Jeremiah 49:7-22

New Century Version

A Message to Edom

⁷This message is to Edom. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:

“Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman?
    Can the wise men of Edom no longer give good advice?
    Have they lost their wisdom?
⁸You people living in the town of Dedan,
    run away and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring disaster on the people of Esau.
    It is time for me to punish them.
⁹If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
    they would leave a few grapes behind.
If robbers came at night,
    they would steal only enough for themselves.
¹⁰But I will strip Edom bare.
    I will find all their hiding places,
    so they will not be able to hide from me.
The children, relatives, and neighbors will die,
    and Edom will be no more.
¹¹Leave the orphans, and I will take care of them.
    Your widows also can trust in me.”

¹²This is what the Lord says: “Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup of suffering anyway. People of Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup of suffering.” ¹³The Lord says, “I swear by my own name that the city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. They will insult that city and speak evil of it. And all the towns around it will become ruins forever.”

¹⁴I have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather your armies to attack it!
Get ready for battle!”

¹⁵“Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
    and you will be greatly hated by everyone.
¹⁶Edom, you frightened other nations,
    but your pride has fooled you.
You live in the hollow places of the cliff
    and control the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
    I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.

¹⁷“Edom will be destroyed.
    People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
    and they will be amazed at all her injuries.
¹⁸Edom will be destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
    and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there!
    No one will stay in Edom.

¹⁹“Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
    to attack a strong pen for sheep,
I will suddenly chase Edom from its land.
    Who is the one I have chosen to do this?
There is no one like me,
    no one who can take me to court.
    None of their leaders can stand up against me.”

²⁰So listen to what the Lord has planned to do against Edom.
    Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young ones of Edom.
    Their hometowns will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
²¹At the sound of Edom’s fall, the earth will shake.
    Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
²²The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
    and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened,
    like a woman having a baby.