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Jeremiah 40-50
New International Version
Jeremiah 40-50
New International Version
Jeremiah Freed
40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.(A) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives(B) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 When the commander(C) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed(D) this disaster(E) for this place.(F) 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned(G) against the Lord and did not obey(H) him. 4 But today I am freeing(I) you from the chains(J) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”(K) 5 However, before Jeremiah turned to go,[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah(L) son of Ahikam,(M) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed(N) over the towns(O) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”(P)
Then the commander gave him provisions and a present(Q) and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah(R) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
Gedaliah Assassinated(S)
7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor(T) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest(U) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(V)—Ishmael(W) son of Nethaniah, Johanan(X) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,(Y) and Jaazaniah[b] the son of the Maakathite,(Z) and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve(AA) the Babylonians,[c](AB)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.(AC) 10 I myself will stay at Mizpah(AD) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,(AE) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,(AF) and live in the towns you have taken over.”(AG)
11 When all the Jews in Moab,(AH) Ammon, Edom(AI) and all the other countries(AJ) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.(AK) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
13 Johanan(AL) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(AM) 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites(AN) has sent Ishmael(AO) son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15 Then Johanan(AP) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill(AQ) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered(AR) and the remnant(AS) of Judah to perish?”
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan(AT) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”
41 In the seventh month Ishmael(AU) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael(AV) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,(AW) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed(AX) as governor over the land.(AY) 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian[d] soldiers who were there.
4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards,(AZ) torn their clothes(BA) and cut(BB) themselves came from Shechem,(BC) Shiloh(BD) and Samaria,(BE) bringing grain offerings and incense(BF) with them to the house of the Lord.(BG) 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping(BH) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”(BI) 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.(BJ) 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”(BK) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa(BL) had made as part of his defense(BM) against Baasha(BN) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people(BO) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters(BP) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.(BQ)
11 When Johanan(BR) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight(BS) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool(BT) in Gibeon. 13 When all the people(BU) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah(BV) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped(BW) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Flight to Egypt
16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(BX) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,(BY) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham(BZ) near Bethlehem(CA) on their way to Egypt(CB) 18 to escape the Babylonians.[e] They were afraid(CC) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah(CD) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan(CE) son of Kareah and Jezaniah[f] son of Hoshaiah,(CF) and all the people from the least to the greatest(CG) approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray(CH) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.(CI) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few(CJ) are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”(CK)
4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray(CL) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell(CM) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”(CN)
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true(CO) and faithful(CP) witness(CQ) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well(CR) with us, for we will obey(CS) the Lord our God.”
7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(CT) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.(CU) 9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,(CV) says:(CW) 10 ‘If you stay in this land,(CX) I will build(CY) you up and not tear you down; I will plant(CZ) you and not uproot you,(DA) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.(DB) 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,(DC) whom you now fear.(DD) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save(DE) you and deliver you from his hands.(DF) 12 I will show you compassion(DG) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’(DH)
13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey(DI) the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,(DJ) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet(DK) or be hungry for bread,’(DL) 15 then hear the word of the Lord,(DM) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword(DN) you fear(DO) will overtake you there, and the famine(DP) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.(DQ) 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;(DR) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath(DS) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,(DT) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse[g](DU) and an object of horror,(DV) a curse[h] and an object of reproach;(DW) you will never see this place again.’(DX)
19 “Remnant(DY) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’(DZ) Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’(EA) 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.(EB) 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine(EC) and plague(ED) in the place where you want to go to settle.”(EE)
43 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them(EF)— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah(EG) and Johanan(EH) son of Kareah and all the arrogant(EI) men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!(EJ) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’(EK) 3 But Baruch(EL) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[i] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”(EM)
4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people(EN) disobeyed the Lord’s command(EO) to stay in the land of Judah.(EP) 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.(EQ) 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,(ER) the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch(ES) son of Neriah along with them. 7 So they entered Egypt(ET) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.(EU)
8 In Tahpanhes(EV) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 9 “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones(EW) with you and bury them in clay in the brick(EX) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace(EY) in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant(EZ) Nebuchadnezzar(FA) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne(FB) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy(FC) above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt,(FD) bringing death(FE) to those destined(FF) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,(FG) and the sword to those destined for the sword.(FH) 12 He will set fire(FI) to the temples(FJ) of the gods(FK) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.(FL) As a shepherd picks(FM) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[j](FN) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars(FO) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”
Disaster Because of Idolatry
44 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt(FP)—in Migdol,(FQ) Tahpanhes(FR) and Memphis(FS)—and in Upper Egypt:(FT) 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster(FU) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.(FV) Today they lie deserted and in ruins(FW) 3 because of the evil(FX) they have done. They aroused my anger(FY) by burning incense(FZ) to and worshiping other gods(GA) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors(GB) ever knew. 4 Again and again(GC) I sent my servants the prophets,(GD) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable(GE) thing that I hate!’ 5 But they did not listen or pay attention;(GF) they did not turn from their wickedness(GG) or stop burning incense(GH) to other gods.(GI) 6 Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;(GJ) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins(GK) they are today.
7 “Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster(GL) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,(GM) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?(GN) 8 Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,(GO) burning incense(GP) to other gods in Egypt,(GQ) where you have come to live?(GR) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse[k] and an object of reproach(GS) among all the nations on earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors(GT) and by the kings(GU) and queens(GV) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives(GW) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?(GX) 10 To this day they have not humbled(GY) themselves or shown reverence,(GZ) nor have they followed my law(HA) and the decrees(HB) I set before you and your ancestors.(HC)
11 “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,(HD) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster(HE) on you and to destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away the remnant(HF) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,(HG) they will die by sword or famine.(HH) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.(HI) 13 I will punish(HJ) those who live in Egypt with the sword,(HK) famine and plague,(HL) as I punished Jerusalem. 14 None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”(HM)
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives(HN) were burning incense(HO) to other gods, along with all the women(HP) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,(HQ) said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen(HR) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!(HS) 17 We will certainly do everything we said we would:(HT) We will burn incense(HU) to the Queen of Heaven(HV) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials(HW) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.(HX) At that time we had plenty of food(HY) and were well off and suffered no harm.(HZ) 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings(IA) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.(IB)”
19 The women added, “When we burned incense(IC) to the Queen of Heaven(ID) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands(IE) know that we were making cakes(IF) impressed with her image(IG) and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21 “Did not the Lord remember(IH) and call to mind the incense(II) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem(IJ) by you and your ancestors,(IK) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?(IL) 22 When the Lord could no longer endure(IM) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse(IN) and a desolate waste(IO) without inhabitants, as it is today.(IP) 23 Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed(IQ) his law or his decrees(IR) or his stipulations, this disaster(IS) has come upon you, as you now see.”(IT)
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,(IU) “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt.(IV) 25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives(IW) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’(IX)
“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!(IY) 26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you Jews living in Egypt:(IZ) ‘I swear(JA) by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign(JB) Lord lives.”(JC) 27 For I am watching(JD) over them for harm,(JE) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish(JF) by sword and famine(JG) until they are all destroyed.(JH) 28 Those who escape the sword(JI) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.(JJ) Then the whole remnant(JK) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand(JL)—mine or theirs.(JM)
29 “‘This will be the sign(JN) to you that I will punish(JO) you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’(JP) 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh(JQ) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah(JR) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”(JS)
A Message to Baruch
45 When Baruch(JT) son of Neriah(JU) wrote on a scroll(JV) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(JW) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, ‘Woe(JX) to me! The Lord has added sorrow(JY) to my pain;(JZ) I am worn out with groaning(KA) and find no rest.’(KB) 4 But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot(KC) what I have planted,(KD) throughout the earth.(KE) 5 Should you then seek great(KF) things for yourself? Do not seek them.(KG) For I will bring disaster(KH) on all people,(KI) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape(KJ) with your life.’”(KK)
A Message About Egypt
46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:(KL)
2 Concerning Egypt:(KM)
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho(KN) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish(KO) on the Euphrates(KP) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(KQ) son of Josiah king of Judah:
3 “Prepare your shields,(KR) both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish(KS) your spears,
put on your armor!(KT)
5 What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee(KU) in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror(KV) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
6 “The swift cannot flee(KW)
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates(KX)
they stumble and fall.(KY)
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?(KZ)
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,(LA)
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’(LB)
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!(LC)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[l](LD) and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia(LE) who draw the bow.
10 But that day(LF) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
a day of vengeance(LG), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour(LH) till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood.(LI)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice(LJ)
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.(LK)
11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,(LL)
Virgin(LM) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
there is no healing(LN) for you.
12 The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall(LO) down together.”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon(LP) to attack Egypt:(LQ)
14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis(LR) and Tahpanhes:(LS)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours(LT) those around you.’
15 Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.(LU)
16 They will stumble(LV) repeatedly;
they will fall(LW) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
to our own people(LX) and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.’(LY)
17 There they will exclaim,
‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;(LZ)
he has missed his opportunity.(MA)’
18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,(MB)
whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor(MC) among the mountains,
like Carmel(MD) by the sea.
19 Pack your belongings for exile,(ME)
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis(MF) will be laid waste(MG)
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north.(MH)
21 The mercenaries(MI) in her ranks
are like fattened calves.(MJ)
They too will turn and flee(MK) together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day(ML) of disaster is coming upon them,
the time(MM) for them to be punished.
22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
like men who cut down trees.(MN)
23 They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
“dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,(MO)
they cannot be counted.
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
given into the hands of the people of the north.(MP)”
25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,(MQ) on Pharaoh,(MR) on Egypt and her gods(MS) and her kings, and on those who rely(MT) on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands(MU) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king(MV) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited(MW) as in times past,” declares the Lord.
27 “Do not be afraid,(MX) Jacob(MY) my servant;(MZ)
do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.(NA)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,”(NB) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy(NC) all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
A Message About the Philistines
47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(ND) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(NE)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“See how the waters are rising in the north;(NF)
they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
all who dwell in the land will wail(NG)
3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
at the noise of enemy chariots(NH)
and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
their hands will hang limp.(NI)
4 For the day has come
to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
who could help Tyre(NJ) and Sidon.(NK)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(NL)
the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[m](NM)
5 Gaza will shave(NN) her head in mourning;
Ashkelon(NO) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
how long will you cut(NP) yourselves?
6 “‘Alas, sword(NQ) of the Lord,
how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
cease and be still.’(NR)
7 But how can it rest
when the Lord has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”(NS)
A Message About Moab(NT)
48 Concerning Moab:(NU)
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“Woe to Nebo,(NV) for it will be ruined.
Kiriathaim(NW) will be disgraced and captured;
the stronghold[n] will be disgraced and shattered.
2 Moab will be praised(NX) no more;
in Heshbon[o](NY) people will plot her downfall:
‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’(NZ)
You, the people of Madmen,[p] will also be silenced;
the sword will pursue you.
3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,(OA)
cries of great havoc and destruction.
4 Moab will be broken;
her little ones will cry out.[q]
5 They go up the hill to Luhith,(OB)
weeping bitterly as they go;
on the road down to Horonaim(OC)
anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
6 Flee!(OD) Run for your lives;
become like a bush[r] in the desert.(OE)
7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,(OF)
you too will be taken captive,
and Chemosh(OG) will go into exile,(OH)
together with his priests and officials.(OI)
8 The destroyer(OJ) will come against every town,
and not a town will escape.
The valley will be ruined
and the plateau(OK) destroyed,
because the Lord has spoken.
9 Put salt(OL) on Moab,
for she will be laid waste[s];(OM)
her towns will become desolate,
with no one to live in them.
10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!
A curse on anyone who keeps their sword(ON) from bloodshed!(OO)
11 “Moab has been at rest(OP) from youth,
like wine left on its dregs,(OQ)
not poured from one jar to another—
she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
and her aroma is unchanged.
12 But days are coming,”
declares the Lord,
“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,
and they will pour her out;
they will empty her pitchers
and smash her jars.
13 Then Moab will be ashamed(OR) of Chemosh,(OS)
as Israel was ashamed
when they trusted in Bethel.(OT)
14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,(OU)
men valiant in battle’?
15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
her finest young men(OV) will go down in the slaughter,(OW)”
declares the King,(OX) whose name is the Lord Almighty.(OY)
16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;(OZ)
her calamity will come quickly.
17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,
all who know her fame;(PA)
say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,(PB)
how broken the glorious staff!’
18 “Come down from your glory
and sit on the parched ground,(PC)
you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,(PD)
for the one who destroys Moab
will come up against you
and ruin your fortified cities.(PE)
19 Stand by the road and watch,
you who live in Aroer.(PF)
Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
ask them, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
Wail(PG) and cry out!
Announce by the Arnon(PH)
that Moab is destroyed.
21 Judgment has come to the plateau(PI)—
to Holon,(PJ) Jahzah(PK) and Mephaath,(PL)
22 to Dibon,(PM) Nebo(PN) and Beth Diblathaim,
23 to Kiriathaim,(PO) Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,(PP)
24 to Kerioth(PQ) and Bozrah(PR)—
to all the towns(PS) of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab’s horn[t](PT) is cut off;
her arm(PU) is broken,”
declares the Lord.
26 “Make her drunk,(PV)
for she has defied(PW) the Lord.
Let Moab wallow in her vomit;(PX)
let her be an object of ridicule.(PY)
27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?(PZ)
Was she caught among thieves,(QA)
that you shake your head(QB) in scorn(QC)
whenever you speak of her?
28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
you who live in Moab.
Be like a dove(QD) that makes its nest
at the mouth of a cave.(QE)
29 “We have heard of Moab’s pride(QF)—
how great is her arrogance!—
of her insolence, her pride, her conceit
and the haughtiness(QG) of her heart.
30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”
declares the Lord,
“and her boasts(QH) accomplish nothing.
31 Therefore I wail(QI) over Moab,
for all Moab I cry out,
I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.(QJ)
32 I weep for you, as Jazer(QK) weeps,
you vines of Sibmah.(QL)
Your branches spread as far as the sea[u];
they reached as far as[v] Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen
on your ripened fruit and grapes.
33 Joy and gladness are gone
from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine(QM) from the presses;
no one treads them with shouts of joy.(QN)
Although there are shouts,
they are not shouts of joy.
34 “The sound of their cry rises
from Heshbon(QO) to Elealeh(QP) and Jahaz,(QQ)
from Zoar(QR) as far as Horonaim(QS) and Eglath Shelishiyah,
for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.(QT)
35 In Moab I will put an end
to those who make offerings on the high places(QU)
and burn incense(QV) to their gods,”
declares the Lord.
36 “So my heart laments(QW) for Moab like the music of a pipe;
it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.(QX)
The wealth they acquired(QY) is gone.
37 Every head is shaved(QZ)
and every beard(RA) cut off;
every hand is slashed
and every waist is covered with sackcloth.(RB)
38 On all the roofs in Moab
and in the public squares(RC)
there is nothing but mourning,
for I have broken Moab
like a jar(RD) that no one wants,”
declares the Lord.
39 “How shattered(RE) she is! How they wail!
How Moab turns her back in shame!
Moab has become an object of ridicule,(RF)
an object of horror to all those around her.”
40 This is what the Lord says:
“Look! An eagle is swooping(RG) down,
spreading its wings(RH) over Moab.
41 Kerioth[w](RI) will be captured
and the strongholds taken.
In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors(RJ)
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(RK)
42 Moab will be destroyed(RL) as a nation(RM)
because she defied(RN) the Lord.
43 Terror(RO) and pit and snare(RP) await you,
you people of Moab,”
declares the Lord.
44 “Whoever flees(RQ) from the terror
will fall into a pit,
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare;
for I will bring on Moab
the year(RR) of her punishment,”
declares the Lord.
45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
the fugitives stand helpless,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the midst of Sihon;(RS)
it burns the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls(RT) of the noisy boasters.
46 Woe to you, Moab!(RU)
The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
your sons are taken into exile
and your daughters into captivity.
47 “Yet I will restore(RV) the fortunes of Moab
in days to come,”
declares the Lord.
Here ends the judgment on Moab.
A Message About Ammon
49 Concerning the Ammonites:(RW)
This is what the Lord says:
“Has Israel no sons?
Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[x](RX) taken possession of Gad?(RY)
Why do his people live in its towns?
2 But the days are coming,”
declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(RZ)
against Rabbah(SA) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(SB)
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,(SC)”
says the Lord.
3 “Wail, Heshbon,(SD) for Ai(SE) is destroyed!
Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(SF) and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(SG) will go into exile,(SH)
together with his priests and officials.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(SI)
you trust in your riches(SJ) and say,
‘Who will attack me?’(SK)
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.(SL)
6 “Yet afterward, I will restore(SM) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.
A Message About Edom(SN)(SO)
7 Concerning Edom:(SP)
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(SQ)
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(SR)
you who live in Dedan,(SS)
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,(ST)
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
also his allies and neighbors,
so there is no one(SU) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(SV) I will keep them alive.
Your widows(SW) too can depend on me.’”
12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(SX) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(SY) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(SZ) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(TA) will become a ruin and a curse,[y] an object of horror(TB) and reproach;(TC) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(TD)
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(TE) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(TF)
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(TG) as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(TH)
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.(TI)
18 As Sodom(TJ) and Gomorrah(TK) were overthrown,
along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
no people will dwell(TL) in it.
19 “Like a lion(TM) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(TN)
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(TO) me and who can challenge me?(TP)
And what shepherd(TQ) can stand against me?”
20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(TR)
what he has purposed(TS) against those who live in Teman:(TT)
The young of the flock(TU) will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(TV)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(TW)
their cry(TX) will resound to the Red Sea.[z]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(TY) down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.(TZ)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(UA)
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(UB)
A Message About Damascus
23 Concerning Damascus:(UC)
“Hamath(UD) and Arpad(UE) are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like[aa] the restless sea.(UF)
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.(UG)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(UH) will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced(UI) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(UJ) to the walls of Damascus;(UK)
it will consume(UL) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(UM)”
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28 Concerning Kedar(UN) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(UO) which Nebuchadnezzar(UP) king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the Lord says:
“Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.(UQ)
29 Their tents and their flocks(UR) will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
‘Terror(US) on every side!’
30 “Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves,(UT) you who live in Hazor,(UU)”
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(UV) 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;(UW)
its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(UX) will become plunder,
and their large herds(UY) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(UZ) those who are in distant places[ab](VA)
and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(VB) will become a haunt of jackals,(VC)
a desolate(VD) place forever.
No one will live there;
no people will dwell(VE) in it.”
A Message About Elam
34 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(VF) early in the reign of Zedekiah(VG) king of Judah:
35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“See, I will break the bow(VH) of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring against Elam the four winds(VI)
from the four quarters of heaven;(VJ)
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,”(VK)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword(VL)
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(VM) the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,”
declares the Lord.
A Message About Babylon(VN)
50 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon(VO) and the land of the Babylonians[ac]:
2 “Announce and proclaim(VP) among the nations,
lift up a banner(VQ) and proclaim it;
keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;(VR)
Bel(VS) will be put to shame,(VT)
Marduk(VU) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
and her idols(VV) filled with terror.’
3 A nation from the north(VW) will attack her
and lay waste her land.
No one will live(VX) in it;
both people and animals(VY) will flee away.
4 “In those days, at that time,”
declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together(VZ)
will go in tears(WA) to seek(WB) the Lord their God.
5 They will ask the way(WC) to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come(WD) and bind themselves to the Lord
in an everlasting covenant(WE)
that will not be forgotten.
6 “My people have been lost sheep;(WF)
their shepherds(WG) have led them astray(WH)
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill(WI)
and forgot their own resting place.(WJ)
7 Whoever found them devoured(WK) them;
their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,(WL)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
the Lord, the hope(WM) of their ancestors.’
8 “Flee(WN) out of Babylon;(WO)
leave the land of the Babylonians,
and be like the goats that lead the flock.
9 For I will stir(WP) up and bring against Babylon
an alliance of great nations(WQ) from the land of the north.(WR)
They will take up their positions against her,
and from the north she will be captured.(WS)
Their arrows(WT) will be like skilled warriors
who do not return empty-handed.
10 So Babylonia[ad] will be plundered;(WU)
all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.
11 “Because you rejoice and are glad,
you who pillage my inheritance,(WV)
because you frolic like a heifer(WW) threshing grain
and neigh like stallions,
12 your mother will be greatly ashamed;
she who gave you birth will be disgraced.(WX)
She will be the least of the nations—
a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.(WY)
13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
but will be completely desolate.(WZ)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;(XA)
they will scoff(XB) because of all her wounds.(XC)
14 “Take up your positions around Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.(XD)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,(XE)
for she has sinned against the Lord.
15 Shout(XF) against her on every side!
She surrenders, her towers fall,
her walls(XG) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance(XH) of the Lord,
take vengeance on her;
do to her(XI) as she has done to others.(XJ)
16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword(XK) of the oppressor
let everyone return to their own people,(XL)
let everyone flee to their own land.(XM)
17 “Israel is a scattered flock(XN)
that lions(XO) have chased away.
The first to devour(XP) them
was the king(XQ) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones(XR)
was Nebuchadnezzar(XS) king(XT) of Babylon.”
18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
as I punished the king(XU) of Assyria.(XV)
19 But I will bring(XW) Israel back to their own pasture,
and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied(XX)
on the hills(XY) of Ephraim and Gilead.(XZ)
20 In those days, at that time,”
declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
but there will be none,(YA)
and for the sins(YB) of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive(YC) the remnant(YD) I spare.
21 “Attack the land of Merathaim
and those who live in Pekod.(YE)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy[ae] them,”
declares the Lord.
“Do everything I have commanded you.
22 The noise(YF) of battle is in the land,
the noise of great destruction!
23 How broken and shattered
is the hammer(YG) of the whole earth!(YH)
How desolate(YI) is Babylon
among the nations!
24 I set a trap(YJ) for you, Babylon,
and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured(YK)
because you opposed(YL) the Lord.
25 The Lord has opened his arsenal
and brought out the weapons(YM) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
in the land of the Babylonians.(YN)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 40:5 Or Jeremiah answered
- Jeremiah 40:8 Hebrew Jezaniah, a variant of Jaazaniah
- Jeremiah 40:9 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 10
- Jeremiah 41:3 Or Chaldean
- Jeremiah 41:18 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah
- Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.
- Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.
- Jeremiah 43:3 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 43:13 Or in Heliopolis
- Jeremiah 44:8 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed; also in verse 12; similarly in verse 22.
- Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region
- Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete
- Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab
- Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.
- Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.
- Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar
- Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer
- Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away
- Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea
- Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of
- Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities
- 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
- Jeremiah 50:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 25, 35 and 45
- Jeremiah 50:10 Or Chaldea
- Jeremiah 50:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
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