Jeremiah 49
49
Against Surrounding Nations
1About Ammon’s children, thus says Adonai: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then did Malcam dispossess Gad and his people settled in its towns?
2Therefore behold, days are coming” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “when I will sound an alarm of war heard against Rabbah of Ammon! It will become a mound of ruins. Her villages will be burned with fire. Then Israel will dispossess those who dispossessed him.” it is a declaration of Adonai.
3“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is devastated! Cry, daughters of Rabbah! Wear sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro within the walls, for Malcam will go into captivity together with his priests and princes.
4Why do you brag about valleys— your flowing valley, faithless daughter? Trusting in your treasures: ‘Who will come against me?’
5I am about to bring terror on you” —a declaration of my Lord Adonai-Tzva’ot— “from all those around you. Each of you will be banished headlong, with no one to gather the fugitives.
6Yet afterward I will restore Ammon’s children from exile.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
7About Edom, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Is counsel lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?
8Flee! Turn back! Stay low, inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring Esau’s calamity on him at the time that I punish him.
9If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came at night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
10But I will strip Esau bare. I will uncover his hiding places, so he will not be able to hide himself. His offspring has been destroyed with his kinsmen and neighbors. So he is nothing.
11Leave your orphans— I will keep them alive, and let your widows trust in Me.”
12For thus says Adonai: “Behold, if those who do not deserve to drink the cup must surely drink, can you go utterly unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you shall surely drink!
13For I have sworn by Myself” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “that Bozrah will become a horror, a disgrace, a waste and a curse. All its towns will be ruins forever.”
14I heard a message from Adonai. An ambassador is sent to the nations: ‘Gather together, come against her, and rise up for war!’
15For see, I made you least among nations, despised among men.
16Your terrorism has deceived you, so that your heart is arrogant. You who live in the clefts of the rock, who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
17“Edom will become a desolation. Everyone passing by will be appalled and hiss at all its plagues.
18Like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says Adonai, “no one will live there, nor any son of man dwell there.
19Look, it is like a lion coming up from the thickets of the Jordan to a secure pasture—for abruptly I will make him run away from it. I appoint over it whomever I choose. For who is like Me? Who will summon me to court? What shepherd stands up to Me?”
20Therefore hear the plan that Adonai has drawn up against Edom, and His strategies that He designed against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely the least of the flock will be dragged away, Surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them.
21The earth will tremble at the noise of their downfall. The sound of their outcry will be heard at the Sea of Reeds.
22Behold, he will mount up and swoop down like an eagle, and spread out his wings against Bozrah. The hearts of Edom’s warriors in that day will be like a woman’s heart in her pangs.
23About Damascus: Hamath and Arpad are ashamed, for they heard bad news, They melt away; in the sea there is trouble that cannot be quiet.
24Damascus has become feeble. She turns away to flee, panic grips her, anguish and pangs have seized her, like a woman in travail.
25How is the city of praise deserted— the city of my joy?
26Therefore her young men will fall in her squares—all the warriors will be silenced in that day. It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
27“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus— it will devour Ben-hadad’s palaces.”
28About Kedar and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck. Thus says Adonai: “Arise, go up against Kedar and devastate the children of the east.
29They will take away their tents and their flocks. They will carry away their curtains, all their gear and their camels. They will cry out against them, ‘Terror on every side!’
30Flee! Scatter far! Stay low, inhabitants of Hazor!” It is a declaration of Adonai. “For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has taken counsel against you, and devised a plan against you.
31Arise, go up against a nation at ease, dwelling securely,” says Adonai. “They have no gates or bars; they dwell alone.
32Their camels will become plunder, their many cattle a spoil. I will scatter to all the winds those who shave the edges. I bring their calamity from every side.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
33“Hazor will be a lair of jackals, a desolation forever— no one will abide there, nor any son of man dwell there.”
34The word of Adonai that came to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, saying,
35thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Behold, I will break Elam’s bow— the source of their might.
36I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them to all those winds. There will be no nation where the dispersed of Elam will not go.
37I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those seeking their soul. I will bring calamity on them— My burning anger!” It is a declaration of Adonai, “I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.
38Then I will put My throne in Elam and destroy from it king and princes.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
39“Yet it will be in the end of days, that I will restore Elam from exile.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 49
49
You’re a Broken-Down Has-Been
1-6 God’s Message on the Ammonites:
“Doesn’t Israel have any children,
no one to step into her inheritance?
So why is the god Milcom taking over Gad’s land,
his followers moving into its towns?
But not for long! The time’s coming”
—God’s Decree—
“When I’ll fill the ears of Rabbah, Ammon’s big city,
with battle cries.
She’ll end up a pile of rubble,
all her towns burned to the ground.
Then Israel will kick out the invaders.
I, God, say so, and it will be so.
Wail Heshbon, Ai is in ruins.
Villages of Rabbah, wring your hands!
Dress in mourning, weep buckets of tears.
Go into hysterics, run around in circles!
Your god Milcom will be hauled off to exile,
and all his priests and managers right with him.
Why do you brag of your once-famous strength?
You’re a broken-down has-been, a castoff
Who fondles his trophies and dreams of glory days
and vainly thinks, ‘No one can lay a hand on me.’
Well, think again. I’ll face you with terror from all sides.”
Word of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
“You’ll be stampeded headlong,
with no one to round up the runaways.
Still, the time will come
when I will make things right with Ammon.” God’s Decree.
Strutting Across the Stage of History
7-11The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on Edom:
“Is there nobody wise left in famous Teman?
no one with a sense of reality?
Has their wisdom gone wormy and rotten?
Run for your lives! Get out while you can!
Find a good place to hide,
you who live in Dedan!
I’m bringing doom to Esau.
It’s time to settle accounts.
When harvesters work your fields,
don’t they leave gleanings?
When burglars break into your house,
don’t they take only what they want?
But I’ll strip Esau clean.
I’ll search out every nook and cranny.
I’ll destroy everything connected with him,
children and relatives and neighbors.
There’ll be no one left who will be able to say,
‘I’ll take care of your orphans.
Your widows can depend on me.’”
12-13Indeed. God says, “I tell you, if there are people who have to drink the cup of God’s wrath even though they don’t deserve it, why would you think you’d get off? You won’t get off. You’ll drink it. Oh yes, you’ll drink every drop. And as for Bozrah, your capital, I swear by all that I am”—God’s Decree—“that that city will end up a pile of charred ruins, a stinking garbage dump, an obscenity—and all her daughter-cities with her.”
14I’ve just heard the latest from God.
He’s sent an envoy to the nations:
“Muster your troops and attack Edom.
Present arms! Go to war!”
15-16“Ah, Edom, I’m dropping you to last place among nations,
the bottom of the heap, kicked around.
You think you’re so great—
strutting across the stage of history,
Living high in the impregnable rocks,
acting like king of the mountain.
You think you’re above it all, don’t you,
like an eagle in its aerie?
Well, you’re headed for a fall.
I’ll bring you crashing to the ground.” God’s Decree.
17-18“Edom will end up trash. Stinking, despicable trash. A wonder of the world in reverse. She’ll join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors in the sewers of history.” God says so.
“No one will live there,
no mortal soul move in there.
19“Watch this: Like a lion coming up
from the thick jungle of the Jordan
Looking for prey in the mountain pastures,
I will come upon Edom and pounce.
I’ll take my pick of the flock—and who’s to stop me?
The shepherds of Edom are helpless before me.”
20-22So, listen to this plan that God has worked out against Edom, the blueprint of what he’s prepared for those who live in Teman:
“Believe it or not, the young, the vulnerable—
mere lambs and kids—will be dragged off.
Believe it or not, the flock
in shock, helpless to help, will watch it happen.
The very earth will shudder because of their cries,
cries of anguish heard at the distant Red Sea.
Look! An eagle soars, swoops down,
spreads its wings over Bozrah.
Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight,
like a woman giving birth to a baby.”
The Blood Will Drain from the Face of Damascus
23-27The Message on Damascus:
“Hamath and Arpad will be in shock
when they hear the bad news.
Their hearts will melt in fear
as they pace back and forth in worry.
The blood will drain from the face of Damascus
as she turns to flee.
Hysterical, she’ll fall to pieces,
disabled, like a woman in childbirth.
And now how lonely—bereft, abandoned!
The once famous city, the once happy city.
Her bright young men dead in the streets,
her brave warriors silent as death.
On that day”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies—
“I’ll start a fire at the wall of Damascus
that will burn down all of Ben-hadad’s forts.”
Find a Safe Place to Hide
28-33The Message on Kedar and the sheikdoms of Hazor who were attacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This is God’s Message:
“On your feet! Attack Kedar!
Plunder the Bedouin nomads from the east.
Grab their blankets and pots and pans.
Steal their camels.
Traumatize them, shouting, ‘Terror! Death! Doom!
Danger everywhere!’
Oh, run for your lives,
You nomads from Hazor.” God’s Decree.
“Find a safe place to hide.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
has plans to wipe you out,
to go after you with a vengeance:
‘After them,’ he says. ‘Go after these relaxed nomads
who live free and easy in the desert,
Who live in the open with no doors to lock,
who live off by themselves.’
Their camels are there for the taking,
their herds and flocks, easy picking.
I’ll scatter them to the four winds,
these defenseless nomads on the fringes of the desert.
I’ll bring terror from every direction.
They won’t know what hit them.” God’s Decree.
“Jackals will take over the camps of Hazor,
camps abandoned to wind and sand.
No one will live there,
no mortal soul move in there.”
The Winds Will Blow Away Elam
34-39 God’s Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says:
“Watch this! I’ll break Elam’s bow,
her weapon of choice, across my knee.
Then I’ll let four winds loose on Elam,
winds from the four corners of earth.
I’ll blow them away in all directions,
landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth.
They’ll live in constant fear and terror
among enemies who want to kill them.
I’ll bring doom on them,
my anger-fueled doom.
I’ll set murderous hounds on their heels
until there’s nothing left of them.
And then I’ll set up my throne in Elam,
having thrown out the king and his henchmen.
But the time will come when I make
everything right for Elam again.” God’s Decree.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.