Jeremiah 48:9

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Make Moab a salt marsh,for she will run away;her towns will become a desolation,without inhabitant.

Hebrew Names Version
Give wings to Mo'av, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

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

English Standard Version
"Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them.

New American Standard Bible
"Give wings to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them.

New Century Version
Give wings to Moab, because she will surely leave her land. Moab's towns will become empty, with no one to live in them.

Amplified Bible
"Give a gravestone to Moab, For she will fall into ruins; Her cities (pastures, farms) will be desolate, Without anyone to live in them.

World English Bible
Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue wings vnto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shalbe desolate, without any to dwell therein.

Legacy Standard Bible
Give wings to Moab,For she will flee away;And her cities will become a desolation,Without inhabitants in them.

Berean Standard Bible
Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them.

Contemporary English Version
Spread salt on the ground to kill the crops. Leave its towns in ruins, with no one living there.

Complete Jewish Bible
Give Mo'av wings, so it can fly and get away. Its cities will become ruins, with no one to live in them.

Darby Translation
Give wings unto Moab, that she may flee and get away; and the cities thereof shall become a desolation, without inhabitant.

Easy-to-Read Version
Spread salt over the fields in Moab. The country will be an empty desert. Moab's towns will become empty. No one will live in them.

George Lamsa Translation
Give a garland to Moab, for she shall surely be destroyed, and all her cities shall become a desolation without any to dwell in them.

Good News Translation
Set up a tombstone for Moab; it will soon be destroyed. Its towns will be left in ruins, and no one will live there again."

Lexham English Bible
Give salt for Moab, for certainly she will go to ruin, and her towns will become as a desolation, without an inhabitant in them.

Literal Translation
Give wings to Moab, for it will fly away; and its cities shall be a desert, without an inhabitant in them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Make a token vnto Moab, that she get hir awaye spedely: for hir cities shalbe made so desolate, that no man shall dwell therin.

American Standard Version
Give wings unto Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

Bible in Basic English
Put up a pillar for Moab, for she will come to a complete end: and her towns will become a waste, without anyone living in them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give wings unto Moab, for she must fly and get away; and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

King James Version (1611)
Giue wings vnto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shalbe desolate, without any to dwell therein.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Geue winges vnto Moab, that she get her away speedyly: for her cities shalbe made so desolate, that no man shall dwell therein.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now the pit into which Ismael cast all whom he smote, is the great pit, which king Asa had made for fear of Baasa king of Israel: even this Ismael filled with slain men.

English Revised Version
Give wings unto Moab, that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue ye the flour of Moab, for it schal go out flourynge; and the citees therof schulen be forsakun, and vnhabitable.

Update Bible Version
Give wings to Moab, that she may fly and get away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.

Webster's Bible Translation
Give wings to Moab, that it may flee and get away: for its cities shall be desolate, without any to dwell in them.

New English Translation
Set up a gravestone for Moab, for it will certainly be laid in ruins! Its cities will be laid waste and become uninhabited."

New King James Version
"Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them.

New Living Translation
Oh, that Moab had wings so she could fly away, for her towns will be left empty, with no one living in them.

New Life Bible
Give wings to Moab, for she will fly away. Her cities will become a waste, with no people living in them.

New Revised Standard
Set aside salt for Moab, for she will surely fall; her towns shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Give wing to Moab, For she must, fly away; And her cities To desolation, shall be turned, With no inhabitant therein.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Give a flower to Moab, for in its flower it shall go out: and the cities thereof shall be desolate, and uninhabited.

Revised Standard Version
"Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them.

Young's Literal Translation
Give wings to Moab, for she utterly goeth out, And her cities are for a desolation, Without an inhabitant in them.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Give wings to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them.

Contextual Overview

¹The Message on Moab from God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: "Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground! Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated, The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill, Moab's glory—dust and ashes. Conspirators plot Heshbon's doom: ‘Come, let's wipe Moab off the map.' Dungface Dimon will loudly lament, as killing follows killing. Listen! A cry out of Horonaim: ‘Disaster—doom and more doom!' Moab will be shattered. Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar. Up the ascent of Luhith climbers weep, And down the descent from Horonaim, cries of loss and devastation. Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can! Survive by your wits in the wild! You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes? But it won't help you now. Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off, his priests and managers with him. A wrecker will wreck every city. Not a city will survive. The valley fields will be ruined, the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you. Cover the land of Moab with salt. Make sure nothing ever grows here again. Her towns will all be ghost towns. Nobody will ever live here again. Sloppy work in God 's name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword. ¹¹"Moab has always taken it easy— lazy as a dog in the sun, Never had to work for a living, never faced any trouble, Never had to grow up, never once worked up a sweat. But those days are a thing of the past. I'll put him to work at hard labor. That will wake him up to the world of hard knocks. That will smash his illusions. Moab will be as ashamed of god Chemosh as Israel was ashamed of her Bethel calf-gods, the calf-gods she thought were so great. For how long do you think you'll be saying, ‘We're tough. We can beat anyone anywhere'? The destruction of Moab has already begun. Her choice young soldiers are lying dead right now." The King's Decree— his full name, God -of-the-Angel-Armies. "Yes. Moab's doom is on countdown, disaster targeted and launched. Weep for Moab, friends and neighbors, all who know how famous he's been. Lament, ‘His mighty scepter snapped in two like a toothpick, that magnificent royal staff!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wings: Jeremiah 48:28, Psalms 11:1, Psalms 55:6, Isaiah 16:2, Revelation 12:14

the cities: Jeremiah 46:19, Zephaniah 2:9

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 7:7 - they arose Micah 1:11 - Pass

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
Jacob got angry with Rachel and said, "Am I God? Am I the one who refused you babies?"

Genesis 33:5
Then Esau looked around and saw the women and children: "And who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children that God saw fit to bless me with."

Genesis 48:3
Jacob said to Joseph, "The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, ‘I'm going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I'll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.' I'm adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem."

Genesis 48:21
Israel then said to Joseph, "I'm about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I'm presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow."

Genesis 49:28
All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.

Deuteronomy 33:1
Moses, man of God, blessed the People of Israel with this blessing before his death. He said, God came down from Sinai, he dawned from Seir upon them; He radiated light from Mount Paran, coming with ten thousand holy angels And tongues of fire streaming from his right hand. Oh, how you love the people, all his holy ones are palmed in your left hand. They sit at your feet, honoring your teaching, The Revelation commanded by Moses, as the assembly of Jacob's inheritance. Thus God became king in Jeshurun as the leaders and tribes of Israel gathered.

1 Samuel 1:20
Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked God for him."

1 Samuel 1:27
Hannah Pours Out Her Heart to God There once was a man who lived in Ramathaim. He was descended from the old Zuph family in the Ephraim hills. His name was Elkanah. (He was connected with the Zuphs from Ephraim through his father Jeroham, his grandfather Elihu, and his great-grandfather Tohu.) He had two wives. The first was Hannah; the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children; Hannah did not. Every year this man went from his hometown up to Shiloh to worship and offer a sacrifice to God -of-the-Angel-Armies. Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the priests of God there. When Elkanah sacrificed, he passed helpings from the sacrificial meal around to his wife Peninnah and all her children, but he always gave an especially generous helping to Hannah because he loved her so much, and because God had not given her children. But her rival wife taunted her cruelly, rubbing it in and never letting her forget that God had not given her children. This went on year after year. Every time she went to the sanctuary of God she could expect to be taunted. Hannah was reduced to tears and had no appetite. Her husband Elkanah said, "Oh, Hannah, why are you crying? Why aren't you eating? And why are you so upset? Am I not of more worth to you than ten sons?" So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God 's Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow: Oh, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, If you'll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you'll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline. It so happened that as she continued in prayer before God , Eli was watching her closely. Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He approached her and said, "You're drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!" Hannah said, "Oh no, sir—please! I'm a woman hard used. I haven't been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I've been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to God . Don't for a minute think I'm a bad woman. It's because I'm so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I've stayed here so long." Eli answered her, "Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him." "Think well of me—and pray for me!" she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant. Up before dawn, they worshiped God and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked. Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked God for him." When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship God , offering sacrifices and keeping his vow, Hannah didn't go. She told her husband, "After the child is weaned, I'll bring him myself and present him before God —and that's where he'll stay, for good." Elkanah said to his wife, "Do what you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. Yes! Let God complete what he has begun!" So she did. She stayed home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. Then she took him up to Shiloh, bringing also the makings of a generous sacrificial meal—a prize bull, flour, and wine. The child was so young to be sent off! They first butchered the bull, then brought the child to Eli. Hannah said, "Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I'm the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to God ? I prayed for this child, and God gave me what I asked for. And now I have dedicated him to God . He's dedicated to God for life." Then and there, they worshiped God .

Psalms 127:3
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

Hebrews 11:21
By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give wings unto Moab that it may flee and get away,.... That is, give wings to the inhabitants of Moab; signifying that they were in great danger, and there was no probability of escaping it, unless they had the wings of a swift bird, or were as swift as such, and even that would not do; though perhaps their fleeing, and passing away with wings, may signify not their fleeing from danger, and their attempt to escape; but their swift and sudden destruction, compared to the swift flight of a bird; for the last clause may be rendered, "for in flying it shall fly away" o. Some render the first clause, "give a flower to Moab", as the Vulgate Latin version; and so the word sometimes signifies, Isaiah 40:7; and the sense may be, hold up a flower to Moab, or a feather, such as is light, as the down of a thistle, as an emblem of its destruction; which shall pass away as easily and swiftly as so light a thing before the wind; but Jarchi and Kimchi interpret the word as we do, a wing. The Targum is,

"take away the crown from Moab, for going it shall go away into captivity.''

The word is used of the plate of gold on the high priest's mitre,

Exodus 28:36;

for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein; which expresses the utter destruction of them.

o כי נצא תצא "quia volando volabit", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "quia avolando avolabit", Schmidt; "nam avolabit", Piscator.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 48:9. Give wings unto Moab — There is no hope in resistance, and to escape requires the speediest flight. I cannot conceive how Dahler came to translate thus: Tirez Moab par les chevaux, "Drag Moab away by the hair of the head."