Jeremiah 49
49
A Message About Ammon
1This 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#49:1 Gad’s One of the tribes of Israel. Their land was on the east side of the Jordan River, near the country of Ammon. land?”
2The Lord says, “The time will come in Rabbah of Ammon#49:2 Rabbah of Ammon The capital city of the Ammonites.
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.
4You 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.”
5But 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.
A Message About Edom
7This 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?
8You 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.
10But 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.
11No one will be left to care for his children.
His wives will have no one to depend on.”
12This 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.” 13The 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.”
14I 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!
15Edom, I will make you become unimportant.
Everyone will hate you.
16Edom, 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.
18Edom 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.”
20So 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.
21At the sound of Edom’s fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22Just 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.
A Message About Damascus
23This 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.
24The 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.
26So 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.#49:27 Ben-Hadad This was the name of several of the kings of Aram-Damascus.”
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28This 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.
29Their 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.’
30Run 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.#49:32 cut their hair short Literally, “cut on the side of their heads,” a custom different from that of Israelite men.
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.”
A Message About Elam
34Early in the time when Zedekiah was king of Judah, Jeremiah the prophet received a message from the Lord about the nation of Elam.#49:34 Elam A nation east of Babylon.
35The Lord All-Powerful says,
“I will break Elam’s bow very soon.
It is Elam’s strongest weapon.
36I 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.
37I 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.
38I 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.
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Jeremiah 49: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Jeremiah 49
49
What the LORD says about Ammon
1The LORD has this to say about the nation of Ammon:#Ez 21.28-32; 25.1-7; Am 1.13-15; Zep 2.8-11.
The people of Israel
have plenty of children
to inherit their lands.
So why have you worshippers
of the god Milcom#49.1 Milcom: The national god of Ammon, probably the same as the god Molech in 32.35.
taken over towns and land
belonging to the Gad tribe?
2Some day I will send an army
to attack you in Rabbah,
your capital city.
It will be left in ruins,
and the surrounding villages
will lie in ashes.
You took some of Israel's land,
but on that day
Israel will take yours!
3Cry, people of Heshbon;#49.3 Heshbon: See also 48.45; since Heshbon was near the border of Moab and Ammon, it was probably ruled by the country that was stronger at the time.
your town will become
a pile of rubble.#49.3 your town will become a pile of rubble: Or “because the town of Ai has been destroyed”; referring to an Ammonite town named Ai, not the town of that name near Bethel in the land of Israel.
You will turn here and there,
but your path will be blocked.#49.3 You will turn…blocked: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Put on sackcloth#49.3 sackcloth: See the note at 4.8. and mourn,
you citizens of Rabbah,
because the idol you worship#49.3 the idol you worship: Hebrew “Milcom” (see verse 1 and the note there).
will be taken
to a foreign country,
along with its priests
and temple officials.
4You rebellious Ammonites
trust your wealth and ask,
“Who could attack us?”
But I warn you not to boast
when your strength is fading.#49.4 when…fading: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
5I, the LORD All-Powerful,
will send neighbouring nations
to strike you with terror.
You will be scattered,
with no one to care
for your refugees.
6Yet some day, I will bring
your people back home.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
What the LORD says about Edom
7-8The LORD All-Powerful says about Edom:#Is 34.5-17; 63.1-6; Ez 25.12-14; 35.1-15; Am 1.11-12; Ob 1-14; Ml 1.2-5.
Wisdom and common sense
have vanished from Teman.#49.7,8 Teman: The name of a town in Edom, sometimes used as the name of the northern half of the nation of Edom; here it probably stands for the whole nation.
I will send disaster to punish
you descendants of Esau,#49.7,8 Esau: The ancestor of the nation of Edom.
so anyone from Dedan#49.7,8 Dedan: The name of a town in north-west Arabia, also used of the north-west region of Arabia along the Red Sea.
had better turn round
and run back home.#49.7,8 anyone…home: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
9People who harvest grapes
leave some for the poor.
Thieves who break in at night
take only what they want.
10But I will take everything
that belongs to you,
people of Edom,
and I will uncover every place
where you try to hide.
Then you will die,
and so will your children,
relatives, and neighbours.
11But I can be trusted
to care for your orphans
and widows.
12Even those nations that don't deserve to be punished will have to drink from the cup of my anger. So how can you possibly hope to escape? 13I, the LORD, swear in my own name that your city of Bozrah#49.13 Bozrah: The main city and capital of Edom. and all your towns will suffer a horrible fate. They will lie in ruins for ever, and people will use the name “Bozrah” as a curse word.
14I have sent a messenger
to command the nations
to prepare for war
against you people of Edom.
15Your nation will be small,
yet hated by other nations.
16Pride tricks you into thinking
that other nations
look at you with fear.#49.16 Pride…fear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
You live along the cliffs
and high in the mountains
like the eagles,
but I am the LORD,
and I will bring you down.
17People passing by your country
will be shocked and horrified
to see a disaster
18as bad as the destruction#Gn 19.24,25.
of Sodom and Gomorrah
and towns nearby.
The towns of Edom will be empty.
19I will attack you
like a lion from the forest,
attacking sheep in a meadow
along the Jordan.
In a moment the flock runs,
and the land is empty.
Who will I choose to attack you?
I will do it myself!
No one can force me to fight
or chase me away.
20Listen to my plans for you,
people of Edom.#49.20 Edom: The Hebrew text also uses the name “Teman” (see the note at verses 7-8).
Your children will be dragged off
and your country destroyed.
21The sounds of your destruction
will reach the Red Sea#49.21 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the north-eastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
and cause the earth to shake.
22An enemy will swoop down
to attack you,
like an eagle spreading its wings
and circling over Bozrah.
Your warriors will be gripped
by fear.#49.22 will be gripped by fear: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
What the LORD says about Damascus
23The LORD says about Damascus:#Is 17.1-3; Am 1.3-5; Zec 9.1.
The towns of Hamath and Arpad#49.23 Hamath and Arpad: Two towns in Syria that had been the capitals of small kingdoms allied with the more powerful kingdom whose capital was Damascus.
have heard your bad news.
They have lost hope,
and worries roll over them
like ocean waves.#49.23 worries…waves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
24You people of Damascus
have lost your courage,
and in panic you turn to run,
gripped by fear and pain.#49.24 gripped by fear and pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
25I once was pleased
with your famous city.
But now I warn you, “Escape
while you still can!”#49.25 can: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 25.
26Soon, even your best soldiers
will lie dead in your streets.
I, the LORD All-Powerful,
have spoken.
27I will set fire to your city walls
and burn down the fortresses
King Benhadad built.
Nebuchadnezzar and the people of the desert
28Here is what the LORD says about the Kedar tribe and the desert villages#49.28 desert villages: The Hebrew text has “kingdoms of Hazor”, which probably refers to several kingdoms of desert peoples who were not nomads, but who lived in small villages. that were conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar#49.28 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2. of Babylonia:
Listen, you people of Kedar
and the other tribes
of the eastern desert.
I have told Nebuchadnezzar
to attack and destroy you.
29His fearsome army
will surround you,
taking your tents and possessions,
your sheep and camels.
30Run and hide,
you people of the desert
who live in villages!#49.30 villages: See the note at 49.28.
Nebuchadnezzar has big plans
for you.
31You have no city walls
and no neighbours to help,
yet you think you're safe—
so I told him to attack.
32Then your camels
and large herds
will be yours no longer.
People of the Arabian Desert,#49.32 People of the Arabian Desert: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
disaster will strike you
from every side,
and you will be scattered
everywhere on earth.
33Only jackals#49.33 jackals: See the note at 9.11. will live
where your villages#49.33 villages: See the note at 49.28. once stood.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
What the LORD says about Elam
34-35Not long after Zedekiah#49.34,35 Zedekiah: See the note at 1.3. became king of Judah, the LORD told me to say:
People of Elam,#49.34,35 Elam: A nation east of Babylonia, attacked by Nebuchadnezzar about 596 BC.
I, the LORD All-Powerful,
will kill the archers
who make your army strong.
36Enemies will attack
from all directions,
and you will be led captive
to every nation on earth.
37Their armies will crush
and kill you,
and you will face the disaster
that my anger brings.
38Your king and his officials
will die, and I will rule
in their place.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
39But I promise that some day
I will bring your people
back to their land.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012