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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 Ben-hadad.

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.

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

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,[a]
    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,[b]
    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.[c]
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[d] 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.[e]
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. 49:1 Hebrew Malcam, a variant spelling of Molech; also in 49:3.
  2. 49:8 Hebrew Esau; also in 49:10.
  3. 49:21 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  4. 49:28 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar; also in 49:30.
  5. 49:32 Or who clip the corners of their hair.