Jeremiah 49
49
1 CONCERNING and against the Ammonites: Thus says the Lord: Has Israel no sons [to return after their captivity and claim the territory of Gad east of the Jordan which the Ammonites have taken over]? Has [Israel's Gad] no heir? Why then has Milcom [the god the Ammonites call their king] dispossessed and inherited Gad, and [why do] his people dwell in Gad's cities?
2 Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it [the high ground on which it stands] will become a desolate heap, and its daughter [villages] will be burned with fire. Then will Israel dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the Lord. [Ezek. 21:28-32; 25:1-7, 11; Amos 1:13-15; Zeph. 2:8-11.]
3 Wail, O Heshbon [in Moab, just south of Ammon], for Ai [in Ammon] is laid waste! Cry out, you daughter [villages] of Rabbah! Gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro inside the [sheepfold] enclosures; for Milcom [the god-king] shall go into exile, together with his priests and his princes.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys? Your valley flows away, O [Ammon] rebellious and faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, who said, Who can come against me?
5 Behold, I will bring terror upon you, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, from all who are round about you; and you will be driven out, each man fleeing straight before him [without thought of his neighbor], and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives.
6 And afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon and restore their fortunes, says the Lord.
7 Concerning and against Edom: Thus says the Lord of hosts: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman [a district in Edom]? Has counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent? Is their wisdom all poured out and used up? [Isa. 34; 63:1-6; Ezek. 25:12-14; 35; Amos 1:11, 12; Obad. 1-16; Mal. 1:2-5.]
8 Flee, turn back, dwell deep [in the deserts to escape the Chaldeans], O inhabitants of Dedan [neighbor of Edom]! For I will bring the calamity and destruction of Esau upon him [Edom] when I inspect and punish him.
9 If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some ungleaned grapes? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only what is enough [for them]?
10 But I have stripped Esau (Edom) bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he cannot hide himself. His offspring will be destroyed, with his brethren and his neighbors; and he will be no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children; I will [do what is necessary to] preserve them alive. And let [those who have been made] your widows trust and confide in Me.
12 For thus says the Lord: Behold, they [Israel] whose rule was not to drink the cup [of wrath] shall assuredly drink–and are you to remain unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink. [Jer. 25:28, 29.]
13 For I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that Bozrah [in Edom, between Petra and the Dead Sea] shall become a horror, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.
14 I have heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger is sent to the nations, saying, Gather together and come against her! And rise up for the battle.
15 For, behold, I will make you [Edom] small among the nations and despised among men. [Ezek. 35:9.]
16 Your [object of] horror (your idol) has deceived you, and the pride of your heart [has deceived you], O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock [Sela or Petra], who hold and occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord.
17 And Edom shall be an astonishment and a horror; everyone who goes by it shall be astonished and shall hiss with horror at all its plagues and disasters.
18 As [it was] in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, says the Lord, no man shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man live in it temporarily.
19 See, there comes up one [Nebuchadnezzar] like a lion from [lurking in] the jungles (the pride) of the Jordan against the strong habitation [of Edom] and into the permanent pastures; for in a twinkling I will drive him [Edom] from there. And I will appoint over him the one whom I choose. For who is like Me? And who will appoint for Me the time and prosecute Me for this proceeding? And what [earthly, national] shepherd can stand before Me and defy Me?
20 Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has made against Edom, and His purposes which He has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall be dragged away [by Nebuchadnezzar], even the little ones of the flock; surely He shall make their habitation desolate because of them and their fold shocked at their fate.
21 At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; at their crying the sound shall be heard at the Red Sea.
22 Behold, one will come up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against [the Edomite city of] Bozrah; and in that day the hearts of the mighty warriors of Edom will be like the heart of a woman in her pangs [in childbirth]. [Jer. 48:41.]
23 Concerning and against Damascus [in Syria]: Hamath and Arpad are confounded and put to shame, for they have heard bad news; they are fainthearted and wasting away; there is trouble and anxiety [like] on a [storm-tossed] sea which cannot rest.
24 Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee, and terror and panic have seized her; anguish and sorrow have taken hold of her, like a woman in childbirth.
25 How [remarkable that] the renowned city is not deserted, the city of my joy! [exclaims one from Damascus].
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day, says the Lord of hosts. [Isa. 17:1-3; Amos 1:3-5; Zech. 9:1.]
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will consume the palaces of Ben-hadad [title of several kings of Syria].
28 Concerning Kedar [a tribe of nomad Arabs] and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite: Thus says the Lord [to him]: Arise, go up against Kedar and destroy the sons of the east.
29 Their tents and their flocks shall they [the Chaldeans] take–their tent hangings and all their utensils and their camels. And men shall cry to them, Terror on every side! [Ps. 31:13; Jer. 6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5.]
30 Flee, wander far off, dwell deep [in the deserts], O you inhabitants of Hazor [in the Arabian Desert] says the Lord, for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has planned a course against you and has conceived a purpose against you.
31 Arise [Nebuchadrezzar], get up into a nation which is at ease, which dwells without care, says the Lord, [a nation] which has neither gates nor bars, which dwells apart and alone.
32 And their camels will be booty, and their herds of cattle a spoil; and I will scatter to all [the four] winds those who [as evidence of their idolatry] clip off the corners of their hair, and I will bring their calamity from every side, says the Lord. [Lev. 19:27.]
33 And Hazor shall become a dwelling place of jackals, a desolation forever; no man shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man live in it temporarily.
34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning and against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief [weapon and part] of their strength.
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven; and I will scatter them toward all those winds, and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not come.
37 And I will cause Elam to be dismayed and terrified before their enemies and before those who seek and demand their lives; and I will bring evil and disaster upon them, even My fierce anger, says the Lord. And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.
38 And I will set My throne [of judgment] in Elam [whose capital city was Shushan, from which God wrought wonders through Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel]; and I will destroy from their king and princes, says the Lord. [Neh. 1:1; Esth. 1:2; Dan. 8:1, 2.]
39 But it shall be in the latter days (the end of days) that I will reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Elam, says the Lord.
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Jeremiah 49: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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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