The Lord continues to speak, and he describes how the cry of war and defeat starts in Heshbon, where the invasion was planned and launched (see Jeremiah 48:2) and spreads throughout the land. Even the waters of the Nimrim have dried up. The Nimrim flows into the Dead Sea in the southern part of Moab and was an important source of water. It seems drought has struck the land as well.1
All of this is taking place because the Lord is bringing an end to idolatry in Moab: And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the Lord, him who offers sacrifices in the high place and makes offerings to his god.
The Lord’s judgment is not just because of Moab’s pride, but also because of his idolatry. These two things, however, do not happen independently of each other. Pride leads mankind to replace the Creator as the object of their worship and idolatry in turn feeds a sense of proud security.
These words of judgment are followed again by words of lament as Jeremiah draws from Isaiah (see Isaiah 16:11–12). The Lord’s heart moans for Moab like a flute
even as Moab’s riches are removed in judgment.
35 Je veux en finir dans Moab, dit l'Eternel, Avec celui qui monte sur les hauts lieux, Et qui offre de l'encens à son dieu.