Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. " Lord, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
"Let him stagger and fall like a drunkard, for he has rebelled against the Lord. Moab will wallow in his own vomit, ridiculed by all. Did you not ridicule the people of Israel? Were they caught in the company of thieves that you should despise them as you do?
"You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks. We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. I know about his insolence," says the Lord, "but his boasts are empty - as empty as his deeds. So now I wail for Moab; yes, I will mourn for Moab. My heart is broken for the men of Kir-hareseth.
"You people of Sibmah, rich in vineyards, I will weep for you even more than I did for Jazer. Your spreading vines once reached as far as the Dead Sea, but the destroyer has stripped you bare! He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits. Joy and gladness are gone from fruitful Moab. The presses yield no wine. No one treads the grapes with shouts of joy. There is shouting, yes, but not of joy.
"Instead, their awful cries of terror can be heard from Heshbon clear across to Elealeh and Jahaz; from Zoar all the way to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up now.
"I will put an end to Moab," says the Lord, "for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods. My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared. The people shave their heads and beards in mourning. They slash their hands and put on clothes made of burlap. There is crying and sorrow in every Moabite home and on every street. For I have smashed Moab like an old, unwanted jar. How it is shattered! Hear the wailing! See the shame of Moab! It has become an object of ridicule, an example of ruin to all its neighbors."
This is what the Lord says:
"Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab. Its cities will fall, and its strongholds will be seized. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor. Moab will no longer be a nation, for it has boasted against the Lord.
"Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, O Moab," says the Lord. "Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will step into a snare. I will see to it that you do not get away, for the time of your judgment has come," says the Lord. "The people flee as far as Heshbon but are unable to go on. For a fire comes from Heshbon, King Sihon's ancient home, to devour the entire land with all its rebellious people.
"What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab! The people of the god Chemosh are destroyed! Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as captives. But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
This is the end of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Moab.
This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says:
"Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns? In the days to come," says the Lord, "I will sound the battle cry against your city of Rabbah. It will become a desolate heap of ruins, and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her," says the Lord.
"Cry out, O Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed. Weep, O people of Rabbah! Put on your clothes of mourning. Weep and wail, hiding in the hedges, for your god Molech, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands. You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you. But look! I will bring terror upon you," says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "Your neighbors will chase you from your land, and no one will help your exiles as they flee. But I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken."
This message was given concerning Edom. This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says:
"Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is no one left to give wise counsel? Turn and flee! Hide in deep caves, you people of Dedan! For when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you, too! Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. If thieves came at night, they would not take everything. But I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide. Its children, its brothers, and its neighbors will all be destroyed, and Edom itself will be no more. But I will protect the orphans who remain among you. Your widows, too, can depend on me for help."
And this is what the Lord says: "If the innocent must suffer, how much more must you! You will not go unpunished! You must drink this cup of judgment! For I have sworn by my own name," says the Lord, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of ruins; it will be mocked and cursed. All its towns and villages will be desolate forever."
I have heard a message from the Lord that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, "Form a coalition against Edom, and prepare for battle!"
The Lord says to Edom, "I will cut you down to size among the nations. You will be despised by all. You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down," says the Lord.
And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God's entire house.
But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.
Moses was certainly faithful in God's house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God's entire house. And we are God's house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
That is why the Holy Spirit says,
"Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. So I was angry with them, and I said, 'Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.' So in my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest.'"
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still"today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says:
"Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."