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Jeremiah 49
Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 49
Christian Standard Bible
Prophecies against Ammon
49 About the Ammonites,(A) this is what the Lord says:
Does Israel have no sons?
Is he without an heir?
Why then has Milcom[a][b] dispossessed Gad(B)
and his people settled in their cities?
2 Therefore look, the days are coming(C)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will make the shout of battle(D) heard
against Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites.
It will become a desolate mound,
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Israel will dispossess their dispossessors,
says the Lord.
3 Wail, Heshbon,(F) for Ai is devastated;
cry out, daughters of Rabbah!
Clothe yourselves with sackcloth,(G) and lament;
run back and forth within your walls,[c]
because Milcom will go into exile
together with his priests and officials.(H)
4 Why do you boast about your valleys,
your flowing valley,[d]
you faithless daughter—
you who trust in your treasures
and say, “Who can attack me?”
5 Look, I am about to bring terror on you(I)—
this is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies—
from all those around you.
You will be banished, each person headlong,
with no one to gather up the fugitives.
6 But after that, I will restore the fortunes[e] of the Ammonites.(J)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Prophecies against Edom
7 About Edom,(K) this is what the Lord of Armies says:
Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(L)
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom rotted away?(M)
8 Run! Turn back! Lie low,
residents of Dedan,(N)
for I will bring Esau’s calamity on him(O)
at the time I punish him.(P)
9 If grape harvesters came to you,
wouldn’t they leave a few grapes?(Q)
Were thieves to come in the night,
they would destroy only what they wanted.(R)
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his secret places.(S)
He will try to hide,(T) but he will be unable.
His descendants will be destroyed
along with his relatives and neighbors.
He will exist no longer.(U)
11 Abandon your fatherless; I will preserve them;
let your widows trust in me.(V)
12 For this is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not remain unpunished, for you must drink it too. 13 For by myself I have sworn”(W)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“Bozrah[f] will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and an example for cursing, and all its surrounding cities will become ruins forever.”(X)
14 I have heard an envoy from the Lord;
a messenger has been sent among the nations:
Assemble yourselves to come against her.
Rise up for war!
15 I will certainly make you insignificant among the nations,
despised among humanity.
16 As to the terror you cause,[g]
your arrogant heart has deceived you.
You who live in the clefts of the rock,[h]
you who occupy the mountain summit,
though you elevate your nest like the eagles,
even from there I will bring you down.
This is the Lord’s declaration.(Y)
17 “Edom will become a desolation. Everyone who passes by her will be appalled and scoff because of all her wounds.(Z) 18 As when Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown along with their neighbors,”(AA) says the Lord, “no one will live there; no human being will stay in it even temporarily.(AB)
19 “Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets[i] of the Jordan to the watered grazing land.(AC) I will chase Edom away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me?(AD) Who will issue me a summons?(AE) Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?” (AF)
20 Therefore, hear the plans that the Lord has drawn up against Edom and the strategies he has devised against the people of Teman:(AG) The flock’s little lambs will certainly be dragged away,(AH) and their grazing land will be made desolate because of them.(AI) 21 At the sound of their fall the earth will quake;(AJ) the sound of her cry will be heard at the Red Sea.(AK) 22 Look! It will be like an eagle soaring upward, then swooping down and spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman with contractions.(AL)
Prophecies against Damascus
23 About Damascus:(AM)
Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,(AN)
for they have heard a bad report and are agitated,
like[j] the anxious sea that cannot be calmed.
24 Damascus has become weak;
she has turned to run;
panic has gripped her.
Distress and labor pains have seized her
like a woman in labor.(AO)
25 How can the city of praise not be abandoned,(AP)
the town that brings me joy?
26 Therefore, her young men will fall in her public squares;
all the warriors will perish in that day.
This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.(AQ)
27 I will set fire to the wall of Damascus;
it will consume Ben-hadad’s citadels.(AR)
Prophecies against Kedar and Hazor
28 About Kedar(AS) and the kingdoms of Hazor, which King Nebuchadnezzar(AT) of Babylon defeated, this is what the Lord says:
Rise up, attack Kedar,
and destroy the people of the east!
29 They will take their tents and their flocks
along with their tent curtains and all their equipment.
They will take their camels for themselves.
They will call out to them,
“Terror is on every side!” (AU)
30 Run! Escape quickly! Lie low,
residents of Hazor—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
has drawn up a plan against you;
he has devised a strategy against you.
31 Rise up, attack a nation at ease,
one living in security.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
They have no doors, not even a gate bar;
they live alone.(AV)
32 Their camels will become plunder,
and their massive herds of cattle will become spoil.(AW)
I will scatter them to the wind in every direction,
those who clip the hair on their temples;
I will bring calamity on them across all their borders.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
33 Hazor will become a jackals’ den,(AX)
a desolation forever.
No one will live there;
no human being will stay in it even temporarily.(AY)
Prophecies against Elam
34 This is the word of the Lord that came to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam[k] at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah.(AZ) 35 This is what the Lord of Armies says:
I am about to shatter Elam’s bow,(BA)
the source[l] of their might.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam
from the four corners of the heavens,
and I will scatter them to all these winds.
There will not be a nation
to which Elam’s banished ones will not go.
37 I will devastate Elam before their enemies,
before those who intend to take their lives.
I will bring disaster on them,
my burning anger.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
I will send the sword after them(BB)
until I finish them off.
38 I will set my throne in Elam,
and I will destroy the king and officials from there.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
39 Yet, in the last days,
I will restore the fortunes of Elam.(BC)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah 49
The Voice
Jeremiah 49
The Voice
49 Now concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Eternal has to say:
Long is the history between Ammon and Israel, and many are the conflicts between them. In Jeremiah’s day, Ammonite raiders have taken land originally meant for Israel, specifically the tribe of Gad. Along with other nations, the Ammonites have conspired against Babylon. After the fall of Jerusalem, the king of Ammon hires the assassin, Ishmael, to kill Gedaliah at a pivotal moment in the relationship between Judah and Babylon. Time and again, this proud nation defies the God of Israel and His people. They put their trust in their god, Malcam, and they find security in the mountainous region where they live.
Eternal One: Does Israel have no sons?
Is there no one to inherit the land I gave her?
Is that why Ammon’s god, Malcam, has taken the land of Gad?
Why would his people be living in her cities?
2 I, the Eternal, tell you the days are coming
when you will hear the shout of war raised against Rabbah, Ammon’s capital.
On that day it will be reduced to a pile of ruins,
and the villages surrounding the city will be burned.
Then Israel will take back what was taken from her.
3 Weep, O Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed!
Cry out, O citizens of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and mourn your losses.
Run back and forth inside your city walls
Because your so-called god, Malcam, will be carried into exile
along with his priests and officials.
4 You boast of your abundant valleys, you faithless daughter,
but they are fading away.
You trusted in your own wealth and thought,
“Who could ever attack me?”
5 Watch! I will surround you with terror.
I, the Eternal Lord, Commander of heavenly armies, declare this.
You will be driven out of the land in single file,
with no one to keep your exiles together.
6 But after this, there will come a day
when I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites.
So says the Eternal.
Like the relationship between Esau and Isaac—the twin ancestors from whom Edom and Israel descend—relations are often stormy between these two peoples. It is no secret that the Edomites hate the Israelites and often rejoice in their troubles. But it is pride that ultimately is Edom’s undoing, for they cannot imagine any enemy penetrating their mountain fortresses. They, too, are part of the council of nations that consider standing against Babylon (Jeremiah 27). As always, Jeremiah instructs that such resistance is an affront to the God of Israel who is using Babylon to accomplish His purposes in history.
7 Here now is the oracle concerning Edom, the descendants of Esau, spoken by the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.
Eternal One: What happened to the wise men of Teman?
Has their insight failed them?
Has their wisdom merely vanished into thin air?
8 You who live in Dedan,
run and hide deep in the caves,
For I will bring a disaster on Esau’s descendants
when I come to punish him.
9 When workers harvest the grapes,
do they not leave some on the vine for those who are poor?
Even when thieves enter your home in the middle of the night,
do they not destroy and steal only what they need?
10 But I will treat Esau’s descendants differently:
I will strip them bare, exposing their secret places—no place to hide.
Their children, their families, and even their neighbors will die,
and this nation will be no more.
11 Leave your orphans to Me, for I will protect them.
Leave your widows as well, for they can trust Me.
12 This is what I, the Eternal, have to say: “If the innocent must drink of this cup of wrath, why do you think you should escape punishment? You will not escape, for you will surely drink from this cup! 13 I swear by My own name, the Eternal, that Bozrah, Edom’s capital, will become a wasteland, an object of horror, of scorn and cursing; Edom’s towns will forever lie in ruins.”
14 I have heard a message from the Eternal.
An envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble your troops to attack Edom!
Rise up, and prepare for battle!”
15 Eternal One (to Edom): Look! I will humiliate you among the nations,
make you small and insignificant, despised by all.
16 The terror you inspire in others
and your ingrained arrogance have deceived you!
You think you are safe in your mountain hideaways;
you hold the high ground above your enemies.
You may build your fortress as high as an eagle’s nest,
but I can still bring you down from there.
17 Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by and see what I have done will shudder and gasp at all of his wounds. 18 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and all their neighbors were destroyed, never to rise again, I, the Eternal One, declare that no one will live there; no one will dare to make Edom their home. 19 Like a lion that suddenly emerges from the dense undergrowth beside the Jordan to attack a flock feeding in the lush pasture, so in an instant I will arrive and chase the people of Edom from their land. Then I will put in place a leader of My choosing. For who is like Me, and who can challenge Me? What shepherd can stand against Me?
20 That is why you must hear the plan that the Eternal has for Edom, and what He intends to do to those who live in the city of Teman.
Eternal One: The little ones will be dragged away from the flock.
All will scatter when their pasture is left desolate.
21 The sound of Edom’s fall will cause the earth to shake.
Their anguished cry will echo to the Red Sea.[a]
22 Look, an eagle is rising, spreading its wings!
Soon it will swoop down and attack Bozrah.
On that day, the heart of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labor—helpless and vulnerable.
Damascus has long been at odds with Israel and Judah, and she controls caravan routes in the region. But she must also submit to the sovereign power of the Eternal.
23 Here now is an oracle concerning Damascus.
Eternal One: The towns of Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,
for they have heard bad news: doom is coming!
They are distressed, troubled, and unsettled like the swirling sea.
24 Damascus is weak and helpless; she has turned and run away.
Panic grips her heart;
Torment and pain have grabbed her
like a woman giving birth.
Citizens of Damascus: 25 Why is this glorious city—this city that gives us so much joy—not already deserted?
26 Eternal One: Her young men will fall in the streets,
and her warriors will fall silent on that day.
So says the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.
27 Eternal One: I will set fire to the walls of Damascus,
a fire that will spread and burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad.
28 Here is an oracle from the Eternal concerning Kedar and the nomadic tribes of Arabia known as the kingdoms of Hazor, all defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
Eternal One: Rise up and attack Kedar.
Destroy the tribes of the east.
29 They will take away their tents and their flocks,
their curtains, their camels, and all their possessions.
They will shout to one another,
“Terror is everywhere we turn!”
30 Run away quickly while there is time!
Hide deep in the earth, people of Hazor.
For Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has schemed against you.
He has a plan for your defeat.
31 So I tell you to rise up and attack this complacent nation,
which assumes it is secure—
A nation without walls or gates
that lives alone in the desert.
32 Their camels and livestock will be the spoils of war.
I will scatter to the wind these people who cut the corners of their hair
And surround them with disaster on every side,
so I, the Eternal, declare.
33 Hazor will become a haunt for jackals,
a place of desolation for all time.
Certainly no one will live there ever again.
No one will make it his home.
34 Here is an oracle concerning Elam. The word of the Eternal came to the prophet Jeremiah early in the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. 35 This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies has to say:
Eternal One: I will break the bows of Elam’s archers—the very best of their military might. 36 I will bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven to blow against Elam. I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where her exiles will not go. 37 I will shatter Elam right in front of her enemies, before those who want her dead. I will bring disaster upon these people, for My violent anger burns against them. I will pursue them in war until they are no more. 38 I will destroy her wicked king and officials and set the king I want on the throne over Elam. 39 But even so, in the latter times, the day will come when I will restore the fortunes of Elam.
So says the Eternal.
Footnotes
- 49:21 Hebrew, Sea of Reeds
Jeremiah 49
New International Version
Jeremiah 49
New International Version
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?
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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)
5 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)
6 “Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.
A Message About Edom(R)(S)
7 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?
8 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.
9 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
- Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
- Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
- Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
- Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
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