Jeremiah 49
1 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?
Concerning the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? Why is Malcam heir of Gad, and his people dwell in the cities thereof?
2 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.
Therefore behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will cause the clamour of war to be heard in Rabbah of the children of Ammon; and it shall be a desolate heap; and her towns shall be burned with fire; and Israel shall possess them that possessed him, saith Jehovah.
3 “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.
Howl, Heshbon! for Ai is laid waste; cry, daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth, lament and run to and fro within the enclosures: for Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
4 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?'
Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys? Thy valley shall flow down, O backsliding daughter, that trusteth in her treasures, [saying, ] Who shall come against me?
5 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.
Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts, from all that are about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall assemble the fugitives.
6 But after this I will restore the fortunes of the people of Ammon—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
And afterwards I will turn the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith Jehovah.
7 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?
Concerning Edom. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Is there no more wisdom in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom spent?
8 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.
Flee, turn back, dwell deep down, ye inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I visit him.
9 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?
If grape-gatherers had come to thee, would they not have left a gleaning? If thieves by night, they would destroy only till they had enough.
10 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.
But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, that he is unable to hide himself: his seed is wasted, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.
11 Leave your orphans behind. I will take care of their lives, and your widows can trust in me.”
Leave thine orphans, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.
12 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.
For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup shall assuredly drink; and thou indeed, shouldest thou be altogether unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink.
13 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.
For I have sworn by myself, saith Jehovah, that Bozrah shall become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
14 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.'
I have heard a rumour from Jehovah, and an ambassador is sent among the nations: — Gather yourselves together, and come against her and rise up for the battle.
15 “For see, I have made you small compared to the other nations, despised by people.
For behold, I have made thee small among the nations, despised among men.
16 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.
Thy terribleness, the pride of thy heart, hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill. Though thou shouldest make thy nest high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith Jehovah.
17 Edom will become a horror to everyone passing by it. Every such person will tremble and hiss because all of its disasters.
And Edom shall be an astonishment: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss, because of all the plagues thereof.
18 Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says Yahweh, “no one will live there; no person will stay there.
As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and their neighbour cities, saith Jehovah, no one shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man sojourn therein.
19 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?”
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan against the strong habitation; for I will make them suddenly run away from it; and who is a chosen [man] whom I shall appoint over her? For who is like me? and who will assign me a time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
20 “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.
Therefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, which he hath taken against Edom, and his purposes which he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: The little ones of the flock shall certainly draw them away; he shall certainly make their habitation desolate for them.
21 At the sound of their falling the earth shakes. The sound of distressed shouts is heard at the Sea of Reeds.
The earth quaketh at the sound of their fall; there is a cry, the sound whereof is heard in the Red sea.
22 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.”
Behold, he shall come up, and fly as an eagle, and spread forth his wings against Bozrah; and at that day the heart of the mighty men of Edom shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
23 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.
Concerning Damascus. Hamath is put to shame, and Arpad; for they have heard evil tidings, they are melted away: there is distress on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
24 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.
Damascus is grown feeble: she turneth herself to flee, and terror hath seized on her; trouble and sorrows have taken hold of her as of a woman in travail.
25 How has the city of praise not been forsaken, the town of my joy?
How is not the town of praise forsaken, the city of my joy!
26 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.”
Therefore shall her young men fall in her streets, and all the men of war be cut off in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts.
27 “For I will light a fire on the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben Hadad.”
And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
28 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.
Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote. Thus saith Jehovah: Arise, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
29 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!”
Their tents and their flocks shall they take; their curtains and all their vessels, and their camels, shall they carry away for themselves; and they shall cry unto them, Terror on every side!
30 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!
Flee, wander very far, dwell deep down, ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith Jehovah; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.
31 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.
Arise, get you up against the nation at ease, that dwelleth securely, saith Jehovah, which hath neither gates nor bars: they dwell alone.
32 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.
And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil; and I will scatter to every wind them that have the corners [of their beard] cut off, and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith Jehovah.
33 Hazor will become a lair of jackals, a permanent wasteland. No one will live there; no human being will stay there.”
And Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a desolation for ever. No one shall dwell there, neither shall a son of man sojourn therein.
34 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,
The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 “Yahweh of hosts says this: See, I am about to break the bowmen of Elam, the main part of their power.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
36 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.
And upon Elam will I bring the four winds, from the four ends of the heavens, and I will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
37 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.
And I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life; and I will bring evil upon them, my fierce anger, saith Jehovah; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.
38 Then I will put my throne in Elam and will destroy its king and leaders from there—this is Yahweh's declaration—
And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence king and princes, saith Jehovah.
39 and it will happen in later days that I will bring back the fortunes of Elam—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
But it shall come to pass at the end of the days, I will turn the captivity of Elam, saith Jehovah.
