Jeremiah

Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

1This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says about Moab: "How terrible for the town of Nebo! It will be wrecked. Kiriathaim will be captured and shamed. The strong fortress will be broken down."

2There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

2No one praises Moab anymore. In Heshbon men plan to harm her. They say, "Come, let us wipe this nation out." You too, town of Madmen, will be silenced. The sword will chase you.

NoteMadmen is the name of a town in Moab. It has nothing to do with the English word "madmen."

3A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

3Listen! Cries come from Horonaim: "Everything is wrecked! There is terrible destruction!"

4Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

4Moab is broken to pieces. Her little children cry out loud.

5For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

5People climb the road up to Luhith, weeping as they go. On the road down to Horonaim, cries of pain ring out over the ruin.

6Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

6"Run! Save your lives! Live like a bare little bush out in the desert."

7For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

7You trusted in the things you made and the riches you stored up. So you will be captured too. Chemosh, the god of Moab, will be carried off with his priests and officials.

8And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

8The destroyer will attack every city, and not one town will get away. The valley will be ruined and the flat highland destroyed, just as the LORD said.

9Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

9Give Moab wings so she can fly away and escape. Her cities will be left empty, with no one living in them.

10Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

10A curse on anyone who does the LORD's work in a slack, careless way. A curse on anyone who holds his sword back from killing.

NoteIn 1611 English, "deceitfully" here meant slack or careless, not lying.

11Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

11Moab has had an easy life since he was young. He is like wine left sitting on its thick dregs. He has never been poured from one jar into another, and never taken away as a prisoner. So his taste is the same, and his smell has not changed.

NoteWine was left to sit until the thick bits sank to the bottom. Pouring it into a new jar stirred it up. Moab had never been stirred up like that.

12Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

12"So the days are coming," says the LORD, "when I will send men to pour him out. They will empty his jars and smash them."

13And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

13Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as Israel was ashamed of the god they trusted at Bethel.

14How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?

14How can you say, "We are soldiers, strong men ready to fight"?

15Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

15Moab is wrecked, and her towns are overrun. Her finest young men have gone down to be killed, says the King, whose name is the LORD of Heaven's Armies.

16The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

16Moab's disaster is close now. His suffering is rushing toward him fast.

17All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

17All you neighbors, cry for him. All who know his name, say, "The strong ruler's staff is broken! The beautiful staff is snapped!"

18Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

18Come down from your place of honor, you who live in Dibon. Sit on dry ground. The destroyer of Moab is coming, and he has torn down your strong walls.

19O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

19You who live in Aroer, stand by the road and watch. Ask the man running away and the woman escaping, "What happened?"

20Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

20Moab is shamed, because it has been smashed. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon River that Moab is ruined.

21And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

21Punishment has come to the flat highland: to Holon, to Jahzah, and to Mephaath,

22And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

22and to Dibon, to Nebo, and to Beth-diblathaim,

23And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

23and to Kiriathaim, to Beth-gamul, and to Beth-meon,

24And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

24and to Kerioth, to Bozrah, and to every town in the land of Moab, near and far.

25The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

25"Moab's horn is cut off and his arm is broken. His strength is gone," says the LORD.

26Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

26Make Moab drunk, because he made himself big against the LORD. He will roll in his own vomit, and people will laugh at him.

27For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

27Didn't you laugh at Israel? Was he ever caught among thieves? Yet every time you spoke of him, you shook your head at him.

28O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.

28You who live in Moab, leave your towns and live among the rocks. Be like a dove that builds her nest at the mouth of a cave.

29We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

29We have heard how proud Moab is. He is very proud. He is stuck up, boastful, and full of himself.

30I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

30"I know how boldly he talks," says the LORD, "but it comes to nothing. His bragging is as empty as the things he does."

31Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

31So I will wail for Moab. I will cry out for all of Moab. I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.

32O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

32Vine of Sibmah, I weep for you more than I weep for Jazer. Your branches spread out to the sea and reached as far as Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruit and your grape harvest.

33And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

33Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and the fields of Moab. I have stopped the wine flowing from the presses. No one stomps the grapes with happy shouts. Their shouting is not joyful shouting.

34From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

34Cries go up from Heshbon to Elealeh, and voices are raised as far as Jahaz. They cry from Zoar to Horonaim, like a young cow bellowing. Even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.

35Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

35"In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings at the hilltop altars and burn incense to their gods," says the LORD.

36Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

36So my heart cries for Moab like a sad flute. It cries like a flute for the men of Kir-heres. All the riches they gathered are gone.

37For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

37Every head is shaved and every beard is cut short. Every hand is cut, and rough sackcloth is tied around every waist.

NoteShaving the head, trimming the beard, cutting the skin, and wearing rough sackcloth were public signs of deep grief.

38There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.

38On every rooftop in Moab and in the open squares, everyone is mourning. "I have smashed Moab like a jar that nobody wants," says the LORD.

39They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

39They will wail, "Moab is shattered! Moab has turned his back in shame!" Everyone around will laugh at Moab and be horrified by him.

40For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

40This is what the LORD says: "Look, an enemy swoops down like an eagle and spreads his wings over Moab."

41Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men’s hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

41Kerioth is captured, and the strong forts are seized. On that day Moab's bravest soldiers will feel like a woman in the pains of birth.

42And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.

42Moab will be destroyed and will no longer be a nation, because he made himself big against the LORD.

43Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD.

43"Terror, a deep pit, and a trap are waiting for you, people of Moab," says the LORD.

44He that fleeth from 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.

44Whoever runs from the terror will fall into the pit. Whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. "I will bring on Moab the year of their punishment," says the LORD.

45They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

45People running away stop, worn out, in the shadow of Heshbon. But fire bursts out of Heshbon, a flame from inside Sihon's town. It burns the foreheads of Moab and the heads of the noisy boasters.

46Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

46How terrible for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are finished. Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as prisoners.

47Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

47"Yet in days to come I will bring Moab's people back home," says the LORD. Here the judgment on Moab ends.