Jeremiah 49:7-22

International Children’s Bible

A Message About Edom

⁷This message is about Edom. This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says:

“Is there no more wisdom in Teman?
    Can the wise men of Edom no longer give good advice?
    Have they lost their wisdom?
⁸You people living in Dedan,
    run away and hide in deep caves.
This is because I will punish
    the people of Esau with disaster for what they did.
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 Esau bare.
    I will find all their hiding places.
    They will not be able to hide from me.
The children, relatives and neighbors will die.
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 drink from the cup of suffering.” ¹³The Lord says, “I make this promise in my own name. The city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. People will insult that city and speak evil of it. And all the towns around Bozrah 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!
    You will be greatly hated.
¹⁶Edom, you frightened other nations.
    Your pride has fooled you.
You live in the hollow places of the cliff.
    You live on 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 will be shocked to see the destroyed cities.
    They will be amazed at the 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 man will stay in Edom.

¹⁹“A lion will come from the thick bushes near the Jordan River.
    And it will go into the rich pastures where people feed their flocks.
I am like that lion! I will suddenly chase Edom from their land.
    Who is the one I have chosen to do this?
There is no one like me.
    There is no one who can challenge me.
    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 Teman.
The Lord will surely drag away the young ones of Edom.
    Edom’s pastures will surely be destroyed because of them.
²¹At the sound of Edom’s fall, the earth will shake.
    Their cry will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba.
²²The Lord is like an eagle swooping down.
    He is like an eagle spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened.
    They will be crying from fear like a woman having a baby.