Jeremiah 49
New King James Version
Judgment on Ammon
49 Against the (A)Ammonites.
Thus says the Lord:
“Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then does [a]Milcom inherit (B)Gad,
And his people dwell in its cities?
2 (C)Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war
In (D)Rabbah of the Ammonites;
It shall be a desolate mound,
And her [b]villages shall be burned with fire.
Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the Lord.
3 “Wail, O (E)Heshbon, for Ai is plundered!
Cry, you daughters of Rabbah,
(F)Gird yourselves with sackcloth!
Lament and run to and fro by the walls;
For [c]Milcom shall go into captivity
With his (G)priests and his princes together.
4 Why (H)do you boast in the valleys,
[d]Your flowing valley, O (I)backsliding daughter?
Who trusted in her (J)treasures, (K)saying,
‘Who will come against me?’
5 Behold, I will bring fear upon you,”
Says the Lord God of hosts,
“From all those who are around you;
You shall be driven out, everyone headlong,
And no one will gather those who wander off.
6 But (L)afterward I will bring back
The captives of the people of Ammon,” says the Lord.
Judgment on Edom
7 (M)Against Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(N)“Is wisdom no more in Teman?
(O)Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom (P)vanished?
8 Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of (Q)Dedan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
The time that I will punish him.
9 (R)If grape-gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
If thieves by night,
Would they not destroy until they have enough?
10 (S)But I have made Esau bare;
I have uncovered his secret places,
And he shall not be able to hide himself.
His descendants are plundered,
His brethren and his neighbors,
And (T)he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children,
I will preserve them alive;
And let your widows trust in Me.”
12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, (U)those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it. 13 For (V)I have sworn by Myself,” says the Lord, “that (W)Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a [e]waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual [f]wastes.”
14 (X)I have heard a message from the Lord,
And an ambassador has been sent to the nations:
“Gather together, come against her,
And rise up to battle!
15 “For indeed, I will make you small among nations,
Despised among men.
16 Your fierceness has deceived you,
The (Y)pride of your heart,
O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Who hold the height of the hill!
(Z)Though you make your (AA)nest as high as the eagle,
(AB)I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
17 “Edom also shall be an astonishment;
(AC)Everyone who goes by it will be astonished
And will hiss at all its plagues.
18 (AD)As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah
And their neighbors,” says the Lord,
“No one shall remain there,
Nor shall a son of man dwell in it.
19 “Behold,(AE) he shall come up like a lion from (AF)the [g]floodplain of the Jordan
Against the dwelling place 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 (AG)who is like Me?
Who will arraign Me?
And (AH)who is that shepherd
Who will withstand Me?”
20 (AI)Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord that He has taken against Edom,
And His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely the least of the flock shall [h]draw them out;
Surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them.
21 (AJ)The earth shakes at the noise of their fall;
At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea.
22 Behold, (AK)He shall come up and fly like the eagle,
And spread His wings over Bozrah;
The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be
Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
Judgment on Damascus
23 (AL)Against Damascus.
(AM)“Hamath and Arpad are shamed,
For they have heard bad news.
They are fainthearted;
(AN)There is [i]trouble on the sea;
It cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus has grown feeble;
She turns to flee,
And fear has seized her.
(AO)Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in [j]labor.
25 Why is (AP)the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy?
26 (AQ)Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets,
And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts.
27 “I(AR) will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”
Judgment on Kedar and Hazor
28 (AS)Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike.
Thus says the Lord:
“Arise, go up to Kedar,
And devastate (AT)the men of the East!
29 Their (AU)tents and their flocks they shall take away.
They shall take for themselves their curtains,
All their vessels and their camels;
And they shall cry out to them,
(AV)‘Fear is on every side!’
30 “Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Hazor!” says the Lord.
“For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you,
And has conceived a plan against you.
31 “Arise, go up to (AW)the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the Lord,
“Which has neither gates nor bars,
(AX)Dwelling alone.
32 Their camels shall be for booty,
And the multitude of their cattle for plunder.
I will (AY)scatter to all winds those [k]in the farthest corners,
And I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the Lord.
33 “Hazor (AZ)shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever;
No one shall reside there,
Nor son of man dwell in it.”
Judgment on Elam
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against (BA)Elam, in the (BB)beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Behold, I will break (BC)the [l]bow of Elam,
The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
(BD)I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 I will (BE)set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.
39 ‘But it shall come to pass (BF)in the latter days:
I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 49:1 Heb. Malcam, lit. their king; an Ammonite god, 1 Kin. 11:5; Molech, Lev. 18:21
- Jeremiah 49:2 Lit. daughters
- Jeremiah 49:3 See v. 1
- Jeremiah 49:4 Lit. Your valley is flowing
- Jeremiah 49:13 ruin
- Jeremiah 49:13 ruins
- Jeremiah 49:19 Or thicket
- Jeremiah 49:20 Or drag them away
- Jeremiah 49:23 anxiety
- Jeremiah 49:24 childbirth
- Jeremiah 49:32 Lit. cut off at the corner, Jer. 9:26; 25:23
- Jeremiah 49:35 Power
Jeremiah 49
English Standard Version
Judgment on Ammon
49 (A)Concerning the Ammonites.
Thus says the Lord:
“Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then has (B)Milcom[a] (C)dispossessed Gad,
and his people settled in its cities?
2 Therefore, behold, the days are coming,
declares the Lord,
when I will cause (D)the battle cry to be heard
against (E)Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it shall become a desolate (F)mound,
and its villages shall be burned with fire;
then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him,
says the Lord.
3 “Wail, O (G)Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
Cry out, O daughters of (H)Rabbah!
(I)Put on sackcloth,
lament, and run to and fro among the hedges!
For (J)Milcom shall go into exile,
(K)with his priests and his officials.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys,[b]
(L)O faithless daughter,
(M)who trusted in her treasures, saying,
‘Who will come against me?’
5 Behold, (N)I will bring terror upon you,
declares the Lord God of hosts,
from all who are around you,
and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him,
with none to gather the fugitives.
6 “But (O)afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord.”
Judgment on Edom
7 Concerning (P)Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
(Q)“Is wisdom no more in (R)Teman?
(S)Has counsel perished from the prudent?
(T)Has their wisdom vanished?
8 (U)Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of (V)Dedan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
(W)the time when I punish him.
9 (X)If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave (Y)gleanings?
(Z)If thieves came by night,
would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
10 (AA)But I have stripped Esau bare;
(AB)I have uncovered his hiding places,
and he is not able to conceal himself.
His children are destroyed, and his brothers,
and his neighbors; and (AC)he is no more.
11 (AD)Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive;
(AE)and let your widows trust in me.”
12 For thus says the Lord: (AF)“If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, (AG)will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. 13 (AH)For I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, that (AI)Bozrah shall become (AJ)a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.”
14 (AK)I have heard a message from the Lord,
and an envoy has been sent among the nations:
(AL)“Gather yourselves together and come against her,
and rise up for battle!
15 For behold, I will make you small among the nations,
despised among mankind.
16 The horror you inspire has deceived you,
and the pride of your heart,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,[c]
who hold the height of the hill.
Though you (AM)make your nest as high as the eagle's,
I will bring you down from there,
declares the Lord.
17 (AN)“Edom shall become a horror. (AO)Everyone who passes by it will be horrified (AP)and will hiss because of all its disasters. 18 (AQ)As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their (AR)neighboring cities were overthrown, says the Lord, (AS)no man shall dwell there, (AT)no man shall sojourn in her. 19 (AU)Behold, (AV)like a lion coming up from (AW)the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make him[d] run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. (AX)For who is like me? (AY)Who will summon me? (AZ)What shepherd can stand before me? 20 Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against (BA)Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of (BB)Teman: (BC)Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. 21 At the sound of their fall (BD)the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. 22 Behold, (BE)one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against (BF)Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart (BG)of a woman in her birth pains.”
Judgment on Damascus
23 Concerning (BH)Damascus:
(BI)“Hamath and (BJ)Arpad are confounded,
for they have heard bad news;
they melt in fear,
(BK)they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.
24 (BL)Damascus has become feeble, (BM)she turned to flee,
and panic seized her;
anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her,
as (BN)of a woman in labor.
25 How is (BO)the famous city not forsaken,
the city of my joy?
26 (BP)Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares,
and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day,
declares the Lord of hosts.
27 And (BQ)I will kindle a fire in the wall of (BR)Damascus,
and it shall devour the strongholds of (BS)Ben-hadad.”
Judgment on Kedar and Hazor
28 Concerning (BT)Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down.
Thus says the Lord:
(BU)“Rise up, advance against (BV)Kedar!
Destroy (BW)the people of the east!
29 (BX)Their tents and their flocks shall be taken,
their (BY)curtains and all their goods;
their camels shall be led away from them,
and men shall cry to them: (BZ)‘Terror on every side!’
30 (CA)Flee, wander far away, dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Hazor!
declares the Lord.
For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
has made a plan against you
and formed a purpose against you.
31 (CB)“Rise up, advance against a nation (CC)at ease,
(CD)that dwells securely,
declares the Lord,
(CE)that has no gates or bars,
that dwells alone.
32 (CF)Their camels shall become plunder,
their herds of livestock a spoil.
(CG)I will scatter to every wind
(CH)those who cut the corners of their hair,
and I will bring their calamity
from every side of them,
declares the Lord.
33 Hazor shall become (CI)a haunt of jackals,
an everlasting waste;
(CJ)no man shall dwell there;
(CK)no man shall sojourn in her.”
Judgment on Elam
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning (CL)Elam, in the beginning of the reign of (CM)Zedekiah king of Judah.
35 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will break (CN)the bow of (CO)Elam, the mainstay of their might. 36 And I will bring upon (CP)Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of (CQ)Elam shall not come. 37 I will (CR)terrify (CS)Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, (CT)my fierce anger, declares the Lord. (CU)I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them, 38 and I will set my throne in (CV)Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the Lord.
39 “But in the latter days (CW)I will restore the fortunes of (CX)Elam, declares the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also verse 3
- Jeremiah 49:4 Hebrew boast of your valleys, your valley flows
- Jeremiah 49:16 Or of Sela
- Jeremiah 49:19 Septuagint, Syriac them
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.