Old/New Testament
A Prophecy against Moab
48 To Moab: This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says:
“How terrible for Nebo, for it’s laid waste.
Kiriathaim is put to shame, it’s captured.
The fortress is put to shame, it’s shattered.
2 The pride of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon they plotted evil against her:
‘Come and let’s eliminate her as a nation.’
Madmen[a] will also be silenced,
and the sword will pursue you.
3 The sound of crying will come from Horonaim,
devastation and great destruction.
4 Moab will be destroyed;
her little ones will cry out.
5 Indeed, at the ascent of Luhith
people will go up with bitter weeping.
At the descent of Horonaim
the anguished cries over the destruction will be heard.
6 Flee, save your lives,
and you will be like a wild donkey[b] in the desert.
7 But, because you trust in your deeds and your riches,
you will also be captured.
Chemosh[c] will go out into exile,
along with his priests and officials.
8 A destroyer will come to every town
and no town will escape.
The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed.”
This[d] is what the Lord has said!
9 “Put salt[e] on Moab[f]
for she will surely fall.
Her towns will become desolate places,[g]
without any inhabitants in them.
10 Cursed is the one who is slack
in doing the Lord’s work.
Cursed is the one who holds back his sword
from shedding[h] blood.
11 Moab has been at ease from his youth.
He has been undisturbed like wine[i] on its dregs
and not poured from vessel to vessel.
He has not gone into exile.
Therefore, his flavor has remained,
and his aroma has not changed.
12 “Therefore, look, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I’ll send those who tip over vessels[j] to him, and they’ll tip him over. They’ll empty his vessels and shatter his jars. 13 Moab will be ashamed because of Chemosh just as the house of Israel was ashamed because of Bethel, their confidence.
14 “How can you say, ‘We’re strong warriors,
and soldiers ready[k] for battle’?
15 Moab will be destroyed,
and the enemy[l] will come up against her cities.
Her finest young men will go down to slaughter,”
declares the King,
whose name is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
16 “Moab’s disaster is near at hand,
and his calamity is coming very quickly.
17 Mourn for him, all who live around him,
and all who know his name.
Say, ‘Oh how the mighty rod is broken,
the glorious staff.’
18 “Come down from glory, and sit on parched ground,
O woman who lives in Dibon,
for the destroyer of Moab will come up
against you to destroy you.
He will destroy your strongholds.
19 Stand by the road and keep watch,
O woman who lives in Aroer.
Ask the man who flees and the woman who escapes.
Say, ‘What happened’?
20 Moab will be put to shame,
for it will be destroyed.
Wail and cry out.
Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
21 Judgment has come to the plateau:[m]
to Holon and Jahzah,
and against Mephaath,
22 Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 against Kerioth, Bozrah,
and all the towns in the land of Moab,
both far and near.
25 The strength[n] of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,”
declares the Lord.
26 “Make him drunk for he has exalted himself
against the Lord.
Moab will wallow in his vomit,
and he will be the object of mocking.
27 Wasn’t Israel an object of mocking for you?
Wasn’t he treated like a thief,[o]
so that whenever you spoke about him
you shook your head in contempt?[p]
28 Abandon the cities, and live on the cliffs,[q]
you inhabitants of Moab.
Be like a dove that builds a nest
by the mouth of a cave.
29 We have heard about Moab’s pride—
he’s very proud—
his haughtiness, his arrogance,
his insolence, and his conceit.[r]
30 I know his gall,”
declares the Lord,
“and it’s futile;
the boasting that they do is futile.
31 Therefore, I’ll wail for Moab,
and for the whole of Moab I’ll cry out,
for the men of Kir-heres I’ll moan.
32 More than the weeping for Jazer,[s]
I’ll weep for you, vine of Sibmah.[t]
Your branches spread out to the sea,
and reached as far as the Sea of Jazer.[u]
On your summer fruit and grapes[v]
the destroyer will fall.
33 Gladness and rejoicing will be taken away
from the fruitful land.[w]
From the land of Moab I’ll cause the wine
in the wine presses to stop flowing.[x]
The workers won’t tread[y] the grapes with a loud shout.[z]
There will be no shout!
34 “From the cry of Heshbon, to Elealeh, to Jahaz they have lifted up their voice. From Zoar to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah, even the waters of Nimrim will become a desolate place. 35 In Moab,” declares the Lord, “I’ll put an end to the one who offers a burnt offering on the high place and to the one who burns incense to his gods. 36 Therefore my heart wails for Moab like flutes[aa] and my heart wails for the men of Kir-heres like flutes. Therefore they’ll lose the abundance they produced. 37 Indeed every head will be bald[ab] and every beard cut short.[ac] There will be gashes on all the hands[ad] and sackcloth on the loins. 38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets there will be nothing but mourning, for I’ll break Moab like a vessel that no one wants,” declares the Lord. 39 “How it will be shattered! How they’ll wail! How Moab will turn his back in shame! Moab will be an object of ridicule and terror to all those around him.”
40 For this is what the Lord says:
“Look, like an eagle one will fly swiftly
and spread his wings against Moab.
41 The towns[ae] will be captured
and the strongholds seized.
On that day the hearts of the warriors of Moab
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation[af]
because he exalted himself against the Lord.
43 Terror, pit, and trap will be used[ag] against you
who live in Moab,”
declares the Lord.
44 “The one who flees from the terror
will fall into a pit.
And the one who comes up out of the pit
will be caught in a trap.
For I’ll bring upon her, that is upon Moab,
the time of her[ah] punishment,”
declares the Lord.
45 “The fugitives will stand without strength
in the shadow of Heshbon,
for fire will go out from Heshbon
and a flame from the middle of Sihon.
It will devour the forehead of Moab
and the heads of the rebellious people.[ai]
46 How terrible for you, Moab!
The people of Chemosh[aj] will perish.
Indeed, your sons will be taken into captivity,
and your daughters as well.[ak]
47 But I’ll restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days,”
declares the Lord.
This concludes the judgment on Moab.
Prophecies against Ammon
49 To the people of Ammon:
This is what the Lord says:
“Does Israel have no sons?
Does he have no heir?
Why then has Milcom[al] taken possession of Gad,
and his people settled in its towns?
2 Therefore, look, the time is[am] coming,”
declares the Lord,
“when I’ll cause a battle cry to be heard in
Rabbah[an] of the Ammonites.
It will become a desolate mound,
and its towns will be burned with fire.
Israel will take possession of those who possessed him,”
says the Lord.
3 “Wail, Heshbon, because Ai is destroyed.
Cry out, daughters of Rabbah,
put on sackcloth and lament.
Run back and forth inside the walls,
for Milcom is going into exile
along with his priests and his princes.
4 Why do you boast in your valleys?
Your valley is flowing away, faithless daughter,
who trusted in her treasures,
saying, ‘Who will come against me?’
5 Look, I’m bringing terror on you from all around you,”
declares the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.
“You will be driven out, fleeing recklessly,[ao]
and there will be no one to gather the fugitives.
6 But afterwards I’ll restore the fortunes of
the people of Ammon,”[ap]
declares the Lord.
Prophecies against Edom
7 To Edom:
This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says:
“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
Has counsel perished among the prudent?
Is their wisdom gone?
8 Flee, turn around!
Go to a remote place to stay,
residents of Dedan!
For I’ll bring Esau’s[aq] disaster on him
at the time when I punish him.
9 If the grape harvesters came to you,
would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came at night, they would destroy
only until they had enough.
10 But I’ll strip Esau bare.
I’ll uncover his hiding places so he cannot conceal himself.
His offspring, his relatives,
and his neighbors will be destroyed,
and he will no longer exist.
11 Leave your orphans. I’ll keep them alive.
Let your widows trust in me.”
12 For this is what the Lord says: “Look, those who don’t deserve[ar] to drink the cup will surely drink it, and will you actually go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished! You will certainly drink it![as] 13 Indeed, I’ve sworn by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror and scorn, a waste, and an object of ridicule. All her towns will become perpetual ruins.”
14 I’ve heard a message from the Lord,
and a messenger has been sent
among the nations:
“Gather together and come up against her,
and rise up to fight.
15 Indeed, I’ll make you the least of the nations,
despised among men.
16 The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you.
You who live in hidden places in the rocks,
who hold on to the heights of the hill,
although you make your nest high like the eagle,
I’ll bring you down from there,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror. Everyone who passes by her will be horrified and will scoff[at] because of all her wounds. 18 Just like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their[au] neighbors,” says the Lord, “no one will live there. No human being will reside in it. 19 Look, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan to a pasture that grows year round,[av] so I’ll drive them[aw] away from her in an instant, and I’ll appoint whomever is chosen over her. Indeed, who is like me? Who gives me counsel? Who is the shepherd who will stand against me?” 20 Therefore, hear the plan that the Lord has made against Edom, and the strategy that he devised against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely he will drag the little ones of the flock away. Surely their pasture will be desolate because of them. 21 The earth will quake at the sound of their fall. A cry—it’s her voice—is heard at the Reed[ax] Sea. 22 Look, he will rise up and fly swiftly like an eagle. He will spread his wings against Bozrah, and on that day the hearts of the warriors of Edom will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
Prophecies against Damascus
23 To Damascus:
“Hamath and Arpad will be humiliated.
Their courage melts because they have heard bad news.
There is anxiety like[ay] the sea that cannot be calmed.
24 Damascus will become weak.
She will turn to flee, but panic will seize her.
Distress and anguish will take hold of her
like that of[az] a woman giving birth.
25 Why[ba] is the famous city,[bb] the joyful town,
not abandoned?
26 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets,
and all her soldiers will be silenced on that day,”
declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
27 “I’ll kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.”
Prophecies against Kedar and Hazor
28 To Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed:
This is what the Lord says:
“Arise, go against Kedar!
Plunder the people of the east!
29 Take their tents and their flocks,
their tent curtains and all their goods.
Take their camels away from them.
Cry out against them, ‘Terror is all around!’
30 Flee! Run away quickly!
Go to a remote place to stay, residents of Hazor,”
declares the Lord.
“For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has formed a plan
and devised a strategy against them.
31 “Arise, go up against a nation at ease, living securely,”
declares the Lord,
“without gates or bars, living alone.
32 Their camels will become booty,
their many herds will become spoil.
I’ll scatter to the winds
those who shave the corners of their beards,[bc]
and I’ll bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor will become a dwelling place for jackals,
a perpetual wasteland.
No one will live there;
no human being will reside in it.”
Prophecies against Elam
34 This is what came as a message from the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet about Elam at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah:
35 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says:
“Look, I’m going to break the bow of Elam,
the finest of their troops.
36 I’ll bring the four winds against Elam
from the four corners of the heavens,
and I’ll scatter them to all these winds.
There will be no nation to which the exiles
from Elam won’t go.
37 I’ll terrify Elam before their enemies
and before those who seek to kill them.
I’ll bring on them disaster and become fiercely angry at them,”
declares the Lord.
“I’ll send the sword after them,
until I’ve made an end of them.
38 I’ll put my throne in Elam,
and destroy the king and the officials there,”
declares the Lord.
39 “But in the latter days I’ll restore
the fortunes of Elam,”
declares the Lord.
The Messiah is Superior to Melchizedek
7 Now this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham and blessed him when he was returning from defeating the kings. 2 Abraham gave Melchizedek[a] a tenth of everything.[b] In the first place, his name means “king of righteousness,” and then he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.” 3 He has no father, mother, or genealogy, no birth date recorded for him, nor a date of death.[c] Like the Son of God, he continues to be a priest forever.
4 Just look at how great this man was! Even Abraham—the patriarch himself—gave him a tenth of what he had captured! 5 The descendants of Levi who accept the priesthood have a commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their own brothers, even though they are also descendants of Abraham. 6 But this man, whose descent is not traced from them, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the man who had received the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the less important person is blessed by the more important person. 8 Mortal men collect tithes, but we are informed by Scripture[d] that[e] Melchizedek[f] keeps on living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because Levi[g] was still inside his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
11 Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—for on this basis the people received the Law—what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron? 12 When a change in the priesthood takes place, there must also be a change in the Law. 13 For the person we are talking about belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served[h] at the altar. 14 Furthermore, it is obvious that our Lord was a descendant of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests coming from that tribe. 15 This point is even more obvious in that another priest who is like Melchizedek has appeared 16 who was appointed to be a priest,[i] not on the basis of a genealogical registry, but rather on the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared about him,
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”[j]
18 Indeed, because it was weak and ineffective, the former commandment has been annulled, 19 since the Law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is presented, by which we approach God.
20 Now none of this happened without an oath. Others became priests without any oath, 21 but Jesus[k] became a priest[l] with an oath when God[m] told him,
22 In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 There have been many priests, since each one of them had to stop serving in office when he died. 24 But because Jesus[p] lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore, because he always lives to intercede for them, he is able to save completely[q] those who come to God through him.
26 We need such a high priest—one who is holy, innocent, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need to offer sacrifices every day like high priests do, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he sacrificed himself. 28 For the Law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promised oath, which came after the Law, results in a Son who is eternally perfect.
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