Judgment on Moab
1Against Moab.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
“Woe to Nebo!
For it is plundered,
Kirjathaim is shamed and taken;
48:1 Heb. MisgabThe high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—
2No more praise of Moab.
In Heshbon they have devised evil against her:
‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’
You also shall be cut down, O Madmen!48:2 A city of Moab
The sword shall pursue you;
3A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim:
‘Plundering and great destruction!’
4“Moab is destroyed;
48:4 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX Proclaim it in ZoarHer little ones have caused a cry to be heard;
5For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping;
For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
6“Flee, save your lives!
And be like 48:6 Or Aroer, a city of Moabthe juniper in the wilderness.
7For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures,
You also shall be taken.
And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity,
His priests and his princes together.
8And the plunderer shall come against every city;
No one shall escape.
The valley also shall perish,
And the plain shall be destroyed,
As the Lord has spoken.
9“Give wings to Moab,
That she may flee and get away;
For her cities shall be desolate,
Without any to dwell in them.
And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
11“Moab has been at ease from 48:11 Heb. uses masc. and fem. pronouns interchangeably in this chapter.his youth;
He has settled on his dregs,
And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
Nor has he gone into captivity.
Therefore his taste remained in him,
And his scent has not changed.
12“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I shall send him 48:12 Lit. tippers of wine bottleswine-workers
Who will tip him over
And empty his vessels
And break the bottles.
13Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh,
As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
14“How can you say, ‘We are mighty
And strong men for the war’?
15Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities;
Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter,” says the King,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts.
16“The calamity of Moab is near at hand,
And his affliction comes quickly.
17Bemoan him, all you who are around him;
And all you who know his name,
Say, ‘How the strong staff is broken,
The beautiful rod!’
18“O daughter inhabiting Dibon,
Come down from your glory,
And sit in thirst;
For the plunderer of Moab has come against you,
He has destroyed your strongholds.
19O inhabitant of Aroer,
Stand by the way and watch;
Ask him who flees
And her who escapes;
Say, ‘What has happened?’
20Moab is shamed, for he is broken down.
Wail and cry!
Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered.
21“And judgment has come on the plain country:
On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath,
22On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
24On Kerioth and Bozrah,
On all the cities of the land of Moab,
Far or near.
25The 48:25 Strengthhorn of Moab is cut off,
And his arm is broken,” says the Lord.
26“Make him drunk,
Because he exalted himself against the Lord.
Moab shall wallow in his vomit,
And he shall also be in derision.
27For was not Israel a derision to you?
Was he found among thieves?
For whenever you speak of him,
You shake your head in scorn.
28You who dwell in Moab,
Leave the cities and dwell in the rock,
And be like the dove which makes her nest
In the sides of the cave’s mouth.
29“We have heard the pride of Moab
(He is exceedingly proud),
Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride,
And of the haughtiness of his heart.”
30“I know his wrath,” says the Lord,
“But it is not right;
His 48:30 idle talklies have made nothing right.
31Therefore I will wail for Moab,
And I will cry out for all Moab;
48:31 So with DSS, LXX, Vg.; MT HeI will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
32O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer.
Your plants have gone over the sea,
They reach to the sea of Jazer.
The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage.
33Joy and gladness are taken
From the plentiful field
And from the land of Moab;
I have caused wine to 48:33 ceasefail from the winepresses;
No one will tread with joyous shouting—
Not joyous shouting!
34“From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz
They have uttered their voice,
From Zoar to Horonaim,
Like 48:34 Or The Third Eglath, an unknown city, Is. 15:5a three-year-old heifer;
For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.
35“Moreover,” says the Lord,
“I will cause to cease in Moab
The one who offers sacrifices in the 48:35 Places for pagan worshiphigh places
And burns incense to his gods.
36Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab,
And like flutes My heart shall wail
For the men of Kir Heres.
Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished.
37“For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped;
On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth—
38A general lamentation
On all the housetops of Moab,
And in its streets;
For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure,” says the Lord.
39“They shall wail:
‘How she is broken down!
How Moab has turned her back with shame!’
So Moab shall be a derision
And a dismay to all those about her.”
40For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, one shall fly like an eagle,
And spread his wings over Moab.
41Kerioth is taken,
And the strongholds are surprised;
The mighty men’s hearts in Moab on that day shall be
Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
42And Moab shall be destroyed as a people,
Because he exalted himself against the Lord.
43Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you,
O inhabitant of Moab,” says the Lord.
44“He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit,
And he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare.
For upon Moab, upon it I will bring
The year of their punishment,” says the Lord.
45“Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon
Because of exhaustion.
But a fire shall come out of Heshbon,
A flame from the midst of Sihon,
And shall devour the brow of Moab,
The crown of the head of the sons of tumult.
46Woe to you, O Moab!
The people of Chemosh perish;
For your sons have been taken captive,
And your daughters captive.
47“Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab
In the latter days,” says the Lord.
Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
