Jeremiah 48

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 On Moab. Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Wretched Nebo, for it has been ravaged, Kiriathaim hasbeen shamed and taken, shame and distraction on the citadel,	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:
2 the pride of Moab is no more! At Heshbon they plotted her downfal , 'Come, let us put an end to her asa nation!' And you too, inhabitants of Madmen, wil be silenced, the sword wil be after you.	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.
3 A cry of agony goes up from Horonaim, 'Devastation! Dire calamity.	3 Listen! a cry from Horonaim of ruin and great destruction!
4 Moab has been shattered,' the agonised cries of her little ones ring out.	4 Moab is crushed, their outcry is heard in Zoar.
5 Up the slope of Luhith, weeping they go. On the road down to Horonaim is heard the shriek of disaster,	5 The ascent of Luhith they climb weeping; On the descent to Horonaim the cry of destruction is heard.
6 'Away! Flee for your lives like the wild donkey into the desert!'	6 "Flee, save your lives, to survive like the wild ass in the desert!"
7 Yes, since you relied on your deeds and your wealth, you wil be captured too. Chemosh wil go intoexile, with al his priests and princes.	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.
8 The despoiler wil descend on every town, not one will escape; the Valley wil be ravaged, the Plain beplundered as Yahweh has said.	8 The destroyer comes upon every city, not a city escapes; Ruined is the valley, wasted the plain, as the LORD has said.
9 Give Moab wings so that she can fly away, for her towns wil be laid in ruins where no one wil ever liveagain.	9 Set up a memorial for Moab, for it is an utter wasteland; Its cities are turned into ruins where no one dwells.
10 (Accursed be he who does Yahweh's work negligently! Accursed be he who deprives his sword ofblood!)	10 (Cursed be he who does the LORD'S work remissly, cursed he who holds back his sword from blood.)
11 From his youth Moab lived at ease, he settled on his lees, never having been decanted, never havinggone into exile: and so he kept his own flavour, his aroma was unchanged.	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.
12 And so the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shal send him decanters to decant him; theywil empty his pitchers and break his wine jars to bits.	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.
13 Moab wil be shamed by Chemosh then, as the House of Israel was shamed by Bethel in which theyput their trust.	13 Chemosh shall disappoint Moab, as Israel was disappointed by Bethel in which they trusted.
14 How can you say, 'We are heroes, sturdy fighting men'?	14 How can you say, "We are heroes, men valiant in war"?
15 Moab has been ravaged, his cities scaled, the flower of his youth goes down to the slaughter,declares the King, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth.	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.
16 Moab's ruin is coming soon, his downfal comes at top speed.	16 Near at hand is Moab's ruin, his disaster hastens apace.
17 Grieve for him, all you living near him, all you who knew his name. Say, 'How shattered it is, thatmighty rod, that splendid sceptre!'	17 Mourn for him, all you his neighbors, all you who knew him well! Say: How the strong staff is broken, the glorious rod!
18 Come down from your glory, sit on the parched ground, daughter of Dibon, for the despoiler of Moabhas advanced on you, he has destroyed your strongholds.	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.
19 Stand by the roadside, keep watch, daughter of Aroer. Question fugitive and runaway, ask, 'What hashappened?'	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?"
20 'Moab has been shattered and shamed. Wail and shriek! Shout along the Arnon, Moab has been laidwaste!'	20 Moab is disgraced, yes, destroyed, howl and cry out; Publish it at the Arnon, Moab is ruined!
21 Judgement has also come on the Plain, on Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath,	21 For judgment has come on the land of the plateau: on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 Dibon, Nebo, Beth-Diblathaim,	22 on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 Kiriathaim, Beth-Gamul, Beth-Meon,	23 on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 Kerioth, Bozrah, and al the towns of Moab, far and near.	24 on Kerioth and on Bozrah: on all the cities of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab's horn has been cut off, his arm is broken, Yahweh declares.	25 Moab's strength is broken, his might is shattered, says the LORD.
26 Make him drunk! He has set himself up against Yahweh; let Moab wal ow in his vomit and become alaughing-stock in his turn.	26 Because he boasted against the LORD, make Moab drunk so that he retches and vomits, and he too becomes a laughingstock.
27 Was Israel not a laughing-stock to you? Was he caught red-handed with the thieves, for you to shakeyour head whenever you mention him?	27 Is Israel a laughingstock to you? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head whenever you speak of her?
28 Leave the towns, make the rocks your home, inhabitants of Moab. Learn from the dove that makes itsnest in the wal s of the gaping gorge.	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.
29 We have heard about Moab's pride, so very proud! What arrogance! What pride! What conceit! Whata haughty heart!	29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, pride beyond bounds: His loftiness, his pride, his scorn, his insolence of heart.
30 -I know al about his presumption, Yahweh declares, his empty boasting, those empty deeds of his!	30 I know, says the LORD, his arrogance; liar in boast, liar in deed.
31 -and so I lament for Moab, for al Moab I raise my cry and mourn for the people of Kir-Heres.	31 And so I wail over Moab, over all Moab I cry, over the men of Kir-heres I moan.
32 More than for Jazer I weep for you, vineyard of Sibmah: your shoots stretched beyond the sea, they reached al the way to Jazer. On your harvest and vintage the despoiler has descended.	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.
33 Gladness and joy have vanished from the orchards of Moab. I have dried up the wine in the presses,the treader of grapes treads no more, the joyful shouting has ceased.	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.
34 The cries of Heshbon and Elealeh can be heard as far as Jahaz. The shrieks resound from Zoar toHoronaim and Eglath-Shelishiyah, for even the Waters of Nimrim have become a wasteland.	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.
35 And in Moab I shal make an end, Yahweh declares, of anyone offering sacrifice on the high placesand anyone offering incense to his gods.	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.
36 That is why my heart sobs like a flute for Moab, sobs like a flute for the people of Kir-Heres, since thewealth he had acquired is lost.	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.
37 Yes, every head is shaved, every beard cut off, gashes are on every hand, sackcloth round everywaist.	37 Every head has been made bald, every beard shaved; every hand is gashed, and the loins of all are clothed in sackcloth.
38 On al the housetops of Moab and in al its squares there is nothing but lamenting, for I have brokenMoab like an unwanted pot, Yahweh declares.	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.
39 How shattered he is! Wail! Moab so shameful y in retreat! Moab has become a laughing-stock, a thingof horror to al his neighbours.	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!
40 For Yahweh says this: (Look, like an eagle, he wil hover, spreading his wings over Moab.)	40 For thus says the LORD: Behold, like an eagle he soars, spreads his wings over Moab.
41 The towns have been captured, the strongholds seized. (And the heart of Moab's warriors, that day,wil be like that of a woman in labour pains.)	41 Cities are taken, strongholds seized: On that day the hearts of Moab's heroes are like the heart of a woman in travail.
42 Moab wil be destroyed, no longer a people, for setting itself up against Yahweh.	42 Moab shall be destroyed, no more a people, because he boasted against the LORD.
43 Terror, the pit and the snare for you, inhabitant of Moab, Yahweh declares.	43 Terror, pit, and trap be upon you, people of Moab, says the LORD.
44 And anyone who escapes from terror wil fal into the pit, and anyone who climbs out of the pit wil becaught in the snare. Yes, I shall bring all this on Moab when the year comes for punishing them, Yahwehdeclares.	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.
45 In the shelter of Heshbon the fugitives have paused, exhausted. But fire wil burst from Heshbon, aflame from the palace of Sihon, consuming the brows of Moab, the head of a turbulent brood.	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.
46 Disaster for you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are lost! For your sons have been taken into exileand your daughters into captivity.	46 Woe to you, O Moab, you are ruined, O people of Chemosh! Your sons are taken into exile, your daughters into captivity.
47 But I shal bring back Moab's captives in the final days, Yahweh declares. Thus far the judgement onMoab.	47 But I will change the lot of Moab in the days to come, says the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.