saying], How is it broken down!¹ how hath Moab turned⁵² the back with shame!¹ so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

For thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, he shall fly⁴ as an eagle, and shall spread¹ his wings over Moab.

Kerioth is taken,⁸ and the strong holds are surprised,⁸ and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.⁵⁶

And Moab shall be destroyed⁸ from [being] a people, because he hath magnified⁵² [himself] against the LORD.

Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [shall be] upon thee, O inhabitant⁶ of Moab, saith⁷ the LORD.

He that fleeth^{5 5211} from the fear shall fall⁴ into the pit; and he that getteth up⁶ out of the pit shall be taken¹¹ in the snare: for I will bring⁵⁵ upon it, [even] upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith⁷ the LORD.

They that fled⁵ stood¹ under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth¹ out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour⁴ the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth:¹ for thy sons are taken²⁷ captives, and thy daughters captives.

Yet will I bring again¹ the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith⁷ the LORD. Thus far [is] the judgment of Moab.