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

49 Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has he no heir?
Why then does Malcam possess Gad,
    and his people dwell in its cities?
Therefore behold, the days come,”
    says Yahweh,
“that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon;
    and it will become a desolate heap,
    and her daughters will be burned with fire:
then Israel will possess those who possessed him,”
    says Yahweh.
“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
    Cry, you daughters of Rabbah!
Clothe yourself in sackcloth.
    Lament, and run back and forth among the fences;
for Malcam will go into captivity,
    his priests and his princes together.
Why do you boast in the valleys,
    your flowing valley, backsliding daughter?
You trusted in her treasures,
    saying, ‘Who will come to me?’
Behold, I will bring a terror on you,”
    says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies,
“from all who are around you.
    All of you will be driven completely out,
    and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives.

“But afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon,”
    says Yahweh.

Of Edom, Yahweh of Armies says:

“Is wisdom no more in Teman?
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom vanished?
Flee! Turn back!
    Dwell in the depths, inhabitants of Dedan;
    for I will bring the calamity of Esau on him when I visit him.
If grape gatherers came to you,
    would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
If thieves came by night,
    wouldn’t they steal until they had enough?
10 But I have made Esau bare,
    I have uncovered his secret places,
    and he will not be able to hide himself.
His offspring is destroyed,
    with his brothers and his neighbors;
    and he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children.
    I will preserve them alive.
    Let your widows trust in me.”

12 For Yahweh says: “Behold, they to whom it didn’t pertain to drink of the cup will certainly drink; and are you he who will altogether go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished, but you will surely drink. 13 For I have sworn by myself,” says Yahweh, “that Bozrah will become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. All its cities will be perpetual wastes.”

14 I have heard news from Yahweh,
    and an ambassador is sent among the nations,
saying, “Gather yourselves together!
    Come against her!
    Rise up to the battle!”

15 “For, behold, I have made you small among the nations,
    and despised among men.
16 As for your terror,
    the pride of your heart has deceived you,
O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
    who hold the height of the hill,
though you should make your nest as high as the eagle,
    I will bring you down from there,” says Yahweh.
17 “Edom will become an astonishment.
    Everyone who passes by it will be astonished,
    and will hiss at all its plagues.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh,
    “no man will dwell there,
    neither will any son of man live therein.

19 “Behold, he will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation:
    for I will suddenly make them run away from it;
and whoever is chosen,
    I will appoint him over it.
For who is like me?
    Who will appoint me a time?
    Who is the shepherd who will stand before me?”
20 Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Edom;
    and his purposes, that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely they will drag them away,
    the little ones of the flock.
    Surely he will make their habitation desolate over them.
21 The earth trembles at the noise of their fall;
    there is a cry, the noise which is heard in the Red Sea.
22 Behold, he will come up and fly as the eagle,
    and spread out his wings against Bozrah.
    The heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

23 Of Damascus:

“Hamath is confounded, and Arpad;
    for they have heard evil news.
    They have melted away.
There is sorrow on the sea.
    It can’t be quiet.
24 Damascus has grown feeble,
    she turns herself to flee,
    and trembling has seized her.
Anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her,
    as of a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not forsaken,
    the city of my joy?
26 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets,
    and all the men of war will be brought to silence in that day,”
    says Yahweh of Armies.
27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
    and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad.”

28 Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck. Yahweh says:
“Arise, go up to Kedar,
    and destroy the children of the east.
29 They will take their tents and their flocks.
    they will carry away for themselves their curtains,
    all their vessels, and their camels;
    and they will cry to them, ‘Terror on every side!’
30 Flee!
    Wander far off!
Dwell in the depths, you inhabitants of Hazor,” says Yahweh;
    “for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you,
    and has conceived a purpose against you.
31 Arise! Go up to a nation that is at ease,
    that dwells without care,” says Yahweh;
    “that has neither gates nor bars,
    that dwells alone.
32 Their camels will be a booty,
    and the multitude of their livestock a plunder.
I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners of their beards cut off;
    and I will bring their calamity from every side of them,”
    says Yahweh.
33 Hazor will be a dwelling place of jackals,
    a desolation forever.
No man will dwell there,
    neither will any son of man live therein.”

34 Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Yahweh of Armies says:

‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
    the chief of their might.
36 I will bring on Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the sky,
    and will scatter them toward all those winds.
    There will be no nation where the outcasts of Elam will not come.
37 I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies,
    and before those who seek their life.
I will bring evil on them, even my fierce anger,’ says Yahweh;
    ‘and I will send the sword after them,
    until I have consumed them.
38 I will set my throne in Elam,
    and will destroy from there king and princes,’ says Yahweh.
39 ‘But it will happen in the latter days
    that I will reverse the captivity of Elam,’ says Yahweh.”