Jeremiah 49

Prophecy Against Ammon

1Concerning the sons (descendants) of Ammon. Thus says the LORD:
“Does Israel have no sons [to reclaim Gad from the Ammonites]?
Has he no heir?
Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad
And [why do] his people live in the cities [of Gad]? 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 [along with the high ground on which it stands] will become a desolate heap,
And its villages will be set on fire.
Then will Israel take possession of his possessors,”
Says the LORD. 3“Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai [in Ammon] has been destroyed!
Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah!
Wrap yourselves with sackcloth and lament (cry out in grief),
And rush back and forth inside the enclosures;
For Malcam [your powerless god] will go into exile
Together with his priests and his princes. 4“Why do you boast of your valleys?
Your valley is flowing away,
[O Ammon] rebellious and faithless daughter
Who trusts in her treasures, saying,
‘Who will come against me?’ 5“Behold, I am going to bring terror on you,”
Says the Lord GOD of hosts,
“From all who are around you;
And each of you will be driven out headlong,
And there will be no one to gather the fugitives together. 6“But afterward I will reverse
The captivity of the children of Ammon and restore their fortunes,”
Says the LORD. Prophecy against Edom 7Concerning Edom.
Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman?
Has good counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed? 8“Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths [of the desert to escape the judgment of Edom],
O inhabitants of Dedan,
For I will bring the destruction of Esau (Edom) upon him
When I inspect and punish him. 9“If grape gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave some ungleaned grapes [on the vines]?
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 descendants have been destroyed along with his brothers (relatives) and his neighbors;
And he is no more. 11“Leave your orphans behind; I will [do what is needed to] keep them alive.
And let [those who are] your widows trust and confide in Me.”

12For thus says the LORD, “Behold, those (Israel) who were not sentenced to drink the cup [of wrath] shall certainly drink it, and are you to remain unpunished? You will not be acquitted and go unpunished, but you will certainly drink [from the cup of wrath and judgment]. 13“For I have sworn [an oath] by Myself,” says the LORD, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin, and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.” 14I have heard a report from the LORD,
And a messenger has been sent to the nations, saying,
“Gather together and come against her,
And rise up for the battle.” 15“For behold, [Edom] I have made you small among the nations
And despised among men. 16“As for Your terror,
The pride and arrogance of your heart have deceived you,
O you who live in the clefts of the rock (Sela also called 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“Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who goes by it will be astonished and shall hiss [scornfully] at all its plagues and disasters. 18“As [it was] in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with their neighboring cities,” says the LORD, “no man will live there, nor will a son of man dwell in it. 19“See, one will come like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan against the enduring habitation [of Edom] and its watered pastures; for in an instant I will make him (Edom) run from his land. I will appoint over him the one whom I choose. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me [into court] and prosecute Me [for this]? Who is the [earthly] shepherd who can stand [defiantly] before Me?”

20Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has devised against Edom, and [hear] what He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will be dragged away, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their dwelling place desolate because of them. 21The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The sound of its noise has been heard at the Red Sea. 22Behold, He will mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread His wings against [the city of] Bozrah; and in that day the heart of the mighty warriors of Edom will be like the heart of a woman in childbirth. Prophecy against Damascus 23Concerning Damascus [in Syria].
“Hamath and Arpad are perplexed and shamed,
For they have heard bad news;
They are disheartened;
Troubled and anxious like a [storm-tossed] sea
Which cannot be calmed. 24“Damascus has become helpless;
She has turned away to flee,
Terror (panic) has seized her;
Anguish and distress have gripped her
Like a woman in childbirth. 25“Why has the renowned city not been deserted,
The city of My joy! 26“Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets,
And all her men of war will be destroyed in that day,” says the LORD of hosts. 27“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will consume the palaces of Ben-hadad.”

Prophecy against Kedar and Hazor 28Concerning Kedar and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, “Arise, go up against Kedar
And destroy the men of the east. 29“They (the Babylonians) will take away their tents and their flocks;
They will carry off for themselves
Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels,
And they will call out to one another, ‘Terror on every side!’ 30“Flee, run far away! Dwell in the depths [of the desert],
O inhabitants of Hazor,” says the LORD,
“For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has planned a course of action against you
And devised a scheme against you. 31“Arise [Nebuchadnezzar], go up against a nation which is at ease,
Which lives securely,” says the LORD,
“A nation which has neither gates nor bars;
They dwell apart and alone. 32“Their camels will become plunder,
And their herds of cattle a spoil;
And I will scatter to all the [four] winds those who cut the corners of their hair [as evidence of their idolatry],
And I will bring their disaster from every side,” says the LORD. 33“Hazor will become a haunt and dwelling place of jackals,
A desolation forever;
No one will live there,
Nor will a son of man reside in it.”

Prophecy against Elam 34The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: 35“Thus says the LORD of hosts,
‘Behold (listen carefully), I am going to break the bow of Elam,
The finest [weapon] of their strength. 36‘And I will bring upon Elam 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 go. 37‘So I will cause Elam to be shattered (dismayed) before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will bring disaster on them,
Even My fierce anger,’ says the LORD.
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them. 38‘Then I will set My throne [of judgment] in Elam
And I will destroy from there the king and princes,’
Says the LORD. 39‘But it will be in the last days (the end of days)
That I will reverse the captivity and restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Says the LORD.