Jeremiah 48

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Concerning Moab, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe to Nebo, it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is disgraced and captured, Disgraced and overthrown is the stronghold:	1 Against Moab, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe upon Nebo! For it has been devastated and confounded. Kiriathaim has been seized; the strong one has been confounded and has trembled.
2 Moab's glory is no more. Evil they plan against Heshbon: "Come, let us put an end to her as a people." You, too, Madmen, shall be reduced to silence; behind you stalks the sword.	2 There is no longer any rejoicing in Moab over Heshbon. They have devised evil. ‘Come and let us destroy it as a nation.’ Then you will be utterly silenced, and the sword will pursue you.
3 Listen! a cry from Horonaim of ruin and great destruction!	3 A voice of clamor from Horonaim: devastation and great destruction!
4 Moab is crushed, their outcry is heard in Zoar.	4 Moab has been crushed. Announce an outcry for her little ones.
5 The ascent of Luhith they climb weeping; On the descent to Horonaim the cry of destruction is heard.	5 For, along the ascent of Luhith, the mourner will ascend with weeping. For, on the descent of Horonaim, the enemies have heard the wailing of devastation.
6 "Flee, save your lives, to survive like the wild ass in the desert!"	6 Flee, save your lives! And you shall be like a saltcedar tree in the desert.
7 Because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be captured. Chemosh shall go into exile, his priests and princes with him.	7 For because you have had faith in your fortifications and in your storehouses, you too will be seized. And Chemosh will go into captivity: his priests and his leaders together.
8 The destroyer comes upon every city, not a city escapes; Ruined is the valley, wasted the plain, as the LORD has said.	8 And the despoiler will overwhelm every city, and not a single city will be saved. And the valleys will perish, and the fields will be destroyed. For the Lord has spoken.
9 Set up a memorial for Moab, for it is an utter wasteland; Its cities are turned into ruins where no one dwells.	9 Give a blossom to Moab. For it will depart when it is blossoming. And its cities will become desolate and uninhabited.
10 (Cursed be he who does the LORD'S work remissly, cursed he who holds back his sword from blood.)	10 Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully. And cursed is he who prohibits his sword from blood.
11 Moab has been tranquil from his youth, has rested upon his lees; He was not poured from one flask to another, he went not into exile. Thus he kept his taste, and his scent was not lost.	11 Moab has been fertile from his youth, and he has rested amid his brood. And he has not been transferred from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into the transmigration. Therefore, his taste has remained with him, and his scent has not changed.
12 Hence, the days shall come, says the LORD, when I will send him coopers to turn him over; they shall empty his flasks and break his jars.	12 Because of this, behold, the days are approaching, says the Lord, when I will send to him those who will line up and knock down his bottles, and they will knock him down and empty his vessels, and they will break their bottles against one another.
13 Chemosh shall disappoint Moab, as Israel was disappointed by Bethel in which they trusted.	13 And Moab will be confounded by Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was shamed by Bethel, in which they had faith.
14 How can you say, "We are heroes, men valiant in war"?	14 How can you say: ‘We are strong and robust men of battle?’
15 The ravager of Moab and his cities advances, the flower of his youth goes down to be slaughtered, says the King, the LORD of hosts by name.	15 Moab has been devastated, and they have cut down her cities. And her elect young men have descended to slaughter. So says the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
16 Near at hand is Moab's ruin, his disaster hastens apace.	16 The passing away of Moab draws near and arrives. Its evil will rush forward with great speed.
17 Mourn for him, all you his neighbors, all you who knew him well! Say: How the strong staff is broken, the glorious rod!	17 Console him, all you who surround him and all you who know his name. Say: ‘How has the strong staff become broken, the glorious staff?’
18 Come down from glory, sit on the ground, you that dwell in Dibon; Moab's ravager has come up against you, he has ruined your strongholds.	18 Descend from your glory, and sit in thirst, O habitation of the daughter of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has ascended to you; he has dissipated your fortifications.
19 Stand by the wayside, watch closely, you that dwell in Aroer; Ask the man who flees, the woman who tries to escape: say to them, "What has happened?"	19 Stand in the way, and gaze out, O habitation of Aroer! Question him who is fleeing, and say to him who has escaped: ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is disgraced, yes, destroyed, howl and cry out; Publish it at the Arnon, Moab is ruined!	20 Moab has been confounded, because he has been conquered. Wail and cry out! Announce it in Arnon: Moab has been devastated,
21 For judgment has come on the land of the plateau: on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,	21 and judgment has arrived upon the land of the plains: upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath,
22 on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,	22 and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon the house of Deblathaim,
23 on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,	23 and upon Kiriathaim, and upon the house of Gamul, and upon the house of Meon,
24 on Kerioth and on Bozrah: on all the cities of Moab, far and near.	24 and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, those far away and those nearby.
25 Moab's strength is broken, his might is shattered, says the LORD.	25 The horn of Moab has been cut away, and his arm has been crushed, says the Lord.
26 Because he boasted against the LORD, make Moab drunk so that he retches and vomits, and he too becomes a laughingstock.	26 Inebriate him, for he has lifted himself up against the Lord. And Moab will thrust his hand into his own vomit, and also now he himself will become a derision.
27 Is Israel a laughingstock to you? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head whenever you speak of her?	27 For Israel had been a derision to them. It was as if you had discovered him among thieves. Because of your own words, then, which you have spoken against him, you will be led away captive.
28 Leave the cities, dwell in the crags, you that dwell in Moab. Be like a dove that nests out of reach on the edge of a chasm.	28 Relinquish the cities, and live upon a rock, O inhabitants of Moab, and be like a dove nesting at the mouth of an opening at the summit.
29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, pride beyond bounds: His loftiness, his pride, his scorn, his insolence of heart.	29 We have listened to the arrogance of Moab; he is very proud: his exaltation, and arrogance, and pride, and the loftiness of his heart.
30 I know, says the LORD, his arrogance; liar in boast, liar in deed.	30 I myself know, says the Lord, his boasting, and that his ability is not in accord with it, nor is it in accord with what he has been striving to do.
31 And so I wail over Moab, over all Moab I cry, over the men of Kir-heres I moan.	31 For this reason, I will wail over Moab, and I will cry out to all of Moab, to the men on the brick wall who are lamenting.
32 More than for Jazer I weep over you, vineyard of Sibmah. Your tendrils trailed down to the sea, as far as Jazer they stretched. Upon your harvest, upon your vintage, the ravager has fallen.	32 O vineyard of Sibmah, I will weep for you, with the mourning of Jazer. Your offshoots have crossed over the sea. They have reached even to the sea of Jazer. The despoiler has rushed over your harvest and your vintage.
33 Joy and jubilation are at an end in the fruit gardens of the land of Moab. I drain the wine from the wine vats, the treader treads no more, the vintage shout is stilled.	33 Rejoicing and exultation has been taken away from Carmel and from the land of Moab. And I have taken the wine from the winepresses. The treader of grapes will no longer sing the usual rhythmic chant.
34 The cry of Heshbon and Elealeh is heard as far as Jahaz; they call from Zoar to Horonaim, and to Eglath-shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim turn into a desert.	34 From the outcry of Heshbon, even to Elealeh and Jahzah, they have uttered their voice; from Zoar, even to Horonaim, like a three year old calf. So too, the waters of Nimrim will be very bad.
35 I will leave no one in Moab, says the LORD, to offer a holocaust on the high place, or to burn incense to his gods.	35 And I will take away from Moab, says the Lord, the one who makes offerings in exalted places, and the one who sacrifices to his gods.
36 Hence the wail of flutes for Moab is in my heart; for the men of Kir-heres the wail of flutes is in my heart: the wealth they acquired has perished.	36 Because of this, my heart will resound for Moab, like the pipes, and my heart will make a sound like the pipes for the men on the brick wall. For he has done more than he was able, yet still they have perished.
37 Every head has been made bald, every beard shaved; every hand is gashed, and the loins of all are clothed in sackcloth.	37 For every head will be bald, and every beard will be shaved. All the hands will be bound together, and there will be haircloth on every back.
38 On every roof of Moab and in all his squares there is mourning; I have shattered Moab like a pot that no one wants, says the LORD.	38 Over all the rooftops of Moab, and in its streets, everyone will mourn. For I have crushed Moab like a useless vessel, says the Lord.
39 How terror seizes Moab, and wailing! How he turns his back in shame! Moab has become a laughingstock and a horror to all his neighbors!	39 How was it conquered, so that they would wail? How is it that Moab has cast down his neck and been confounded? And Moab will be a derision and an example to everyone around him.”
40 For thus says the LORD: Behold, like an eagle he soars, spreads his wings over Moab.	40 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, he will fly like the eagle, and he will extend his wings to Moab.
41 Cities are taken, strongholds seized: On that day the hearts of Moab's heroes are like the heart of a woman in travail.	41 Kerioth has been captured, and the fortifications have been taken. And in that day, the heart of the strong ones of Moab will be like the heart of a woman giving birth.
42 Moab shall be destroyed, no more a people, because he boasted against the LORD.	42 And Moab will cease to be a people. For he has been glorified against the Lord.
43 Terror, pit, and trap be upon you, people of Moab, says the LORD.	43 Terror and the pit and the snare will overwhelm you, O inhabitant of Moab, says the Lord.
44 He who flees from the terror falls into the pit; He who climbs from the pit is caught in the trap; For I will bring these things upon Moab in the year of their punishment, says the LORD.	44 Whoever flees from the terror will fall into the pit. And whoever climbs out of the pit will be seized by the snare. For I will lead over Moab the year of their visitation, says the Lord.
45 In Heshbon's shadow stop short the exhausted refugees; For fire breaks forth from Heshbon, and a blaze from the house of Sihon: It consumes the brow of Moab, the skull of the noisemakers.	45 Those fleeing from the snare stood in the shadow of Heshbon. For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and it will devour the portion of Moab, and the top of the head of the sons of tumult.
46 Woe to you, O Moab, you are ruined, O people of Chemosh! Your sons are taken into exile, your daughters into captivity.	46 Woe to you, O Moab! You have been ruined, O people of Chemosh! For your sons and your daughters have been taken into captivity.
47 But I will change the lot of Moab in the days to come, says the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.	47 But I will convert the captivity of Moab in the last days, says the Lord.” Such are the judgments of Moab thus far.