< Jeremiah 49 >

1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
About the people of Ammon, Yahweh says this, “Does Israel have no children? Is there no one to inherit anything in Israel? Why does Molech occupy Gad, and his people live in its cities?
2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir to them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.
So look, the days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when I will sound the signal for battle against Rabbah among the people of Ammon, so it will become a deserted heap and its villages will be set on fire. For Israel will possess those who possessed him,” says Yahweh.
3 Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.
“Howl in lament, Heshbon, for Ai will be devastated! Shout out, daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth. Lament and run about in futility, for Molech is going into captivity, together with his priests and leaders.
4 Why gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come to me?
Why do you brag about your valleys, your valleys that are so fruitful, faithless daughter? you who trust in your wealth and say, 'Who will come against me?'
5 Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that are about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.
See, I am about to bring terror on you—this is the declaration of Lord Yahweh of hosts— this terror will come from all those who surround you. Each one of you will be scattered before it. There will be no one to gather those running away.
6 And afterward I will bring again the captives of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.
But after this I will restore the fortunes of the people of Ammon—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
7 Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? hath counsel perished from the prudent? hath their wisdom vanished?
About Edom, Yahweh of hosts says this, “Is there no longer any wisdom to be found in Teman? Has good advice disappeared from those who have understanding? Has their wisdom become corrupted?
8 Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will punish him.
Flee! Turn back! Stay in holes in the ground, inhabitants of Dedan. For I am bringing the disaster of Esau on him at the time that I punish him.
9 If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
If grape harvesters came to you, would they not leave a little bit behind? If thieves came in the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is laid waste, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.
But I have stripped Esau bare. I have revealed his hiding places. So he will not be able to hide himself. His children, his brothers, and his neighbors are destroyed, and he is gone.
11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
Leave your orphans behind. I will take care of their lives, and your widows can trust in me.”
12 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.
For Yahweh says this, “See, those who did not deserve it must certainly drink some of the cup. Do you yourself think you will go without punishment? You will not, for you will certainly drink.
13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.
For I have sworn by myself—this is Yahweh's declaration—that Bozrah will become a horror, a disgrace, a devastation, and an object for cursing. All of its cities will become devastations forever.
14 I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent to the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.
I have heard news from Yahweh, and a messenger has been sent out to the nations, 'Gather together and attack her. Get ready for battle.'
15 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.
“For see, I have made you small compared to the other nations, despised by people.
16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thy heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from there, saith the LORD.
As for your fearsomeness, your heart's pride has deceived you, inhabitants of places on the cliff, you who have occupied the highest hills so that you may make your nest high like an eagle. I will bring you down from there—this is Yahweh's declaration.
17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all its plagues.
Edom will become a horror to everyone passing by it. Every such person will tremble and hiss because all of its disasters.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbour cities, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says Yahweh, “no one will live there; no person will stay there.
19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
See, he will go up like a lion from the forests of the Jordan to the green pasturelands. For I will quickly make Edom run from it, and I will put someone who will be chosen in charge of it. For who is like me, and who will summon me? What shepherd is able to resist me?”
20 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
“So listen to the plans that Yahweh has decided against Edom, the plans that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman. They will certainly be dragged away, even the smallest flock. Their pasturelands will be turned into ruined places.
21 The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise of it was heard in the Red sea.
At the sound of their falling the earth shakes. The sound of distressed shouts is heard at the Sea of Reeds.
22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
See, someone will attack like an eagle, and swoop down and spread his wings over Bozrah. Then on that day, the hearts of Edom's soldiers will become like the heart of a woman in birth labor.”
23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
About Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad will be ashamed, for they have heard news of disaster. They melt away! They become as troubled as the sea, which cannot stay calm.
24 Damascus hath become feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
Damascus has become very weak. It turns away to flee; terror seizes it. Distress and pain seize it, like the pain of a woman giving birth.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
How has the city of praise not been forsaken, the town of my joy?
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
Therefore its young men will fall in its plazas, and all the fighting men will perish on that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.”
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.
“For I will light a fire on the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben Hadad.”
28 Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and lay waste the men of the east.
About Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, Yahweh says this to Nebuchadnezzar (now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was going to attack these places): “Arise and attack Kedar and destroy those people of the east.
29 Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry to them, Fear is on every side.
Their tents and their flocks will be taken, along with their tent curtains and all of their equipment; their camels will be led away from them, and men will shout to them, “Terror is on every side!”
30 Flee, go far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.
Flee! Wander far away! Stay in holes in the ground, inhabitants of Hazor—this is Yahweh's declaration— for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devised a plan against you. Flee! Turn back!
31 Arise, go up to the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.
Arise! Attack the nation at ease, that lives in safety,” says Yahweh. “They have no gates or bars in them, and its people live by themselves.
32 And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides of it, saith the LORD.
For their camels will become plunder, and the abundance of their property will become war plunder. Then I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their hair, and I will bring disaster on them from every side—this is Yahweh's declaration.
33 And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
Hazor will become a lair of jackals, a permanent wasteland. No one will live there; no human being will stay there.”
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet about Elam. This happened at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, and he said,
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
“Yahweh of hosts says this: See, I am about to break the bowmen of Elam, the main part of their power.
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
For I will bring the four winds from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter the people of Elam to all of those winds. There is no nation to which those scattered from Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives. for I will bring disaster against them, the fury of my wrath—this is Yahweh's declaration— and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.
38 And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from there the king and the princes, saith the LORD.
Then I will put my throne in Elam and will destroy its king and leaders from there—this is Yahweh's declaration—
39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captives of Elam, saith the LORD.
and it will happen in later days that I will bring back the fortunes of Elam—this is Yahweh's declaration.”

< Jeremiah 49 >