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A Message to Ammon

49 This message is to the Ammonite people.

This is what the Lord says:

“Do you think that Israel has no children?
    Do you think there is no one to take the land when the parents die?
If that were true, why did Molech take Gad’s land
    and why did Molech’s people settle in Gad’s towns?”
The Lord says,
“The time will come when I will make Rabbah,
    the capital city of the Ammonites, hear the battle cry.
It will become a hill covered with ruins,
    and the towns around it will be burned.
Those people forced Israel out of that land,
    but now Israel will force them out!” says the Lord.
“People in the town of Heshbon, cry sadly because the town of Ai is destroyed!
    Those who live in Rabbah, cry out!
Put on your rough cloth to show your sadness, and cry loudly.
    Run here and there for safety inside the walls,
because Molech will be taken captive
    and his priests and officers with him.
You brag about your valleys
    and about the fruit in your valleys.
You are like an unfaithful child
    who believes his treasures will save him.
    You think, ‘Who would attack me?’
I will soon bring terror on you
    from everyone around you,”
    says the Lord God All-Powerful.
“You will all be forced to run away,
    and no one will be able to gather you.

“But the time will come
    when I will make good things happen to the Ammonites again,”
    says the Lord.

A Message to Edom

This message is to Edom. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:

“Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman?
    Can the wise men of Edom no longer give good advice?
    Have they lost their wisdom?
You people living in the town of Dedan,
    run away and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring disaster on the people of Esau.
    It is time for me to punish them.
If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
    they would leave a few grapes behind.
If robbers came at night,
    they would steal only enough for themselves.
10 But I will strip Edom bare.
    I will find all their hiding places,
    so they will not be able to hide from me.
The children, relatives, and neighbors will die,
    and Edom will be no more.
11 Leave the orphans, and I will take care of them.
    Your widows also can trust in me.”

12 This is what the Lord says: “Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup of suffering anyway. People of Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup of suffering.” 13 The Lord says, “I swear by my own name that the city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. They will insult that city and speak evil of it. And all the towns around it will become ruins forever.”

14 I have heard a message from the Lord.
    A messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather your armies to attack it!
    Get ready for battle!”

15 “Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
    and you will be greatly hated by everyone.
16 Edom, you frightened other nations,
    but your pride has fooled you.
You live in the hollow places of the cliff
    and control the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
    I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.

17 “Edom will be destroyed.
    People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
    and they will be amazed at all her injuries.
18 Edom will be destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
    and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there!
    No one will stay in Edom.

19 “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
    to attack a strong pen for sheep,
I will suddenly chase Edom from its land.
    Who is the one I have chosen to do this?
There is no one like me,
    no one who can take me to court.
    None of their leaders can stand up against me.”

20 So listen to what the Lord has planned to do against Edom.
    Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young ones of Edom.
    Their hometowns will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
21 At the sound of Edom’s fall, the earth will shake.
    Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22 The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
    and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened,
    like a woman having a baby.

A Message to Damascus

23 This message is to the city of Damascus:

“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,
    because they have heard bad news.
They are discouraged.
    They are troubled like the tossing sea.
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
    The people want to run away;
    they are ready to panic.
The people feel pain and suffering,
    like a woman giving birth to a baby.
25 Damascus was a city of my joy.
    Why have the people not left that famous city yet?
26 Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
    and all her soldiers will be killed at that time,” says the Lord All-Powerful.
27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus,
    and it will completely burn the strong cities of King Ben-Hadad.”

A Message to Kedar and Hazor

28 This message is to the tribe of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the Lord says:

“Go and attack the people of Kedar,
    and destroy the people of the East.
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
    Their belongings will be carried off—
    their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
    ‘Terror on every side!’

30 “Run away quickly!
    People in Hazor, find a good place to hide!” says the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
    and wants to defeat you.

31 “Get up! Attack the nation that is comfortable,
    that is sure no one will defeat it,” says the Lord.
“It does not have gates or fences to protect it.
    Its people live alone.
32 The enemy will steal their camels
    and their large herds of cattle as war prizes.
I will scatter the people who cut their hair short to every part of the earth,
    and I will bring disaster on them from everywhere,” says the Lord.
33 “The city of Hazor will become a home for wild dogs;
    it will be an empty desert forever.
No one will live there,
    and no one will stay in it.”

A Message to Elam

34 Soon after Zedekiah became king of Judah, the Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the nation of Elam.

35 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:

“I will soon break Elam’s bow,
    its greatest strength.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam
    from the four corners of the skies.
I will scatter its people everywhere the four winds blow;
    its captives will go to every nation.
37 I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies,
    who want to destroy them.
I will bring disaster to Elam
    and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord.
“I will send a sword to chase Elam
    until I have killed them all.
38 I will set up my throne in Elam to show that I am king,
    and I will destroy its king and its officers!” says the Lord.

39 “But I will make good things happen to Elam again
    in the future,” says the Lord.

A Message About Ammon

49 Concerning the Ammonites:(A)

This is what the Lord says:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[a](B) taken possession of Gad?(C)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(D)
    against Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(F)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,(G)
says the Lord.
“Wail, Heshbon,(H) for Ai(I) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(J) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(K) will go into exile,(L)
    together with his priests and officials.
Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(M)
    you trust in your riches(N) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’(O)
I will bring terror on you
    from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
    and no one will gather the fugitives.(P)

“Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.

A Message About Edom(R)(S)

Concerning Edom:(T)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(U)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(V)
    you who live in Dedan,(W)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
    at the time when I punish him.
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
    I will uncover his hiding places,(X)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one(Y) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(Z) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows(AA) too can depend on me.’”

12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(AB) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(AC) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(AD) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(AE) will become a ruin and a curse,[b] an object of horror(AF) and reproach;(AG) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(AH)

14 I have heard a message from the Lord;
    an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
    Rise up for battle!”

15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,
    despised by mankind.
16 The terror you inspire
    and the pride(AI) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(AJ)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(AK) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(AL)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.(AM)
18 As Sodom(AN) and Gomorrah(AO) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell(AP) in it.

19 “Like a lion(AQ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AR)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like(AS) me and who can challenge me?(AT)
    And what shepherd(AU) can stand against me?”

20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(AV)
    what he has purposed(AW) against those who live in Teman:(AX)
The young of the flock(AY) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(AZ)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(BA)
    their cry(BB) will resound to the Red Sea.[c]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(BC) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.(BD)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(BE)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(BF)

A Message About Damascus

23 Concerning Damascus:(BG)

“Hamath(BH) and Arpad(BI) are dismayed,
    for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
    troubled like[d] the restless sea.(BJ)
24 Damascus has become feeble,
    she has turned to flee
    and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BK)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
    the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(BL) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced(BM) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(BN) to the walls of Damascus;(BO)
    it will consume(BP) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(BQ)

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning Kedar(BR) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(BS) which Nebuchadnezzar(BT) king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, and attack Kedar
    and destroy the people of the East.(BU)
29 Their tents and their flocks(BV) will be taken;
    their shelters will be carried off
    with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
    ‘Terror(BW) on every side!’

30 “Flee quickly away!
    Stay in deep caves,(BX) you who live in Hazor,(BY)
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(BZ) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
    he has devised a plan against you.

31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
    which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;(CA)
    its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(CB) will become plunder,
    and their large herds(CC) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(CD) those who are in distant places[e](CE)
    and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(CF) will become a haunt of jackals,(CG)
    a desolate(CH) place forever.
No one will live there;
    no people will dwell(CI) in it.”

A Message About Elam

34 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(CJ) early in the reign of Zedekiah(CK) king of Judah:

35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will break the bow(CL) of Elam,
    the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring against Elam the four winds(CM)
    from the four quarters of heaven;(CN)
I will scatter them to the four winds,
    and there will not be a nation
    where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37 I will shatter Elam before their foes,
    before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
    even my fierce anger,”(CO)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword(CP)
    until I have made an end of them.
38 I will set my throne in Elam
    and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the Lord.

39 “Yet I will restore(CQ) the fortunes of Elam
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
  2. Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  3. Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
  4. Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
  5. Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads