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A Message about Philistia

47 This is the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines of Gaza, before it was captured by the Egyptian army. This is what the Lord says:

“A flood is coming from the north
    to overflow the land.
It will destroy the land and everything in it—
    cities and people alike.
People will scream in terror,
    and everyone in the land will wail.
Hear the clatter of stallions’ hooves
    and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by.
Terrified fathers run madly,
    without a backward glance at their helpless children.

“The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed,
    along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon.
Yes, the Lord is destroying the remnant of the Philistines,
    those colonists from the island of Crete.[a]
Gaza will be humiliated, its head shaved bald;
    Ashkelon will lie silent.
You remnant from the Mediterranean coast,[b]
    how long will you cut yourselves in mourning?

“Now, O sword of the Lord,
    when will you be at rest again?
Go back into your sheath;
    rest and be still.

“But how can it be still
    when the Lord has sent it on a mission?
For the city of Ashkelon
    and the people living along the sea
    must be destroyed.”

A Message about Moab

48 This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:

“What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo;
    it will soon lie in ruins.
The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured;
    the fortress will be humiliated and broken down.
No one will ever brag about Moab again,
    for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her.
‘Come,’ they say, ‘we will cut her off from being a nation.’
    The town of Madmen,[c] too, will be silenced;
    the sword will follow you there.
Listen to the cries from Horonaim,
    cries of devastation and great destruction.
All Moab is destroyed.
    Her little ones will cry out.[d]
Her refugees weep bitterly,
    climbing the slope to Luhith.
They cry out in terror,
    descending the slope to Horonaim.
Flee for your lives!
    Hide[e] in the wilderness!
Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill,
    you will be taken captive.
Your god Chemosh, with his priests and officials,
    will be hauled off to distant lands!

“All the towns will be destroyed,
    and no one will escape—
either on the plateaus or in the valleys,
    for the Lord has spoken.
Oh, that Moab had wings
    so she could fly away,[f]
for her towns will be left empty,
    with no one living in them.
10 Cursed are those who refuse to do the Lord’s work,
    who hold back their swords from shedding blood!

11 “From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace,
    never going into exile.
He is like wine that has been allowed to settle.
    He has not been poured from flask to flask,
    and he is now fragrant and smooth.
12 But the time is coming soon,” says the Lord,
    “when I will send men to pour him from his jar.
They will pour him out,
    then shatter the jar!
13 At last Moab will be ashamed of his idol Chemosh,
    as the people of Israel were ashamed of their gold calf at Bethel.[g]

14 “You used to boast, ‘We are heroes,
    mighty men of war.’
15 But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed.
    His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter,”
    says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
16 “Destruction is coming fast for Moab;
    calamity threatens ominously.
17 You friends of Moab,
    weep for him and cry!
See how the strong scepter is broken,
    how the beautiful staff is shattered!

18 “Come down from your glory
    and sit in the dust, you people of Dibon,
for those who destroy Moab will shatter Dibon, too.
    They will tear down all your towers.
19 You people of Aroer,
    stand beside the road and watch.
Shout to those who flee from Moab,
    ‘What has happened there?’

20 “And the reply comes back,
‘Moab lies in ruins, disgraced;
    weep and wail!
Tell it by the banks of the Arnon River:
    Moab has been destroyed!’
21 Judgment has been poured out on the towns of the plateau—
    on Holon and Jahaz[h] and Mephaath,
22 on Dibon and Nebo and Beth-diblathaim,
23     on Kiriathaim and Beth-gamul and Beth-meon,
24 on Kerioth and Bozrah—
    all the towns of Moab, far and near.

25 “The strength of Moab has ended.
    His arm has been broken,” says the Lord.
26 “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.
27 Did you not ridicule the people of Israel?
    Were they caught in the company of thieves
    that you should despise them as you do?

28 “You people of Moab,
    flee from your towns and live in the caves.
Hide like doves that nest
    in the clefts of the rocks.
29 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.
30 I know about his insolence,”
    says the Lord,
“but his boasts are empty—
    as empty as his deeds.
31 So now I wail for Moab;
    yes, I will mourn for Moab.
    My heart is broken for the men of Kir-hareseth.[i]

32 “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,[j]
    but the destroyer has stripped you bare!
    He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits.
33 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.

34 “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.

35 “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. 36 My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared. 37 The people shave their heads and beards in mourning. They slash their hands and put on clothes made of burlap. 38 There is crying and sorrow in every Moabite home and on every street. For I have smashed Moab like an old, unwanted jar. 39 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.”

40 This is what the Lord says:

“Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle,
    spreading his wings over Moab.
41 Its cities will fall,
    and its strongholds will be seized.
Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish
    like a woman in labor.
42 Moab will no longer be a nation,
    for it has boasted against the Lord.

43 “Terror and traps and snares will be your lot,
    O Moab,” says the Lord.
44 “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.
45 “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.

46 “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.
47 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.

A Message about Ammon

49 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,[k]
    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.”

Messages about Edom

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,[l]
    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.
10 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.
11 But I will protect the orphans who remain among you.
    Your widows, too, can depend on me for help.”

12 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! 13 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.”

14 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!”

15 The Lord says to Edom,
“I will cut you down to size among the nations.
    You will be despised by all.
16 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.

17 “Edom will be an object of horror.
    All who pass by will be appalled
    and will gasp at the destruction they see there.
18 It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
    and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there;
    no one will inhabit it.
19 I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan,
    leaping on the sheep in the pasture.
I will chase Edom from its land,
    and I will appoint the leader of my choice.
For who is like me, and who can challenge me?
    What ruler can oppose my will?”

20 Listen to the Lord’s plans against Edom
    and the people of Teman.
Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep,
    and their homes will be destroyed.
21 The earth will shake with the noise of Edom’s fall,
    and its cry of despair will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.[m]
22 Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle,
    spreading his wings over Bozrah.
Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish
    like a woman in labor.

A Message about Damascus

23 This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says:

“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear,
    for they have heard the news of their destruction.
Their hearts are troubled
    like a wild sea in a raging storm.
24 Damascus has become feeble,
    and all her people turn to flee.
Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her
    as they grip a woman in labor.
25 That famous city, a city of joy,
    will be forsaken!
26 Her young men will fall in the streets and die.
    Her soldiers will all be killed,”
    says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
27 “And I will set fire to the walls of Damascus
    that will burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad.”

A Message about Kedar and Hazor

28 This message was given concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which were attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar[n] of Babylon. This is what the Lord says:

“Advance against Kedar!
    Destroy the warriors from the East!
29 Their flocks and tents will be captured,
    and their household goods and camels will be taken away.
Everywhere shouts of panic will be heard:
    ‘We are terrorized at every turn!’
30 Run for your lives,” says the Lord.
    “Hide yourselves in deep caves, you people of Hazor,
for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has plotted against you
    and is preparing to destroy you.

31 “Go up and attack that complacent nation,”
    says the Lord.
“Its people live alone in the desert
    without walls or gates.
32 Their camels and other livestock will all be yours.
    I will scatter to the winds these people
    who live in remote places.[o]
I will bring calamity upon them
    from every direction,” says the Lord.
33 “Hazor will be inhabited by jackals,
    and it will be desolate forever.
No one will live there;
    no one will inhabit it.”

A Message about Elam

34 This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. 35 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“I will destroy the archers of Elam—
    the best of their forces.
36 I will bring enemies from all directions,
    and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.
    They will be exiled to countries around the world.
37 I myself will go with Elam’s enemies to shatter it.
    In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster
    upon the people of Elam,” says the Lord.
“Their enemies will chase them with the sword
    until I have destroyed them completely.
38 I will set my throne in Elam,” says the Lord,
    “and I will destroy its king and officials.
39 But I will restore the fortunes of Elam
    in days to come.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Footnotes

  1. 47:4 Hebrew from Caphtor.
  2. 47:5 Hebrew the plain.
  3. 48:2 Madmen sounds like the Hebrew word for “silence”; it should not be confused with the English word madmen.
  4. 48:4 Greek version reads Her cries are heard as far away as Zoar.
  5. 48:6 Or Hide like a wild donkey; or Hide like a juniper shrub; or Be like [the town of] Aroer. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  6. 48:9 Or Put salt on Moab, / for she will be laid waste.
  7. 48:13 Hebrew ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.
  8. 48:21 Hebrew Jahzah, a variant spelling of Jahaz.
  9. 48:31 Hebrew Kir-heres, a variant spelling of Kir-hareseth; also in 48:36.
  10. 48:32 Hebrew the sea of Jazer.
  11. 49:1 Hebrew Malcam, a variant spelling of Molech; also in 49:3.
  12. 49:8 Hebrew Esau; also in 49:10.
  13. 49:21 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  14. 49:28 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 49:30.
  15. 49:32 Or who clip the corners of their hair.

A Message About the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(A) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(B)

This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;(C)
    they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
    the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
    all who dwell in the land will wail(D)
at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
    at the noise of enemy chariots(E)
    and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
    their hands will hang limp.(F)
For the day has come
    to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
    who could help Tyre(G) and Sidon.(H)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(I)
    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a](J)
Gaza will shave(K) her head in mourning;
    Ashkelon(L) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
    how long will you cut(M) yourselves?

“‘Alas, sword(N) of the Lord,
    how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
    cease and be still.’(O)
But how can it rest
    when the Lord has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
    to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”(P)

A Message About Moab(Q)

48 Concerning Moab:(R)

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“Woe to Nebo,(S) for it will be ruined.
    Kiriathaim(T) will be disgraced and captured;
    the stronghold[b] will be disgraced and shattered.
Moab will be praised(U) no more;
    in Heshbon[c](V) people will plot her downfall:
    ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’(W)
You, the people of Madmen,[d] will also be silenced;
    the sword will pursue you.
Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,(X)
    cries of great havoc and destruction.
Moab will be broken;
    her little ones will cry out.[e]
They go up the hill to Luhith,(Y)
    weeping bitterly as they go;
on the road down to Horonaim(Z)
    anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
Flee!(AA) Run for your lives;
    become like a bush[f] in the desert.(AB)
Since you trust in your deeds and riches,(AC)
    you too will be taken captive,
and Chemosh(AD) will go into exile,(AE)
    together with his priests and officials.(AF)
The destroyer(AG) will come against every town,
    and not a town will escape.
The valley will be ruined
    and the plateau(AH) destroyed,
    because the Lord has spoken.
Put salt(AI) on Moab,
    for she will be laid waste[g];(AJ)
her towns will become desolate,
    with no one to live in them.

10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!
    A curse on anyone who keeps their sword(AK) from bloodshed!(AL)

11 “Moab has been at rest(AM) from youth,
    like wine left on its dregs,(AN)
not poured from one jar to another—
    she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
    and her aroma is unchanged.
12 But days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,
    and they will pour her out;
they will empty her pitchers
    and smash her jars.
13 Then Moab will be ashamed(AO) of Chemosh,(AP)
    as Israel was ashamed
    when they trusted in Bethel.(AQ)

14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,(AR)
    men valiant in battle’?
15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
    her finest young men(AS) will go down in the slaughter,(AT)
    declares the King,(AU) whose name is the Lord Almighty.(AV)
16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;(AW)
    her calamity will come quickly.
17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,
    all who know her fame;(AX)
say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,(AY)
    how broken the glorious staff!’

18 “Come down from your glory
    and sit on the parched ground,(AZ)
    you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,(BA)
for the one who destroys Moab
    will come up against you
    and ruin your fortified cities.(BB)
19 Stand by the road and watch,
    you who live in Aroer.(BC)
Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
    ask them, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
    Wail(BD) and cry out!
Announce by the Arnon(BE)
    that Moab is destroyed.
21 Judgment has come to the plateau(BF)
    to Holon,(BG) Jahzah(BH) and Mephaath,(BI)
22     to Dibon,(BJ) Nebo(BK) and Beth Diblathaim,
23     to Kiriathaim,(BL) Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,(BM)
24     to Kerioth(BN) and Bozrah(BO)
    to all the towns(BP) of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab’s horn[h](BQ) is cut off;
    her arm(BR) is broken,”
declares the Lord.

26 “Make her drunk,(BS)
    for she has defied(BT) the Lord.
Let Moab wallow in her vomit;(BU)
    let her be an object of ridicule.(BV)
27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?(BW)
    Was she caught among thieves,(BX)
that you shake your head(BY) in scorn(BZ)
    whenever you speak of her?
28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
    you who live in Moab.
Be like a dove(CA) that makes its nest
    at the mouth of a cave.(CB)

29 “We have heard of Moab’s pride(CC)
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her insolence, her pride, her conceit
    and the haughtiness(CD) of her heart.
30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”
declares the Lord,
    “and her boasts(CE) accomplish nothing.
31 Therefore I wail(CF) over Moab,
    for all Moab I cry out,
    I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.(CG)
32 I weep for you, as Jazer(CH) weeps,
    you vines of Sibmah.(CI)
Your branches spread as far as the sea[i];
    they reached as far as[j] Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen
    on your ripened fruit and grapes.
33 Joy and gladness are gone
    from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine(CJ) from the presses;
    no one treads them with shouts of joy.(CK)
Although there are shouts,
    they are not shouts of joy.

34 “The sound of their cry rises
    from Heshbon(CL) to Elealeh(CM) and Jahaz,(CN)
from Zoar(CO) as far as Horonaim(CP) and Eglath Shelishiyah,
    for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.(CQ)
35 In Moab I will put an end
    to those who make offerings on the high places(CR)
    and burn incense(CS) to their gods,”
declares the Lord.
36 “So my heart laments(CT) for Moab like the music of a pipe;
    it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.(CU)
    The wealth they acquired(CV) is gone.
37 Every head is shaved(CW)
    and every beard(CX) cut off;
every hand is slashed
    and every waist is covered with sackcloth.(CY)
38 On all the roofs in Moab
    and in the public squares(CZ)
there is nothing but mourning,
    for I have broken Moab
    like a jar(DA) that no one wants,”
declares the Lord.
39 “How shattered(DB) she is! How they wail!
    How Moab turns her back in shame!
Moab has become an object of ridicule,(DC)
    an object of horror to all those around her.”

40 This is what the Lord says:

“Look! An eagle is swooping(DD) down,
    spreading its wings(DE) over Moab.
41 Kerioth[k](DF) will be captured
    and the strongholds taken.
In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors(DG)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(DH)
42 Moab will be destroyed(DI) as a nation(DJ)
    because she defied(DK) the Lord.
43 Terror(DL) and pit and snare(DM) await you,
    you people of Moab,”
declares the Lord.
44 “Whoever flees(DN) from the terror
    will fall into a pit,
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare;
for I will bring on Moab
    the year(DO) of her punishment,”
declares the Lord.

45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
    the fugitives stand helpless,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
    a blaze from the midst of Sihon;(DP)
it burns the foreheads of Moab,
    the skulls(DQ) of the noisy boasters.
46 Woe to you, Moab!(DR)
    The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
your sons are taken into exile
    and your daughters into captivity.

47 “Yet I will restore(DS) the fortunes of Moab
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

Here ends the judgment on Moab.

A Message About Ammon

49 Concerning the Ammonites:(DT)

This is what the Lord says:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[l](DU) taken possession of Gad?(DV)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(DW)
    against Rabbah(DX) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(DY)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,(DZ)
says the Lord.
“Wail, Heshbon,(EA) for Ai(EB) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(EC) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(ED) will go into exile,(EE)
    together with his priests and officials.
Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(EF)
    you trust in your riches(EG) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’(EH)
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.(EI)

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

A Message About Edom(EK)(EL)

Concerning Edom:(EM)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(EN)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(EO)
    you who live in Dedan,(EP)
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,(EQ)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one(ER) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(ES) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows(ET) too can depend on me.’”

12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(EU) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(EV) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(EW) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(EX) will become a ruin and a curse,[m] an object of horror(EY) and reproach;(EZ) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(FA)

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(FB) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(FC)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(FD) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(FE)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.(FF)
18 As Sodom(FG) and Gomorrah(FH) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell(FI) in it.

19 “Like a lion(FJ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(FK)
    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(FL) me and who can challenge me?(FM)
    And what shepherd(FN) can stand against me?”

20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(FO)
    what he has purposed(FP) against those who live in Teman:(FQ)
The young of the flock(FR) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(FS)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(FT)
    their cry(FU) will resound to the Red Sea.[n]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(FV) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.(FW)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(FX)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(FY)

A Message About Damascus

23 Concerning Damascus:(FZ)

“Hamath(GA) and Arpad(GB) are dismayed,
    for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
    troubled like[o] the restless sea.(GC)
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.(GD)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
    the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(GE) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced(GF) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(GG) to the walls of Damascus;(GH)
    it will consume(GI) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(GJ)

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning Kedar(GK) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(GL) which Nebuchadnezzar(GM) king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

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

30 “Flee quickly away!
    Stay in deep caves,(GQ) you who live in Hazor,(GR)
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(GS) 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;(GT)
    its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(GU) will become plunder,
    and their large herds(GV) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(GW) those who are in distant places[p](GX)
    and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(GY) will become a haunt of jackals,(GZ)
    a desolate(HA) place forever.
No one will live there;
    no people will dwell(HB) in it.”

A Message About Elam

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

35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will break the bow(HE) of Elam,
    the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring against Elam the four winds(HF)
    from the four quarters of heaven;(HG)
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,”(HH)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword(HI)
    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(HJ) the fortunes of Elam
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete
  2. Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab
  3. Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.
  4. Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.
  5. Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar
  6. Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer
  7. Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away
  8. Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  9. Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea
  10. Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of
  11. Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities
  12. Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
  13. Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  14. Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
  15. Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
  16. Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads

47 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.

Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the Lord will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?

O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.

How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

48 Against Moab thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction.

Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken.

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

10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

12 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

13 And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

14 How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?

15 Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

18 Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

19 O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

20 Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

21 And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

22 And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

23 And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

24 And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord.

26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the Lord: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

27 For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

29 We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

30 I know his wrath, saith the Lord; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

31 Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

33 And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab, and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

34 From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

35 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the Lord, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

36 Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

38 There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the Lord.

39 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

40 For thus saith the Lord; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

41 Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the Lord.

43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the Lord.

44 He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.

45 They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

46 Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

47 Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

49 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord.

Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord God of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.

And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord.

Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.

If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.

10 But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.

11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

12 For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

14 I have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

15 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.

17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

20 Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

21 The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.

22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts.

27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

28 Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the Lord; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.

29 Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, Fear is on every side.

30 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the Lord; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

31 Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the Lord, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

32 And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the Lord.

33 And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.

34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

35 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:

38 And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord.

39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord.