Jeremiah 49

1Concerning 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?footnote afootnote b

2Therefore, 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 unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.

3Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you 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.footnote c

4Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?footnote d

5Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.

6And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.

7Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

8Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.footnote e

9If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.footnote f

10But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.

11Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

12For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

13For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

14I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

15For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

16Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine 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 thence, saith the LORD.

17Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

18As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

19Behold, 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?footnote g

20Therefore 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.

21The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.footnote h

22Behold, 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.

23Concerning 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.footnote ifootnote j

24Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

25How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

26Therefore 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.

27And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-hadad.

28Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.

29Their 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 unto them, Fear is on every side.

30Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.footnote k

31Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.footnote l

32And 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 thereof, saith the LORD.footnote m

33And 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.

34The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

35Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

36And 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 whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

37For 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:

38And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD.

39But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.

Judgment on the Ammonites

1Concerning the Ammonites, this is what the LORD says:“Has Israel no sons?Is he without heir?Why then has Milcomfootnote ataken possession of Gad?Why have his people settled in their cities? 2Therefore, behold, the days are coming,declares the LORD,when I will sound the battle cryagainst Rabbah of the Ammonites.It will become a heap of ruins,and its villages will be burned.Then Israel will drive out their dispossessors,says the LORD. 3Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed;cry out, O daughters of Rabbah!Put on sackcloth and mourn;run back and forth within your walls,for Milcom will go into exiletogether with his priests and officials. 4Why do you boast of your valleys—your valleys so fruitful,footnote bO faithless daughter?You trust in your riches and say,‘Who can come against me?’

5Behold, I am about to bring terror upon you,declares the Lord GOD of Hosts,from all those around you.You will each be driven headlong,with no one to regather the fugitives. 6Yet afterward I will restore the Ammonites from captivity,footnote c”declares the LORD.

Judgment on Edom

7Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says:“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?Has counsel perished from the prudent?Has their wisdom decayed? 8Turn and run!Lie low, O dwellers of Dedan,for I will bring disaster on Esauat the time I punish him.

9If grape gatherers came to you,would they not leave some gleanings?Were thieves to come in the night,would they not steal only what they wanted? 10But I will strip Esau bare;I will uncover his hiding places,and he will be unable to conceal himself.His descendants will be destroyedalong with his relatives and neighbors,and he will be no more.

11Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives.Let your widows trust in Me.”

12For this is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must drink it too. 13For by Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that Bozrah will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will be in ruins forever.”

14I have heard a message from the LORD;an envoy has been sent to the nations:“Assemble yourselves to march against her!Rise up for battle!”

15“For behold, I will make you small among nations,despised among men. 16The terror you causeand the pride of your hearthave deceived you,O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks,footnote dO occupiers of the mountain summit.Though you elevate your nest like the eagle,even from there I will bring you down,”declares the LORD. 17“Edom will become an object of horror.All who pass by will be appalledand will scoff at all her wounds. 18As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrownalong with their neighbors,”says the LORD,“no one will dwell there;no man will abide there. 19Behold, one will come up like a lionfrom the thickets of the Jordan to the watered pasture.For in an instant I will chase Edom from her land.Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?For who is like Me, and who can challenge Me?What shepherd can stand against Me?”

20Therefore hear the plansthat the LORD has drawn up against Edomand the strategies He has devisedagainst the people of Teman:Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away;certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.footnote e 21At the sound of their fall the earth will quake;their cry will resound to the Red Sea.footnote f 22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,spreading its wings over Bozrah.In that day the hearts of Edom’s mighty menwill be like the heart of a woman in labor.

Judgment on Damascus

23Concerning Damascus:“Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,for they have heard a bad report;they are agitated like the sea;footnote gtheir anxiety cannot be calmed. 24Damascus has become feeble;she has turned to flee.Panic has gripped her;anguish and pain have seized herlike a woman in labor.

25How is the city of praise not forsaken,the town that brings Me joy? 26For her young men will fall in the streets,and all her warriors will be silenced in that day,”declares the LORD of Hosts. 27“I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;it will consume the fortresses of Ben-hadad.”

Judgment on Kedar and Hazor

28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated, this is what the LORD says:“Rise up, advance against Kedar,and destroy the people of the east! 29They will take their tents and flocks,their tent curtains and all their goods.They will take their camels for themselves.They will shout to them: ‘Terror is on every side!’

30Run! Escape quickly!Lie low, O residents of Hazor,”declares the LORD,“for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonhas drawn up a plan against you;he has devised a strategy against you.

31Rise up, advance against a nation at ease,one that dwells securely,”declares the LORD.“They have no gates or bars;they live alone.

32Their camels will become plunder,and their large herds will be spoil.I will scatter to the wind in every directionthose who shave their temples;I will bring calamity on themfrom all sides,”declares the LORD. 33“Hazor will become a haunt for jackals,footnote ha desolation forever.No one will dwell there;no man will abide there.”

Judgment on Elam

34This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. 35This is what the LORD of Hosts says:“Behold, I will shatter Elam’s bow,the mainstay of their might. 36I will bring the four winds against Elamfrom the four corners of the heavens,and I will scatter themto all these winds.There will not be a nationto which Elam’s exiles will not go. 37So I will shatter Elam before their foes,before those who seek their lives.I will bring disaster upon them,even My fierce anger,”declares the LORD.“I will send out the sword after themuntil I finish them off. 38I will set My throne in Elam,and destroy its king and officials,”declares the LORD. 39“Yet in the last days,I will restore Elam from captivity,footnote i”declares the LORD.