49 The Lord gave this message about the people of Ammon:
‘There are plenty of Israel's descendants who are still alive.
They are strong enough to live in the land that is their home.
So why have people who worship the god Molech moved in to the land of Gad's tribe?
They should not be living in towns that belong to Gad's people.’ [ a ]
2 The Lord says,
‘A time will come when an army attacks Rabbah, Ammon's capital city.
Its people will hear the noise of a battle.
The city will become a big heap of stones.
Fire will destroy the villages around it.
Then the Israelites will chase out the people who had taken their land from them.’
That is what the Lord says.
3 ‘You people in Heshbon, cry aloud,
because the enemy has destroyed Ai.
Weep, you people who live in Rabbah.
Dress yourselves in sackcloth, because you are so sad.
Run around inside the city.
The enemy will take away your idol of Molech.
They will take Molech's priests and their officers to a foreign land.
4 You people of Ammon boast about your power.
But that will soon come to an end!
You have not been faithful.
You have trusted in your riches and you say,
“Nobody will be able to attack us!” ’
5 But the Lord God Almighty says,
‘I will bring terror all around you. [ b ]
Your enemy will chase you away in all directions.
Nobody will be able to bring you together again.
6 But in future days, I will make Ammon's people strong again.’
That is what the Lord says.
7 The Lord Almighty gave this message about Edom:
‘It seems that wisdom has disappeared from Teman.
Edom's clever men have no good advice.
Their great ideas have gone away.
8 You people who live in Dedan, run away and escape!
Go and find somewhere safe to hide!
The time has come for me to punish Esau's descendants.
I will cause them to have terrible trouble.
9 If people came to pick your grapes,
they would leave a few grapes on the vines.
If robbers came at night to take your things,
they would only take the things that they needed.
10 But I will take everything from Esau's descendants,
so that they have nothing.
I will open their secret places,
so that they have nowhere to hide.
The enemy will destroy them and their children, family and friends.
None of them will remain alive.
11 But I will take care of your widows and the children who have no family.
You can trust me to keep them safe.’
12 The Lord says, ‘I had to punish even those people who did not deserve my great punishment. So you will certainly not escape my punishment! You will have to drink my anger from the cup that I give to you. [ c ] 13 I, the Lord , promise you this, with the authority of my own name: Bozrah city will become a heap of stones. The people of other nations will think that it is disgusting. They will laugh at it. They will use its name as a curse. All the towns and villages around it will be heaps of stones for ever.’
14 I have heard a message from the Lord . He has sent someone with this message to the nations:
‘Prepare your armies to attack Edom.
Prepare to fight a battle against Edom!’
15 The Lord says to Edom's people,
‘I will make you a weak nation that nobody respects.
16 You are proud people.
You boast that you cause other people to be afraid of you.
But your thoughts have deceived you.
You live high up among the rocks,
and on the tops of mountains.
But I will bring you down from there,
even if you are as high as an eagle's nest.’
That is what the Lord says.
17 ‘People will see how disgusting Edom is. Everybody who goes there will be very surprised. They will see all the terrible trouble that has happened to the nation, and they will insult it.
18 Edom will become a heap of stones where nobody lives.
The same thing happened to Sodom and Gomorrah,
and the towns that were near them.
Edom will be as empty as a desert.’
That is what the Lord says.
19 ‘I will attack the people of Edom
and I will chase them out of their land.
I will be like a lion that has been hiding in the forest.
It attacks the sheep in the fields beside the Jordan River.
Like that lion, I will suddenly chase Edom's people out of their country.
Then I will choose a leader to rule that nation.
There is nobody who is like me.
Nobody can accuse me of anything.
No ruler can stand against me.
20 So listen to me, the Lord !
This is what I have decided to do to Edom.
Yes, this is the trouble that I will bring to the people who live in Teman.
Soldiers will catch their children and take them away,
like little lambs that they take from their mothers.
I will completely destroy their homes.
21 When Edom's people fall,
the noise will cause the whole earth to shake.
The sound of their sad voices will reach as far as the Red Sea.
22 A nation will rise up high, like an eagle in the sky.
It will fly down to catch its food in Bozrah!
When the brave soldiers of Edom see that, they will become very afraid.
They will be afraid, like a woman who will soon give birth.’
23 The Lord gave this message about Damascus: [ d ]
‘The people of Hamath and Arpad will hear bad news.
It will cause them to be upset.
They will no longer feel brave.
They will not be able to rest because they are afraid.
24 The people of Damascus will become weak.
They will try to run away.
They will become confused because of their fear.
They will feel pain like a woman who is giving birth.
25 Damascus was a famous city.
The people who lived in it were very happy.
But now it will become empty.
26 Its young men will die in its streets.
All its soldiers will be dead.
27 I will burn down the city walls of Damascus.
Fire will destroy the palaces of King Ben-Hadad.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
28 The Lord gave this message about Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked:
‘March to Kedar and attack the city! [ e ]
Destroy those people who live east of Judah.
29 Take away their tents and their sheep.
Take their curtains and the other things in their tents.
Carry those things away with their camels.
Cause the people to shout,
“Terror is everywhere around us!” ’ [ f ]
30 The Lord says,
‘You people who live in Hazor, run away quickly!
Go and find somewhere safe to hide!
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has decided to attack you.
He knows how he will destroy you.’
31 The Lord says to King Nebuchadnezzar,
‘Go and attack that nation.
They think that they are strong and safe.
But their city has no gates or walls to protect them.
They live far away from other people.
32 Take their camels and their farm animals for yourselves.
I will chase away those people who live in the desert and who cut their hair short.
I will send them away in every direction.
And I will bring terrible trouble from every direction to hurt them.
33 Hazor will become as empty as a desert.
Only wild animals will live there.
It will always be a place where no people live.’
34 Soon after Zedekiah became king of Judah, the Lord gave this message about Elam to the prophet Jeremiah. 35 The Lord Almighty said,
‘Listen to me! Elam's army makes them a strong nation.
They have soldiers who can shoot arrows well.
But I will destroy those soldiers.
36 I will cause enemies to attack Elam,
like winds that blow from every direction.
I will chase Elam's people away in every direction.
They will run away to live in every other nation of the world.
37 I will make them very afraid of their enemies who want to kill them.
I will cause them to have terrible trouble,
because I am very angry with them.’
That is what the Lord says.
‘I will send soldiers to attack them,
until I have completely destroyed them.
38 I will destroy their kings and their leaders.
I will be the king who rules over Elam.’
That is what the Lord says.
39 ‘But at a future time,
I will make Elam strong again.’
That is what the Lord says.
49 This message is about the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says:
“Ammonites, do you think that
the people of Israel don’t have children?
Do you think there are no children
to take the land when the parents die?
Maybe that is why Milcom took Gad’s [ a ] land?”
2 The Lord says, “The time will come in Rabbah of Ammon [ b ]
when people hear the sounds of battle.
Rabbah of Ammon will be destroyed.
It will be an empty hill covered with ruined buildings,
and the towns around it will be burned.
Those people forced the people of Israel to leave their own land.
But later, Israel will force them to leave.”
This is what the Lord said.
3 “People in Heshbon, cry because the town of Ai is destroyed!
Women in Rabbah of Ammon, cry!
Put on sackcloth and cry.
Run to the city for safety,
because the enemy will take away the god Milcom,
with his priests and officials.
4 You brag about your strength,
but you are losing your strength.
You trust in your wealth to save you.
You think no one would even think of attacking you.”
5 But this is what the Lord God All-Powerful says:
“I will bring troubles to you from every side.
You will all run away,
and no one will be able to bring you together again.”
6 “The Ammonites will be taken away as captives. But the time will come when I will bring the Ammonites back.” This message is from the Lord .
7 This message is about Edom. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
“Is there no more wisdom in Teman?
Are the wise men of Edom not able to give good advice?
Have they lost their wisdom?
8 You people living in Dedan, run away and hide,
because I will punish Esau for the bad things he did.
9 “Workers pick grapes from grapevines,
but they leave a few grapes on the plants.
If thieves come at night,
they don’t take everything.
10 But I will take everything from Esau.
I will find all his hiding places.
He will not be able to hide from me.
His children, relatives, and neighbors will all die.
11 No one will be left to care for his children.
His wives will have no one to depend on.”
12 This is what the Lord says: “Some people don’t deserve to be punished, but they suffer. But, Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will really be punished. You will not escape the punishment you deserve. You will be punished.” 13 The Lord says, “By my own power, I make this promise: I promise that the city of Bozrah will be destroyed. It will become a ruined pile of rocks. People will use it as an example when they ask for bad things to happen to other cities. People will insult that city, and all the towns around Bozrah will become ruins forever.”
14 I heard a message from the Lord :
He sent this messenger to the nations.
This is the message:
“Gather your armies together!
Get ready for battle!
March against the nation of Edom!
15 Edom, I will make you become unimportant.
Everyone will hate you.
16 Edom, you made other nations afraid,
so you thought you were important.
But your pride has fooled you.
You live in caves, high on the cliff.
Your home is high in the hills.
But even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
I will bring you down from there.”
This is what the Lord said.
17 “Edom will be destroyed.
People will be shocked to see the destroyed cities.
They will whistle from amazement at the destroyed cities.
18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them.
No one will live there.”
This is what the Lord said.
19 “Sometimes a lion will come from the thick bushes near the Jordan River. And it will go into the fields where people put their sheep and cattle. I am like that lion. I will go to Edom. And I will frighten the people and make them run away. None of their young men will stop me. No one is like me. No one will challenge me. None of their leaders will stand up against me.”
20 So listen to what the Lord has planned to do to the people of Edom.
Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in Teman.
The enemy will drag away the young kids of Edom’s flock.
Edom’s pastures will be empty because of what they did.
21 At the sound of Edom’s fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22 Just as an eagle flies high to see the animal it will attack,
so the Lord will spread his wings over Bozrah.
And Edom’s soldiers will be filled with fear
like a woman giving birth.
23 This message is about the city of Damascus:
“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are afraid.
They are afraid because they heard the bad news.
They are discouraged.
They are worried and afraid.
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people want to run away.
They are ready to panic.
They are overcome with fear and pain,
like a woman giving birth.
25 “Damascus is a happy city.
The people have not left that ‘fun city’ yet.
26 So the young men will die in the public squares of that city.
All her soldiers will be killed at that time.”
This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
27 “I will set the walls of Damascus on fire.
The fire will completely burn up the strong forts of Ben-Hadad. [ c ] ”
28 This message is about the tribe of Kedar and the rulers of Hazor. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated them. This is what the Lord says:
“Go and attack the tribe of Kedar.
Destroy the people of the East.
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their tents and all their riches will be carried off.
Their enemy will take away the camels.
Men will shout this to them:
‘Terrible things are happening all around us.’
30 Run away quickly!
People in Hazor, find a good place to hide.”
This message is from the Lord .
“Nebuchadnezzar has made plans against you.
He thought of a smart plan to defeat you.
31 “There is a nation that feels so safe and secure
that it does not have gates or fences to protect it.
And no one lives near enough to help them.
So attack that nation!” says the Lord .
32 “Their camels are there to be taken in battle.
Their large herds of cattle will be yours.
I will scatter them throughout the earth—those people who cut their hair short. [ d ]
I will bring disaster on them from every direction.”
This message is from the Lord .
33 “Hazor will become a home for wild dogs, an empty desert forever.
No one will live there.
No one will stay in that place.”
34 Early in the time when Zedekiah was king of Judah, Jeremiah the prophet received a message from the Lord about the nation of Elam. [ e ]
35 The Lord All-Powerful says,
“I will break Elam’s bow very soon.
It is Elam’s strongest weapon.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam.
I will bring them from the four corners of the skies.
I will send the people of Elam to every place on the earth where the four winds blow.
Elam’s captives will be carried away to every nation.
37 I will break Elam to pieces while their enemies are watching.
I will break Elam in front of the people who want to kill them.
I will bring terrible troubles to them.
I will show them how angry I am.”
This message is from the Lord .
“I will send a sword to chase Elam.
The sword will chase them until I have killed them all.
38 I will show Elam that I am in control,
and I will destroy its king and his officials.”
This message is from the Lord .
39 “But in the future I will make good things happen to Elam.”
This message is from the Lord .
49 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord ; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord , that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord .
3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
4 Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
5 Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord God of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.
6 And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord .
7 Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?
8 Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.
9 If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
10 But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.
11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
12 For thus saith the Lord ; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.
13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord , that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
14 I have heard a rumour from the Lord , and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
15 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord .
17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord , no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
20 Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord , that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
21 The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.
28 Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the Lord ; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
29 Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, Fear is on every side.
30 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the Lord ; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.
31 Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the Lord , which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.
32 And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the Lord .
33 And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord ; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
38 And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord .
39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord .
49 Concerning the sons of ( A ) Ammon. This is what the Lord says:
“Does Israel have no sons?
Or has he no heirs?
Why then has [ a ] Malcam taken possession of Gad,
And his people settled in its cities?
2 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord ,
“When I will cause an alarm of ( B ) war to be heard
Against ( C ) Rabbah of the sons of Ammon;
And it will become a desolate heap,
And her ( D ) towns will be set on fire.
Then Israel will take ( E ) possession of his possessors,”
Says the Lord .
3 “Wail, ( F ) Heshbon, for ( G ) Ai has been destroyed!
Cry out, daughters of Rabbah,
( H ) Put on sackcloth and mourn,
And move about inside the walls;
For [ b ] Malcam will ( I ) go into exile
Together with his priests and his leaders.
4 How you ( J ) boast about the valleys!
Your valley is flowing away ,
You ( K ) backsliding daughter
Who trusts in her ( L ) treasures, saying ,
‘ ( M ) Who can come against me?’
5 Behold, I am going to bring ( N ) terror upon you,”
Declares the Lord [ c ] God of armies,
“From all directions around you;
And you will be ( O ) driven away [ d ] one after another,
With no one to gather the ( P ) fugitives together.
6 But afterward I will ( Q ) restore
The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,”
Declares the Lord .
7 Concerning ( R ) Edom.
This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Is there no longer any ( S ) wisdom in ( T ) Teman?
Has good advice been lost by the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8 Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
You inhabitants of ( U ) Dedan,
For I [ e ] will bring the ( V ) disaster of Esau upon him
At the time I [ f ] punish him.
9 ( W ) If grape pickers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only what was sufficient for them.
10 But I have ( X ) stripped Esau bare,
I have uncovered his hiding places
So that he will not be able to conceal himself;
His [ g ] offspring have been destroyed along with his [ h ] brothers
And his neighbors, and ( Y ) he no longer exists.
11 Leave your [ i ] ( Z ) orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your ( AA ) widows trust in Me.”
12 For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, those [ j ] who were not sentenced to drink the ( AB ) cup will certainly drink it , so are you the one who will be held ( AC ) completely blameless? You will not be held blameless, but you will certainly drink it . 13 For I have ( AD ) sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord , “that ( AE ) Bozrah will become an ( AF ) object of horror, a disgrace, a wasteland, and a curse; and all its cities will become permanent ruins.”
14 I have ( AG ) heard a message from the Lord ,
And a ( AH ) messenger is being sent among the nations, saying ,
“ ( AI ) Gather yourselves together and come against her,
And rise up for battle!”
15 “For behold, I have made you small among the nations,
Despised among people.
16 As for the terror you cause,
The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
You who live in the clefts of [ k ] the ( AJ ) rock,
Who occupy the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as ( AK ) high as an eagle’s,
I will ( AL ) bring you down from there,” declares the Lord .
17 “Edom will become an ( AM ) object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and will [ l ] ( AN ) hiss at all its wounds. 18 Like the ( AO ) overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the Lord , “ ( AP ) no one will live there, nor will [ m ] anyone of mankind reside in it. 19 ( AQ ) Behold, one will come up like a lion from the ( AR ) thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will chase him away from it, and I will appoint over it whoever is ( AS ) chosen. For who is ( AT ) like Me, and who will summon Me into court ? And who then is the shepherd ( AU ) who can stand against Me?”
20 Therefore hear the ( AV ) plan of the Lord which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has in mind against the inhabitants of Teman: they will certainly drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; He will certainly make their pasture ( AW ) desolate because of them. 21 The ( AX ) earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the [ n ] Red Sea. 22 Behold, [ o ] He will mount up and ( AY ) swoop like an eagle, and spread out His wings [ p ] against Bozrah; and the ( AZ ) hearts of the warriors of Edom on that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23 Concerning ( BA ) Damascus:
“ ( BB ) Hamath and ( BC ) Arpad are put to shame,
For they have heard bad news;
They ( BD ) despair.
There is anxiety at the sea,
It ( BE ) cannot be calmed.
24 Damascus has become helpless;
She has turned away to flee,
And panic has gripped her;
( BF ) Distress and labor pains have seized her
Like a woman in childbirth.
25 How the ( BG ) city of praise has not been deserted,
The town of My joy!
26 Therefore, her ( BH ) young men will fall in her streets,
And all the men of war will perish on that day,” declares the Lord of armies.
27 “I will ( BI ) set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will devour the fortified palace of ( BJ ) Ben-hadad.”
28 Concerning ( BK ) Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the Lord says:
“Arise, go up to Kedar
And devastate the [ q ] ( BL ) people of the east.
29 They will take away their tents and their flocks;
They will carry off for themselves
Their tent ( BM ) curtains, all their goods and their ( BN ) camels,
And they will call out to one another, ‘ ( BO ) Horror on every side!’
30 Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths,
You inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the Lord ;
“For ( BP ) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you
And devised a scheme against you.
31 Arise, go up against a nation which is ( BQ ) at ease,
Which lives securely,” declares the Lord .
“It has ( BR ) no gates or bars;
They ( BS ) dwell alone.
32 Their camels will become plunder,
And their many livestock for spoils,
And I will ( BT ) scatter to all the winds those who ( BU ) cut the corners of their hair ;
And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the Lord .
33 “Hazor will become a ( BV ) haunt of jackals,
A desolation forever;
No one will live there,
Nor will [ r ] anyone of mankind reside in it.”
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning ( BW ) Elam, ( BX ) at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:
35 “This is what the Lord of armies says:
‘Behold, I am going to ( BY ) break the bow of Elam,
The [ s ] finest of their might.
36 I will bring upon Elam the ( BZ ) four winds
From the four ends of heaven,
And will ( CA ) scatter them to all these winds;
And there will be no nation
To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 So I will [ t ] shatter Elam before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will ( CB ) bring disaster upon them,
Even My ( CC ) fierce anger,’ declares the Lord ,
‘And I will ( CD ) send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 Then I will set My throne in Elam,
And eliminate from there the king and officials,’
Declares the Lord .
39 ‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will ( CE ) restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord .
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 .
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 )
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 ) ”
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.”
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 .
