BOOK 24 OF 66 · MAJOR PROPHETS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Jeremiah 48

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Jeremiah 48 Overview

Jeremiah gives an extended lament and judgment over Moab, condemning pride, complacency, idolatry, and confidence in works and treasures; city after city falls, yet the chapter ends with a promise that Moab’s captivity will be restored in the latter days.

JeremiahBook

48Chapter

47Verses

Major ProphetsDivision

Before you read Jeremiah 48

Coming from

A short oracle announces that waters from the north will overflow Philistia and devastate Gaza, Ashkelon, and surrounding territory, leaving fathers too terrified to help their children.

In this chapter

Leads into

Jeremiah delivers oracles against Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar/Hazor, and Elam, exposing territorial greed, false wisdom, fear, military collapse, and misplaced security; several judgments are followed by future restoration promises.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Moab east of the Dead Sea had a long and complicated relationship with Israel. The oracle combines severe ridicule, genuine lament, and surprising final hope.

The interpretive center of Jeremiah 48 is the chapter’s own movement: long comfort can produce dangerous complacency. Read its poetry, signs, historical references, and later biblical connections from that center rather than treating isolated phrases as detached slogans.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Long comfort can produce dangerous complacency

Moab is compared to wine settled on its lees and therefore unchanged.

Pride is a central target of divine judgment

Boasting and self-exaltation are named repeatedly.

Judgment does not necessarily eliminate future mercy for nations

The final restoration promise prevents the oracle from ending in absolute annihilation.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Isaiah 15–16

Isaiah’s Moab oracles share place names, lament, pride, and devastation themes.

Numbers 21–25

Moab appears repeatedly in Israel’s wilderness history, including Balaam and Baal-peor.

Ruth 1–4

Ruth shows a Moabite woman welcomed into Israel and even into David’s line, demonstrating the Bible’s nuanced treatment of Moabites as individuals.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not turn national judgment on Moab into hostility toward every Moabite individual.

Scripture itself gives Ruth as a major counterexample to ethnic stereotyping.

Do not miss the closing restoration promise.

The chapter’s severity is real, but it is not the final sentence.

Read Jeremiah 48 watching for…

Moab’s many city names

settled-wine imagery

pride and boasting

Chemosh shamed

the final promise of restoration

Chapter outline2 sections

1-13Moab’s cities and god Chemosh face destruction because of pride and false security 14-47Moab’s pride is broken with widespread mourning, though restoration is promised in the latter days

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.

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.

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

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

For 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.

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

For 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.

And 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.

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

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

Moab 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.

Therefore, 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.

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

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

Moab 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.

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

All 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!

Thou 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O 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.

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

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

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

O 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.

And 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.

From 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.

Moreover 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.

Therefore 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.

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

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.

They 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.

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

Kerioth 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.

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

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

He 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.

They 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.

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

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

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Jeremiah 48:23

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