Jeremiah 48

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 48

1¶ 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.

2[There 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

16The calamity of Moab [is] near to come, and his affliction hasteth 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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

38[There 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The LORD pronounces a comprehensive judgment against Moab, decreeing its utter destruction for its pride and trust in its own works and idol, Chemosh. Cities like Nebo and Kiriathaim are spoiled, and the land is filled with crying and desolation. Moab, which had long been at ease, will now face widespread calamity and be made a derision.

Medium Summary

Jeremiah 48 details the LORD's severe judgment upon Moab, declaring its cities spoiled and its people in great distress. The nation is condemned for its excessive pride, its trust in its treasures and its god Chemosh, who will also go into captivity. The prophecy describes a widespread desolation, with inhabitants fleeing, and the land's joy and produce ceasing. Moab, likened to wine settled on its lees, had not known adversity, but now faces a thorough emptying and breaking, becoming a derision to its neighbors. The LORD Himself expresses lament over Moab's downfall, yet concludes with a promise of future restoration.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with a solemn pronouncement from the LORD of hosts against Moab, foretelling the spoiling of its cities like Nebo and Kiriathaim, and widespread destruction. Moab is condemned for its pride, its trust in its own works and treasures, and its reliance on the idol Chemosh, who, along with its priests and princes, will be led into captivity. The LORD highlights Moab's long history of ease, likening it to wine undisturbed on its lees, which has preserved its original taste and scent, but now faces a complete emptying and breaking by “wanderers.” The calamity is described as swift and encompassing, with the horn and arm of Moab broken, and its people made drunken and derided for having magnified themselves against the LORD and mocked Israel. The prophecy calls for lamentation over the desolation of numerous cities, the cessation of joy, and the widespread mourning marked by baldness and sackcloth. The LORD Himself expresses sorrow, comparing His heart's sound to pipes for Moab and the men of Kirheres. The destruction is likened to breaking a vessel, and fear, the pit, and the snare are prophesied to be inescapable. Despite the severity, the chapter concludes with a promise that the LORD will bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, signifying a future restoration beyond the immediate judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Judgment on MoabThe LORD's authoritative decree of destruction upon Moab, emphasizing His sovereignty over nations and His justice against their transgressions.
  • Moab's Pride and ArroganceMoab's downfall is primarily attributed to its excessive pride, loftiness, and haughtiness of heart, by which it magnified itself against the LORD.
  • Idolatry and False SecurityMoab's trust in its god Chemosh, its own works, and its treasures is shown to be futile, leading to its idol's captivity alongside its people.
  • Widespread DesolationThe judgment results in the comprehensive spoiling and destruction of cities, the flight of inhabitants, the cessation of agricultural joy, and the breaking of Moab's national strength.
  • Lamentation and MourningThe chapter describes intense public and personal mourning, with the LORD Himself expressing sorrow and calling for lamentation over Moab's utter destruction.
  • Moab's Undisturbed PastMoab's long history of peace and lack of captivity is presented as a reason for its settled pride, which is now to be thoroughly disrupted and emptied.
  • Future RestorationDespite the severe judgment, the LORD promises to bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, offering a hope of future renewal beyond its present desolation.