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
Yirmeyahu (Jer) 49
49
1Concerning the people of ‘Amon, here is what Adonai says:
“Has Isra’el no sons?
Has he no heir?
Then why has Malkam inherited Gad,
with his people settled in its cities?
2Therefore,” says Adonai, “the days are coming
when I will sound the battle alarm
against Rabbah and the people of ‘Amon;
it will become a tel of ruins,
her villages burned to the ground.
Then Isra’el will inherit from them
who disinherited him,” says Adonai.
3“Wail, Heshbon, for ‘Ai is doomed!
Cry out, daughters of Rabbah!
Wear sackcloth and mourn,
running here and there among the sheep pens.
For Malkam will go into exile,
together with his priests and officers.
4Why do you take such pride in the valleys,
your well-watered valleys, rebellious daughter?
You trusted in your riches
and thought, ‘Who can attack me?’
5I am bringing terror on you,”
says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, “from every side.
Each of you will be driven out headlong,
with no one to gather the fugitives.
6But afterwards, I will bring back
the exiles of ‘Amon,” says Adonai.
7Concerning Edom, this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says:
“Is there no wisdom left in Teman?
Have her wise men forgotten how to counsel?
Has their wisdom vanished?
8Flee! Turn back! Hide yourselves well,
you who live in D’dan;
for I am bringing calamity on ‘Esav,
when the time for me to punish him comes.
9If grape-pickers came to you,
they would leave no grapes for gleaning.
If thieves came at night,
they would destroy until they were satisfied.
10So I, for my part, have stripped ‘Esav bare,
I have exposed his hiding-places;
he will not be able to hide himself.
He is doomed — sons, brothers and neighbors —
so that he is no more.
11Leave your orphans; I will keep them alive;
let your widows trust in me.”
12For this is what Adonai says: “Those who do not deserve to drink from this cup will have to drink it anyway, so should you go unpunished? No, you will not go unpunished; you will certainly drink it. 13For I have sworn by myself,” says Adonai, “that Botzrah will become a ruin and an object of astonishment, reproach and cursing; all its cities will be ruins forever.”
14I have heard a message from Adonai:
“A messenger is sent among the nations, saying:
‘Gather together, and march against her!
Prepare for battle!’
15Here! I will make you least among nations,
the most despised of people.
16Your capacity to terrorize
has deceived you and made you arrogant.
You make your home in the rocky crags
and seize the top of the mountain;
but even if you build your nest high as an eagle’s,
from there I will drag you down,” says Adonai.
17Edom will become an object of horror;
everyone passing by will whistle
in astonishment at all its disasters.
18It will be like the overthrow of S’dom,
‘Amora and their neighboring towns,” says Adonai.
“No one will settle there any more,
no human being will live there again.
19It will be like a lion coming up from the thickets
of the Yarden against a strong settlement:
in an instant I will chase him away
and appoint over it whomever I choose.
For who is like me? Who can call me to account?
What shepherd can stand up to me?”
20So hear the plan of Adonai
that he has devised against Edom,
and his purpose that he will accomplish
against those who live in Teman:
the least of the flock will drag them away;
their own pasture will be in shock at them.
21The earth quakes at the sound of their fall;
their cry can be heard at the Sea of Suf.
22Like a vulture he will soar, swoop down
and spread out his wings against Botzrah.
On that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23Concerning Dammesek:
“Hamat and Arpad are confused;
having heard bad news, they dissolve in fear,
like the churning sea, which cannot calm itself.
24Dammesek, weakened, turns to flee;
trembling has seized her;
anguish and pain take hold of her
like the pains of a woman in labor.
25How can a city so praised be deserted,
a city that gave me such joy?
26Therefore her young men will fall in her squares,
and all her warriors be silenced on that day,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
27“I will light a fire inside Dammesek’s walls
which will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hatzor, which N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel struck, Adonai says:
“Set out! March against Kedar!
Plunder the people of the east!
29They will seize their tents and their flocks,
their tent curtains and all their equipment;
their camels too they will take for themselves
and shout at them, ‘Terror in every direction!’
30Flee! Leave your homes! Hide yourselves well,
you who live in Hatzor,” says Adonai;
“for N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel
has devised a plan against you;
he has formed a scheme against you.
31Get up! March on a nation at ease,
that lives secure,” says Adonai.
“They have neither gates nor bars;
they live in isolation.
32Their camels will be booty,
their many cattle a spoil.
I will scatter to the winds
those who shave the sides of their heads;
From every direction I will bring
their disaster on them,” says Adonai.
33“Hatzor will be a place for jackals to live,
desolate forever;
no one will settle there any more,
no human being will live there again.”
34This is the word of Adonai that came to Yirmeyahu the prophet concerning ‘Eilam at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiyahu king of Y’hudah: 35“Adonai-Tzva’ot says:
‘I will break ‘Eilam’s bow,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring against ‘Eilam the four winds
from the four quarters of the sky
and scatter them to all those winds.
There will not be one nation to which
the dispersed of ‘Eilam will not come.
37I will break ‘Eilam before their foes,
before those who seek their lives;
I will bring disaster on them,
my burning anger,’ says Adonai.
‘I will send the sword to pursue them
until I have finished them off.
38I will put my throne in ‘Eilam
and destroy their king and leaders,’ says Adonai.
39‘But in the acharit-hayamim,
I will bring back the exiles of ‘Eilam,’ says Adonai.”
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