Reading for September  Jeremiah 48:1 — Hosea 5:15

September 1
Jeremiah 48:1 — 49:39
 

48 For Moab this is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, has said: “Woe to Nebo, for she has been despoiled! Kiriathaim has been put to shame, has been captured. The secure height has been put to shame and been put in terror. 2 No more is there any praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have thought out against her a calamity: ‘Come, men, and let us cut her off from being a nation.’

“You, too, O Madmen, should keep silent. After you there walks a sword. 3 There is the sound of an outcry from Horonaim, a despoiling and great breaking down. 4 Moab has been broken down. Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. 5 For on the way up to Luhith it is with weeping that one goes up—there is a weeping. For on the way down from Horonaim there is a distressing outcry over the breakdown that people have heard.

6 “Take to flight; provide escape for YOUR souls, and YOU should become like a juniper tree in the wilderness. 7 Because your trust is in your works and in your treasures, you yourself will also be captured. And Chemosh will certainly go forth into exile, his priests and his princes at the same time. 8 And the despoiler will come in on every city, and there will be no city that can make its escape. And the low plain will certainly perish and the level land be annihilated, a thing that Jehovah has said.

9 “Give a road mark to Moab, YOU people, for at the falling in ruins she will go forth; and her very cities will become a mere object of astonishment, with no one dwelling in them.

10 “Cursed be the one that is carrying out the mission of Jehovah neglectfully; and cursed be the one that is holding back his sword from blood!

11 “The Moabites have been at ease since their youth, and they are keeping undisturbed on their dregs. And they have not been emptied from one vessel into another vessel, and into exile they have not gone. That is why their taste has stood still within them, and their very scent has not been changed.

12 “‘Therefore, look! there are days coming,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and I will send to them [vessel] tilters, and they will certainly tilt them; and their vessels they will empty out, and their large jars they will dash to pieces. 13 And the Moabites will have to be ashamed of Chemosh, just as those of the house of Israel have become ashamed of Bethel their confidence. 14 How dare YOU people say: “We are mighty men and men of vital energy for the war”?’

15 “‘Moab has been despoiled, and one has gone up against her own cities. And their choicest young men themselves have gone down to the slaughtering,’ is the utterance of the King, whose name is Jehovah of armies.

16 “The disaster on the Moabites is near to come, and their very calamity is actually hurrying up very much. 17 All those round about them will have to sympathize with them, even all those knowing their name. Say, YOU people, ‘O how the rod of strength has been broken, the staff of beauty!’

18 “Get down from glory, and sit down in thirst, O inhabitress of the daughter of Dibon; for the despoiler of Moab has come up against you. He will actually bring your fortified places to ruin.

19 “Stand still and look out for the way itself, O inhabitress of Aroer. Ask him that is fleeing and her that is making her escape. Say, ‘What has been brought about?’ 20 Moab has been put to shame, for she has been struck with terror. Howl and cry out. Tell in Arnon, O men, that Moab has been despoiled. 21 And judgment itself has come to the land of level country, to Holon and to Jahaz and against Mephaath, 22 and against Dibon and against Nebo and against Beth-diblathaim, 23 and against Kiriathaim and against Beth-gamul and against Beth-meon 24 and against Kerioth and against Bozrah and against all the cities of the land of Moab, those far away and those near.

25 “‘The horn of Moab has been cut down, and his own arm has been broken,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. 26 ‘Make him drunk, O men, for he has put on great airs against Jehovah himself; and Moab has slapped around in his vomit, and he has become an object of ridicule, even he himself.

27 “‘And did not Israel become a mere object of ridicule to you? Or was he found among outright thieves? For you would shake yourself just as often as you spoke against him.

28 “‘Leave the cities and reside on the crag, YOU inhabitants of Moab, and become like the dove that makes its nest in the regions of the mouth of the hollow.’”

29 “We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very haughty—of his highness and of his pride and of his haughtiness and of the loftiness of his heart.”

30 “‘I myself have known his fury,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and that is not the way it will be; his empty talk—they will not actually do in just that way. 31 That is why it is over Moab that I shall howl, and for Moab in his entirety I shall cry out. For the men of Kir-heres one shall moan.

32 “‘With more than the weeping for Jazer I shall weep for you, O vine of Sibmah. Your own flourishing shoots have crossed over the sea. To the sea—[to] Jazer—they have reached. Upon your summer fruitage and upon your grape gathering the despoiler himself has fallen. 33 And rejoicing and joyfulness have been taken away from the orchard and from the land of Moab. And from the winepresses I have caused the wine itself to cease. No one will be doing the treading with shouting. The shouting will be no shouting.’”

34 “‘From the cry in Heshbon clear to Elealeh, clear to Jahaz they have given forth their voice, from Zoar clear to Horonaim, to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim themselves will become mere desolations. 35 And I will cause to cease from Moab,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘the one bringing up an offering upon the high place and the one making sacrificial smoke to his god. 36 That is why my own heart will be boisterous for Moab himself, just like flutes; and for the men of Kir-heres my very heart will be boisterous, just like flutes. That is why the very abundance that he has produced will certainly perish. 37 For upon every head there is baldness, and every beard is clipped. Upon all hands there are cuts, and upon the hips there is sackcloth!’”

38 “‘On all the roofs of Moab and in her public squares—all of it—there is wailing; for I have broken Moab just like a vessel in which there is no delight,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. 39 ‘O how she has become terrified! Howl, YOU people! O how Moab has turned the back! He has become ashamed. And Moab has become an object of ridicule and something terrifying to all those round about him.’”

40 “For this is what Jehovah has said, ‘Look! Just like an eagle that pounces, someone must also spread his wings over Moab. 41 The towns will actually be captured, and her own strong places will certainly be seized. And the heart of the mighty men of Moab must become in that day like the heart of a wife having childbirth distress.’”

42 “‘And Moab will certainly be annihilated from being a people, for it is against Jehovah that he has put on great airs. 43 Dread and the hollow and the trap are upon you, O inhabitant of Moab,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. 44 ‘Anyone fleeing because of the dread will fall into the hollow; and anyone coming up out of the hollow will be caught in the trap.’

“‘For I shall bring upon her, upon Moab, the year of their being given attention,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. 45 ‘In the shadow of Heshbon those fleeing have stood still without power. For a very fire will certainly go forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon; and it will devour the temples of Moab and the crown of the head of the sons of uproar.’

46 “‘Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished. For your sons have been taken as captives and your daughters as captives. 47 And I will gather the captive ones of Moab in the final part of the days,’ is the utterance of Jehovah. ‘Down to this point is the judgment upon Moab.’”


49 For the sons of Ammon this is what Jehovah has said: “Are there no sons that Israel has, or is there no inheritor that he has? Why is it that Malcam has taken possession of Gad, and his own people have taken up dwelling in [Israel’s] very cities?”

2 “‘Therefore, look! there are days coming,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘and I will cause the alarm signal of war to be heard even against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; and she will certainly become a mound of a desolate waste, and her dependent towns themselves will be set aflame in the very fire.’

“‘And Israel will actually take possession of those in possession of him,’ Jehovah has said.

3 “‘Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai has been despoiled! Cry out, O dependent towns of Rabbah. Gird sackcloth on yourselves. Wail, and rove about among the stone pens, for Malcam himself will go even into exile, his priests and his princes, all together. 4 Why do you brag about the low plains, your flowing low plain, O daughter unfaithful, you the one trusting in her treasures, [saying:] “Who will come to me?”’”

5 “‘Here I am bringing in upon you a dreadful thing,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies, ‘from all those round about you. And YOU people will certainly be dispersed, each one in his own direction, and there will be no one collecting together those running away.’”

6 “‘But afterward I shall gather the captive ones of the sons of Ammon,’ is the utterance of Jehovah.”

7 For Edom this is what Jehovah of armies has said: “Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from those having understanding? Has their wisdom gone to putrefying? 8 Flee! Let yourselves give way! Go down deep in order to dwell, O inhabitants of Dedan! For the disaster of Esau I will bring in upon him, the time that I must turn my attention to him. 9 If grape gatherers themselves actually came in to you, would they not let some gleanings remain? If thieves [came in] by night, they would certainly cause only as much ruin as they wanted. 10 But as for me, I will strip Esau bare. I will uncover his places of concealment, and one will not be able to hide oneself. His offspring and his brothers and his neighbors will certainly be despoiled, and he will not be. 11 Do leave your fatherless boys. I myself shall preserve [them] alive, and your own widows will trust even in me.”

12 For this is what Jehovah has said: “Look! Although it is not their custom to drink the cup, they will drink without fail. And you yourself, will you be absolutely left unpunished? You will not be left unpunished, for you will drink without fail.”

13 “For by my own self I have sworn,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “that nothing but an object of astonishment, a reproach, a devastation and a malediction will Bozrah become; and all her own cities will become devastated places to time indefinite.”

14 There is a report that I have heard from Jehovah, and there is an envoy that is sent among the nations, [saying:] “Collect yourselves together, and come against her, and rise up to battle.”

15 “For, look! I have made you small indeed among the nations, despised among mankind. 16 The shuddering you caused has deceived you, the presumptuousness of your heart, O you who are residing in the retreats of the crag, holding the height of the hill. Although you build your nest high up just like an eagle, down from there I shall bring you,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 17 “And Edom must become an object of astonishment. Everyone passing along by her will stare in astonishment and whistle on account of all her plagues. 18 Just as in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor [towns],” Jehovah has said, “no man will dwell there, and no son of mankind will reside in her as an alien.

19 “Look! Someone will come up just like a lion from the proud [thickets] along the Jordan to the durable abiding place, but in a moment I will make him run away from her. And the one who is chosen I shall appoint over her. For who is like me, and who will challenge me, and who, now, is the shepherd that can stand before me? 20 Therefore hear, O men, the counsel of Jehovah that he has formulated against Edom, and his thoughts that he has thought out against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged about. Surely on account of them he will make their dwelling place become desolate. 21 At the sound of their falling the earth has begun to rock. There is an outcry! The sound of it has been heard even at the Red Sea. 22 Look! Just like an eagle someone will ascend and pounce down, and he will spread out his wings over Bozrah; and the heart of the mighty men of Edom will actually become in that day like the heart of the wife having distress in childbirth.”

23 For Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad have become ashamed, for it is a bad report that they have heard. They have disintegrated. In the sea there is anxious care; it is not able to keep undisturbed. 24 Damascus has lost courage. She has turned to flee, and sheer panic has seized her. Distress and birth pangs themselves have taken hold of her, as with a woman that is giving birth. 25 How is it that the city of praise has not been abandoned, the town of exultation?

26 “Therefore her young men will fall in her public squares, and all the men of war themselves will be brought to silence in that day,” is the utterance of Jehovah of armies. 27 “And I will set a fire ablaze on the wall of Damascus, and it will certainly devour the dwelling towers of Ben-hadad.”

28 For Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon struck down, this is what Jehovah has said: “Rise up, go up to Kedar, O men, and despoil the sons of the East. 29 Their own tents and their own flocks will be taken, their tent cloths and all their articles. And their own camels will be carried off from them. And they will certainly cry out to them, ‘Fright is all around!’”

30 “Flee, take flight far away; go down deep in order to dwell, O inhabitants of Hazor,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “For Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon has formulated a counsel even against YOU and has thought out against YOU a thought.”

31 “Rise up, O men, go up against the nation that is at ease, dwelling in security!” is the utterance of Jehovah.

“No doors and no bar does it have. Solitary they reside. 32 And their camels must become a plunder, and the multitude of their livestock a spoil. And I will scatter them to every wind, those who have their hair clipped at the temples; and from all regions near it I shall bring in their disaster,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 33 “And Hazor must become the lair of jackals, a desolate waste to time indefinite. No man will dwell there, and in her no son of mankind will reside as an alien.”

34 This is what occurred as the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam in the beginning of the kingship of Zedekiah the king of Judah, saying: 35 “This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Here I am breaking the bow of Elam, the beginning of their mightiness. 36 And I will bring in upon Elam the four winds from the four extremities of the heavens. And I will scatter them to all these winds, and there will prove to be no nation to which the dispersed ones of Elam will not come.’”

37 “And I will shatter the Elamites before their enemies and before those seeking for their soul; and I will bring upon them a calamity, my burning anger,” is the utterance of Jehovah. “And I will send after them the sword until I shall have exterminated them.”

38 “And I will set my throne in Elam, and I will destroy out of there the king and the princes,” is the utterance of Jehovah.
      39 “And it will certainly occur in the final part of the days that I shall gather the captive ones of Elam,” is the utterance of Jehovah.