Jeremiah 49
49
A message about Ammon
1Concerning the Ammonites:
This is what the Lord says:
‘Has Israel no sons?
Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek#49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3 taken possession of Gad?
Why do his people live in its towns?
2But the days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
‘when I will sound the battle cry
against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,’
says the Lord.
3‘Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!
Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek will go into exile,
together with his priests and officials.
4Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,
you trust in your riches and say,
“Who will attack me?”
5I 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.
6‘Yet afterwards, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,’
declares the Lord.
A message about Edom
7Concerning Edom:
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
you who live in Dedan,
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time when I punish him.
9If 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?
10But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his hiding-places,
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
also his allies and neighbours,
so there is no-one to say,
11“Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” ’
12This is what the Lord says: ‘If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13I swear by myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse,#49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed. an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins for ever.’
14I 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.
16The terror you inspire
and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,’
declares the Lord.
17‘Edom will become an object of horror;
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.
18As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown,
along with their neighbouring towns,’ says the Lord,
‘so no-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.
19‘Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pasture-land,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?’
20Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,
what he has purposed against those who live in Teman:
the young of the flock will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
21At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;
their cry will resound to the Red Sea.#49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labour.
A message about Damascus
23Concerning Damascus:
‘Hamath and Arpad are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like#49:23 Hebrew on or by the restless sea.
24Damascus 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 labour.
25Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’
declares the Lord Almighty.
27‘I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.’
A message about Kedar and Hazor
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the Lord says:
‘Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.
29Their tents and their flocks will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
“Terror on every side!”
30‘Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,’
declares the Lord.
‘Nebuchadnezzar 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;
its people live far from danger.
32Their camels will become plunder,
and their large herds will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places#49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
and will bring disaster on them from every side,’
declares the Lord.
33‘Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
a desolate place for ever.
No-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.’
A message about Elam
34This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:
35This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘See, I will break the bow of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring against Elam the four winds
from the four quarters of heaven;
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
even my fierce anger,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will pursue them with the sword
until I have made an end of them.
38I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,’
declares the Lord.
39‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,’
declares the Lord.
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Jeremiah 49: NIVUK
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Jeremiah 49
49
1This is what the Lord says about the Ammonites:
Don't the Israelites have any children? Don't they have heirs to inherit their property? So why has Milcom#49:1. “Milcom”: the name of the principal Ammonite god, also identified as “Molech.” taken over the territory belonging to the tribe of Gad? Why are his people living in their towns?
2Watch out! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will signal the attack on the Ammonite town of Rabbah.#49:2. “Rabbah”: the Ammonite capital, known today as Amman, Jordan. It will be turned into a pile of ruins, and its villages will be burned down. Then the Israelites will drive out the people who took over their land, says the Lord.
3Weep, people of Heshbon, for the town of Ai has been destroyed. Cry for help, people of Rabbah! Put on clothes made of sackcloth and start mourning; run to and fro inside your city walls, because your god Milcom will go into exile along with his priests and leaders.
4Why do you boast that your valleys are so productive, you unfaithful people? You trust in your wealth, saying, “Who would dare attack us?”
5Watch out! I'm going to bring the surrounding nations to terrorize you, declares the Lord God Almighty. You will all be driven out and scattered, and no one will be able to gather you refugees together again. 6However, later on I will bring you Ammonites back from exile, declares the Lord.
7This is what the Lord Almighty says about Edom:#49:7. For a parallel prophecy against Edom see Obadiah, who uses similar language.
Aren't there any wise people left in Teman?#49:7. Teman was a district in the country of Edom. Isn't there any good advice from those with insight? Has their wisdom rotted away? 8Turn and run away! Find somewhere to hide, people of Dedan, because I'm bringing disaster down on you descendants of Esau when I punish you.
9If people harvesting grapes came to you, they'd leave some behind, wouldn't they? If thieves came during the night, they'd only steal what they wanted, wouldn't they? 10But I'm going to strip the whole country bare, leaving its people with nowhere to hide. All of Esau's descendants will be destroyed, along with their relatives and friends—they will all be gone.
11However, you can leave your orphans to me because I will protect them. Have your widows put their trust in me.
12This is what the Lord says: If those who were not required to drink from the cup of judgment had to do so, how could you not be punished yourselves? You won't go unpunished, because you have to drink it too. 13I made myself a solemn promise, declares the Lord, that the town of Bozrah will become a place that horrifies people, a complete humiliation, a pile of ruins, and a name that's used as a curse word. All its surrounding towns will also be left in ruins forever.
14I received this message from the Lord. He has sent a messenger to the nations:
Get yourselves ready to attack Edom! Prepare for battle! 15Watch as I will make you insignificant compared to other nations—everyone will look down on you. 16The fear you once created in others, and your pride in yourselves, has fooled you into overconfidence, you people living on the rocky mountain tops. Though you make your homes high out of reach like an eagle's nest, I will tear you down, even from there, declares the Lord. 17People will be horrified at what's happened to Edom. Everyone passing by will be shocked, and will sneer at all its damage. 18Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, along with their neighboring towns, says the Lord, nobody will live there—they will become uninhabited. 19Watch out! I'm going to come like a lion from the tangled undergrowth beside the Jordan to attack the animals grazing#49:19. “Attack the animals grazing”: supplied for clarity. the green pasture. In fact I'm going to chase the Edomites from their land very quickly.
Who will I choose to conquer them? Who is like me? Who can challenge me? Which leader#49:19. “Leader”: literally, “shepherd.” could oppose me?
20So listen to what the Lord has planned to do to Edom and the people of Teman: Their children will be dragged away like lambs from the flock, and because of them their pasture will become a wasteland. 21When they fall, the sound they make will make the earth shake; their cries will be heard all the way to the Red Sea. 22Watch as an enemy like an eagle flies high, then swoops down, spreading its wings as it attacks Bozrah. At that time Edom's warriors will be as scared as a woman in labor.
23A prophecy about Damascus:
The towns of Hamath and Arpad#49:23. Two towns some considerable distance north of Damascus. are disturbed, because they've received bad news. They are fearful, restless like the sea. Nothing can calm their worries. 24The people of Damascus are demoralized—they turn and run away in panic, overcome by pain and anguish like a woman in labor.
25Why isn't the city that is praised deserted, the city that made me happy?#49:25. Some believe this verse is not spoken by the Lord but by one of the city's residents.
26For on that day its young men will die in its streets, all its defenders will be killed, declares the Lord of Hosts. 27I'm going to set fire to the walls of Damascus; that will burn down the fortresses of Ben-hadad.
28A prophecy about the land of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that were attacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This is what the Lord says:
Go and attack Kedar; destroy the people of the east! 29Take their tents and their flocks! Carry off their tent curtains and all their possessions! Take their camels for yourselves. Shout out to them: “Terror is everywhere!”
30Run!#49:30. This verse is addressed to those being attacked. Get away as far as you can! Find somewhere to hide, people of Hazor, declares the Lord. For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans to attack and destroy you.
31Go and attack#49:31. The Lord is speaking to Nebuchadnezzar again. that self-satisfied nation that thinks it's safe, declares the Lord. They don't have any barred gates and have no allies. 32Their camels and large herds will be plunder for you. I will scatter them everywhere, these desert people who trim their hair on the sides of their heads. I will bring disaster down on them from all directions, declares the Lord. 33Hazor will become a place where jackals live, a place abandoned forever. No one will live there; it will become uninhabited.
34This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah the prophet about Elam. This was at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. 35This is what the Lord Almighty says:
Look! I'm going to smash the bows of the Elamites, the weapon they rely on for their power. 36I will bring winds from all directions to attack Elam, and I will scatter them in all directions. There won't be a nation that doesn't have some of Elam's exiles.
37I will smash the Elamites in front of their enemies, before those who want to kill them. In my furious anger I will bring disaster down on them, declares the Lord. I will chase them down with the sword until I have destroyed them. 38I will set up my throne in Elam, and destroy its king and officials, declares the Lord.
39However, later on I will bring the Elamites back from exile, declares the Lord.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com