Jeremiah 49
49
Against the Ammonites. 1Concerning the Ammonites. Thus says the Lord:
Has Israel no sons?
none to inherit?
Why has Milcom#Milcom: chief god of the Ammonites (cf. 1 Kgs 11:5). The Ammonites shared a border with Gad, an Israelite tribe in Transjordan (Jos 13:8–10); the Ammonites occupied its territory after the collapse of the Northern Kingdom. disinherited Gad,
why are his people living in its cities?
2Therefore the days are coming—oracle of the Lord—
when I will sound the battle alarm
against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
It shall become a mound of ruins,
and its villages destroyed by fire.
Israel shall then inherit those who disinherited it—
oracle of the Lord.#Am 1:14.
3Wail, Heshbon, “The ruin is destroyed!”
shriek, villages of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and lament!
Run back and forth in the sheepfolds.
For Milcom is going into exile,
taking priest and prince with him.#Is 15:2–5.
4Why boast in your strength,
your ebbing strength, rebellious daughter?
Why trust in your treasures, saying,
“Who would dare attack me?”
5See, I am bringing terror upon you—
oracle of the Lord God of hosts—
from all around you;
You shall be scattered, each in headlong flight,
with no one to gather the fugitives.#Jer 48:47.
6But afterward I will restore the fortunes
of the Ammonites—oracle of the Lord.
Against Edom.#Edom: southeast of the Dead Sea, a traditional enemy who profited from Judah’s downfall; cf. Ps 137:7; Lam 4:21–22; Ob 11–12. 7Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Is there no more wisdom in Teman,#Teman, a district of Edom (cf. Jb 2:11), represents the whole country, which was famous for the wisdom of its sages.
has counsel perished from the prudent,
is their wisdom gone?
8Flee, retreat, hide deep for lodging,
inhabitants of Dedan:
For I bring disaster upon Esau#Esau: Jacob’s brother, the traditional ancestor of the Edomites; cf. Gn 36:1.
when I come to punish them.#Ez 25:13.
9If vintagers came upon you,
they would leave no gleanings;
If thieves by night,
they would destroy as they pleased.#Ob 5.
10So I myself will strip Esau;
I will uncover his lairs so he cannot hide.
Offspring and family are destroyed,
neighbors, too; he is no more.#Mal 1:3.
11Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
your widows, let them trust in me.#Dt 10:18; Ps 68:6.
12For thus says the Lord: Look, even those not sentenced to drink the cup must drink it! Shall you then go unpunished? You shall not! You shall drink every bit of it!#Jer 25:15, 28; Lam 4:21–22. 13By myself I have sworn—oracle of the Lord—Bozrah#Bozrah: capital of Edom. shall become an object of horror, a disgrace, a desolation, and a curse. Bozrah and all its cities shall become ruins forever.#Is 34:6; Ez 35:3–9; Ob 16.
14I have heard a report from the Lord,
a herald has been sent among the nations:
“Gather together, move against it,
get ready for battle!”
15I will make you the least among the nations,
despised by all people!#Ob 2.
16The terror you spread,
the pride of your heart, beguiled you.
You denizens of rocks and crevices,
occupying towering peaks:
Though you build your nest high as the eagle,
from there I will bring you down—oracle of the Lord.#Jer 48:29–30.
17Edom shall become an object of horror. Passersby recoil in terror, hissing at all its wounds. 18As when Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighbors were overthrown—oracle of the Lord—no one shall live in it, nor anyone settle there.#Jer 50:40; Dt 29:23.
19As when a lion comes up from a thicket of the Jordan
to a permanent pasture,
So in an instant, I will chase them off;
I will establish there whomever I choose.
For who is like me? Who holds me accountable?
What shepherd can stand against me?#Jer 12:5; 25:9; 50:44–45.
20Therefore, listen to the strategy
the Lord devised for Edom;
The plans he has drawn up
against the inhabitants of Teman:
They shall be dragged away, even the smallest of the flock;
their pasture shall be aghast because of them.
21With the din of their collapse the earth quakes,
to the Red Sea the outcry is heard!
22Look! like an eagle he soars aloft,
and spreads his wings over Bozrah;
On that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors become
like the heart of a woman in labor.#Jer 4:13.
Against Damascus. 23Concerning Damascus.
Hamath and Arpad#Hamath and Arpad: independent Aramean states north of Damascus, the direction from which the invasion is coming. Cf. Is 10:9–10. are shamed,
for they have heard bad news;
Anxious, they surge like the sea
which cannot calm down.#Is 36:19; 37:13.
24Damascus loses heart, turns to flee;
panic has seized it.
Distress and pangs take hold,
like the pain of a woman in labor.
25How can the glorious city be abandoned,
the town of joy!
26But now its young men shall fall in its squares,
all the warriors destroyed on that day—
oracle of the Lord of hosts.
27I will set fire to the wall of Damascus;
it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.#Ben-hadad: a dynastic name for some of the kings who ruled in Damascus; cf. 1 Kgs 15:18, 20.
Against Arabia. 28About Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, defeated.
Thus says the Lord:
Rise up, attack Kedar,
destroy the people from the east.#Is 21:16.
29Their tents and flocks shall be taken away,
their tent curtains and all their goods;
Their camels they carry off,
they shout over them, “Terror on every side!”#Jer 4:20.
30Flee! wander about, hide deep for lodging,
inhabitants of Hazor—oracle of the Lord;
For Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has devised a strategy against you,
drawn up a plan against you,
31Get up! set out against a tranquil nation,
living in security—oracle of the Lord—
Without gates or bars,
dwelling alone.
32Their camels shall become spoils,
their hordes of cattle, plunder;
I will scatter to the winds those who shave their temples;
from every side I will bring their ruin—
oracle of the Lord.#Jer 9:25.
33Hazor shall become a haunt for jackals,
a wasteland forever,
Where no one lives,
no mortal stays.
Against Elam. 34The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam#Elam: an ancient kingdom east of Babylonia. at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah:
35Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Look! I will break the bow of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring upon Elam the four winds
from the four ends of the heavens:
I will scatter them to all these winds, until there is no nation
to which the outcasts of Elam have not gone.
37I will terrify Elam before their foes,
those seeking their life;
I will bring evil upon them,
my burning wrath—oracle of the Lord.
I will send sword after them
until I have finished them off;
38I will set up my throne in Elam
and destroy from there king and princes—
oracle of the Lord.
39But at the end of days I will restore
the fortunes of Elam—oracle of the Lord.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Jeremiah 49
49
A Message About Ammon
1Here is what the Lord says about the people of Ammon.
He says,
“Doesn’t Israel have any sons?
Doesn’t Israel have anyone
to take over the family property?
Then why has the god named Molek taken over Gad?
Why do those who worship him live in its towns?
2But a new day is coming,”
announces the Lord.
“At that time I will sound the battle cry.
I will sound it against Rabbah in the land of Ammon.
It will become a pile of broken-down buildings.
The villages around it will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,”
says the Lord.
3“Heshbon, weep for Ai! It is destroyed!
Cry out, you who live in Rabbah!
Put on the clothes of sadness and mourn.
Run here and there inside the walls.
Your god named Molek will be carried away.
So will its priests and officials.
4Why do you brag about your valleys?
You brag that they produce so many crops.
Ammon, you are an unfaithful country.
You trust in your riches. You say,
‘Who will attack me?’
5I will bring terror on you.
It will come from all those around you,”
announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all.
“Every one of you will be driven away.
No one will bring back those who escape.
6“But after that, I will bless the people of Ammon
with great success again,”
announces the Lord.
A Message About Edom
7Here is what the Lord says about Edom.
The Lord who rules over all says,
“Isn’t there wisdom in the town of Teman anymore?
Can’t those who are wise give advice?
Has their wisdom disappeared completely?
8Turn around and run away, you who live in Dedan.
Hide in deep caves.
I will bring trouble on Esau’s family line.
I will do this at the time I punish them.
9Edom, suppose grape pickers came to harvest your vines.
They would still leave a few grapes.
Suppose robbers came at night.
They would steal only as much as they wanted.
10But I will strip everything away from Esau’s people.
I will uncover their hiding places.
They will not be able to hide anywhere.
Their army is destroyed.
Their friends and neighbors are destroyed.
So there is no one to say,
11‘Leave your children whose fathers have died.
I will keep them alive.
Your widows can also depend on me.’ ”
12The Lord says, “What if those who do not have to drink the cup must drink it anyway? Then shouldn’t you be punished? You will certainly be punished. You must drink the cup. 13I make a promise in my own name. Bozrah will be destroyed,” announces the Lord. “People will be shocked at it. They will say Bozrah is a shameful place. They will use its name as a curse. And all its towns will be destroyed forever.”
14I’ve heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger was sent to the nations. The Lord told him to say,
“Gather yourselves together to attack Edom!
Prepare for battle!”
15The Lord says to Edom, “I will make you weak among the nations.
They will hate you.
16You live in the safety of the rocks.
You live on top of the hills.
But the terror you stir up has now turned against you.
Your proud heart has tricked you.
You build your nest as high as an eagle does.
But I will bring you down from there,”
announces the Lord.
17“People of Edom,
all those who pass by you will be shocked.
They will make fun of you
because of all your wounds.
18Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.
So were the towns that were near them,”
says the Lord.
“You will be just like them.
No one will live in your land.
No human beings will stay there.
19“I will be like a lion coming up
from the bushes by the Jordan River.
I will hunt in rich grasslands.
I will chase you from your land in an instant.
What nation will I choose to do this?
Which one will I appoint?
Is anyone like me?
Who would dare to argue with me?
What leader can stand against me?”
20So listen to what the Lord has planned
against the people of Edom.
Hear what he has planned against those who live in Teman.
Edom’s young people will be dragged away.
Their grasslands will be shocked at their fate.
21When the earth hears Edom fall, it will shake.
The people’s cries will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22Look! An enemy is coming.
It’s like an eagle diving down.
It will spread its wings over Bozrah.
At that time the hearts of Edom’s soldiers
will tremble in fear.
They’ll be like the heart of a woman having a baby.
A Message About Damascus
23Here is what the Lord says about Damascus. He says,
“The people of Hamath and Arpad are terrified.
They have heard bad news.
They have lost all hope.
They are troubled like the rolling sea.
24The people of Damascus have become weak.
They have turned to run away.
Panic has taken hold of them.
Suffering and pain have taken hold of them.
Their pain is like the pain of a woman having a baby.
25Why hasn’t the famous city been deserted?
It is the town I take delight in.
26You can be sure its young men will fall dead in the streets.
All its soldiers will be put to death at that time,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
27“I will set the walls of Damascus on fire.
It will burn down the strong towers of King Ben-Hadad.”
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28Here is what the Lord says about the people of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was planning to attack them.
The Lord says to the armies of Babylon,
“Prepare for battle. Attack Kedar.
Destroy the people of the east.
29Their tents and flocks will be taken away from them.
Their tents will be carried off.
All their goods and camels will be stolen.
People will shout to them,
‘There is terror on every side!’
30“Run away quickly!
You who live in Hazor, stay in deep caves,”
announces the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,
has made plans against you.
He has decided to attack you.
31“Armies of Babylon, prepare for battle.
Attack a nation that feels secure.
Its people do not have any worries,”
announces the Lord.
“That nation does not have gates or bars that lock them.
Its people live far from danger.
32Their camels will be stolen.
Their large herds will be taken away.
I will scatter to the winds those who are in places far away.
I will bring trouble on them from every side,”
announces the Lord.
33“Hazor will become a home for wild dogs.
It will be a dry and empty desert forever.
No one will live in that land.
No human beings will stay there.”
A Message About Elam
34A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet. It was about Elam. It came shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah.
35The Lord who rules over all said,
“Elam’s bow is the secret of its strength.
But I will break it.
36I will bring the four winds against Elam.
I will bring them from all four directions.
I will scatter Elam’s people to the four winds.
They will be taken away
to every nation on earth.
37I will use Elam’s enemies to smash them.
Those who want to kill them will kill them.
I will bring trouble on Elam’s people.
My anger will be great against them,”
announces the Lord.
“I will chase them with swords.
I will hunt them down
until I have destroyed them.
38I will set up my throne in Elam.
I will destroy its king and officials,”
announces the Lord.
39“But in days to come I will bless Elam
with great success again,”
announces the Lord.
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