Prophecy against Moab

48 Concerning (A)Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,

“Woe to (B)Nebo, for it has been destroyed;
(C)Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured;
The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and [a]shattered.
“There is praise for Moab no longer;
In (D)Heshbon they have devised calamity against her:
‘Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!’
You too, [b]Madmen, will be silenced;
The sword will follow after you.
“The sound of an outcry from (E)Horonaim,
‘Devastation and great destruction!’
“Moab is broken,
Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress.
“For by the ascent of (F)Luhith
They will ascend with continual weeping;
For at the descent of Horonaim
They have heard the [c]anguished cry of destruction.
(G)Flee, save your lives,
That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness.
“For because of your (H)trust in your own achievements and treasures,
Even you yourself will be captured;
And (I)Chemosh will go off into exile
Together with his priests and his princes.
“A destroyer will come to every city,
So that no city will escape;
The valley also will be ruined
And the (J)plateau will be destroyed,
As the Lord has said.
“Give [d](K)wings to Moab,
For she will [e]flee away;
And her cities will become a (L)desolation,
Without inhabitants in them.
10 (M)Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work (N)negligently,
And cursed be the one who restrains his (O)sword from blood.

11 “Moab has been (P)at ease since his youth;
He has also been (Q)undisturbed, like wine on [f]its dregs,
And he has not been (R)emptied from vessel to vessel,
Nor has he gone into exile.
Therefore [g]he retains his flavor,
And his aroma has not changed.

12 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter [h]his jars. 13 And Moab will be (S)ashamed of (T)Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of (U)Bethel, their confidence.

14 “How can you say, ‘We are (V)mighty warriors,
And men valiant for battle’?
15 “Moab has been destroyed and [i]men have gone up to [j]his cities;
His choicest [k](W)young men have also gone down to the slaughter,”
Declares the (X)King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
16 “The disaster of Moab will (Y)soon come,
And his calamity has swiftly hastened.
17 “Mourn for him, all you who live around him,
Even all of you who know his name;
Say, ‘How has the mighty [l](Z)scepter been broken,
A staff of splendor!’
18 (AA)Come down from your glory
And sit [m]on the parched ground,
O (AB)daughter dwelling in (AC)Dibon,
For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you,
He has ruined your strongholds.
19 “Stand by the road and keep watch,
O inhabitant of (AD)Aroer;
(AE)Ask him who flees and her who escapes
And say, ‘What has happened?’
20 “Moab has been put to shame, for it has been [n]shattered.
Wail and cry out;
Declare by the (AF)Arnon
That Moab has been destroyed.

21 “Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, (AG)Jahzah and against (AH)Mephaath, 22 against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, 23 against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and (AI)Beth-meon, 24 against (AJ)Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25 The (AK)horn of Moab has been cut off and his (AL)arm broken,” declares the Lord. 26 (AM)Make him drunk, for he has [o]become (AN)arrogant toward the Lord; so Moab will [p]wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. 27 Now was not Israel a (AO)laughingstock to you? Or was he [q](AP)caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you (AQ)shake your head in scorn.

28 “Leave the cities and dwell among the (AR)crags,
O inhabitants of Moab,
And be like a (AS)dove that nests
Beyond the mouth of the chasm.
29 (AT)We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—
Of his haughtiness, his (AU)pride, his arrogance and [r]his self-exaltation.
30 “I know his (AV)fury,” declares the Lord,
“But it is futile;
His idle boasts have accomplished nothing.
31 “Therefore I will (AW)wail for Moab,
Even for all Moab will I cry out;
[s]I will moan for the men of (AX)Kir-heres.
32 “More than the (AY)weeping for (AZ)Jazer
I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah!
Your tendrils stretched across the sea,
They reached to the sea of Jazer;
Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest
The destroyer has fallen.
33 “So (BA)gladness and joy are taken away
From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab.
And I have made the wine to (BB)cease from the wine presses;
No one will tread them with shouting,
The shouting will not be shouts of joy.

34 (BC)From the outcry at Heshbon even to (BD)Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have [t]raised their voice, from (BE)Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. 35 I will make an end of Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the (BF)high place and the one who [u](BG)burns incense to his gods.

36 “Therefore My (BH)heart [v]wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also [w]wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have (BI)lost the abundance it produced. 37 For (BJ)every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and (BK)sackcloth on the loins. 38 On all the (BL)housetops of Moab and in its streets [x]there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable (BM)vessel,” declares the Lord. 39 “How [y]shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back—he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an (BN)object of terror to all around him.”

40 For thus says the Lord:

“Behold, one will (BO)fly swiftly like an eagle
And (BP)spread out his wings against Moab.
41 “Kerioth has been captured
And the strongholds have been seized,
So the (BQ)hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day
Will be like the heart of a (BR)woman in labor.
42 “Moab will be (BS)destroyed from being a people
Because he has [z]become (BT)arrogant toward the Lord.
43 (BU)Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you,
O inhabitant of Moab,” declares the Lord.
44 “The one who (BV)flees from the terror
Will fall into the pit,
And the one who climbs up out of the pit
Will be caught in the snare;
For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab,
The year of their (BW)punishment,” declares the Lord.

45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
The fugitives stand without strength;
For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon
And a (BX)flame from the midst of (BY)Sihon,
And it has devoured the (BZ)forehead of Moab
And the scalps of the [aa]riotous revelers.
46 (CA)Woe to you, Moab!
The people of (CB)Chemosh have perished;
For your sons have been taken away captive
And your daughters into captivity.
47 “Yet I will (CC)restore the [ab]fortunes of Moab
In the [ac]latter days,” declares the Lord.

Thus far the judgment on Moab.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 48:1 Or dismayed
  2. Jeremiah 48:2 I.e. a city of Moab
  3. Jeremiah 48:5 Lit distresses of outcry
  4. Jeremiah 48:9 Or salt
  5. Jeremiah 48:9 Or fall in ruins
  6. Jeremiah 48:11 Lit his
  7. Jeremiah 48:11 Lit his flavor has stayed in him
  8. Jeremiah 48:12 Lit their
  9. Jeremiah 48:15 Lit one has
  10. Jeremiah 48:15 Lit her
  11. Jeremiah 48:15 I.e. warriors
  12. Jeremiah 48:17 Or rod
  13. Jeremiah 48:18 Lit in thirst
  14. Jeremiah 48:20 Or dismayed
  15. Jeremiah 48:26 Or magnified himself against
  16. Jeremiah 48:26 Or splash into
  17. Jeremiah 48:27 Or found
  18. Jeremiah 48:29 Lit elevation of his heart
  19. Jeremiah 48:31 Another reading is He
  20. Jeremiah 48:34 Lit given forth
  21. Jeremiah 48:35 Or offers up in smoke
  22. Jeremiah 48:36 Lit sounds
  23. Jeremiah 48:36 Lit sounds
  24. Jeremiah 48:38 Lit all of it is lamentation
  25. Jeremiah 48:39 Or dismayed
  26. Jeremiah 48:42 Or magnified himself against
  27. Jeremiah 48:45 Lit sons of tumult
  28. Jeremiah 48:47 Or captivity
  29. Jeremiah 48:47 Lit end of the days

A Message About Moab(A)

48 Concerning Moab:(B)

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“Woe to Nebo,(C) for it will be ruined.
    Kiriathaim(D) will be disgraced and captured;
    the stronghold[a] will be disgraced and shattered.
Moab will be praised(E) no more;
    in Heshbon[b](F) people will plot her downfall:
    ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’(G)
You, the people of Madmen,[c] will also be silenced;
    the sword will pursue you.
Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,(H)
    cries of great havoc and destruction.
Moab will be broken;
    her little ones will cry out.[d]
They go up the hill to Luhith,(I)
    weeping bitterly as they go;
on the road down to Horonaim(J)
    anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
Flee!(K) Run for your lives;
    become like a bush[e] in the desert.(L)
Since you trust in your deeds and riches,(M)
    you too will be taken captive,
and Chemosh(N) will go into exile,(O)
    together with his priests and officials.(P)
The destroyer(Q) will come against every town,
    and not a town will escape.
The valley will be ruined
    and the plateau(R) destroyed,
    because the Lord has spoken.
Put salt(S) on Moab,
    for she will be laid waste[f];(T)
her towns will become desolate,
    with no one to live in them.

10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!
    A curse on anyone who keeps their sword(U) from bloodshed!(V)

11 “Moab has been at rest(W) from youth,
    like wine left on its dregs,(X)
not poured from one jar to another—
    she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
    and her aroma is unchanged.
12 But days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will send men who pour from pitchers,
    and they will pour her out;
they will empty her pitchers
    and smash her jars.
13 Then Moab will be ashamed(Y) of Chemosh,(Z)
    as Israel was ashamed
    when they trusted in Bethel.(AA)

14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,(AB)
    men valiant in battle’?
15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
    her finest young men(AC) will go down in the slaughter,(AD)
    declares the King,(AE) whose name is the Lord Almighty.(AF)
16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;(AG)
    her calamity will come quickly.
17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,
    all who know her fame;(AH)
say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,(AI)
    how broken the glorious staff!’

18 “Come down from your glory
    and sit on the parched ground,(AJ)
    you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,(AK)
for the one who destroys Moab
    will come up against you
    and ruin your fortified cities.(AL)
19 Stand by the road and watch,
    you who live in Aroer.(AM)
Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
    ask them, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
    Wail(AN) and cry out!
Announce by the Arnon(AO)
    that Moab is destroyed.
21 Judgment has come to the plateau(AP)
    to Holon,(AQ) Jahzah(AR) and Mephaath,(AS)
22     to Dibon,(AT) Nebo(AU) and Beth Diblathaim,
23     to Kiriathaim,(AV) Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,(AW)
24     to Kerioth(AX) and Bozrah(AY)
    to all the towns(AZ) of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab’s horn[g](BA) is cut off;
    her arm(BB) is broken,”
declares the Lord.

26 “Make her drunk,(BC)
    for she has defied(BD) the Lord.
Let Moab wallow in her vomit;(BE)
    let her be an object of ridicule.(BF)
27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?(BG)
    Was she caught among thieves,(BH)
that you shake your head(BI) in scorn(BJ)
    whenever you speak of her?
28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
    you who live in Moab.
Be like a dove(BK) that makes its nest
    at the mouth of a cave.(BL)

29 “We have heard of Moab’s pride(BM)
    how great is her arrogance!—
of her insolence, her pride, her conceit
    and the haughtiness(BN) of her heart.
30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”
declares the Lord,
    “and her boasts(BO) accomplish nothing.
31 Therefore I wail(BP) over Moab,
    for all Moab I cry out,
    I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.(BQ)
32 I weep for you, as Jazer(BR) weeps,
    you vines of Sibmah.(BS)
Your branches spread as far as the sea[h];
    they reached as far as[i] Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen
    on your ripened fruit and grapes.
33 Joy and gladness are gone
    from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine(BT) from the presses;
    no one treads them with shouts of joy.(BU)
Although there are shouts,
    they are not shouts of joy.

34 “The sound of their cry rises
    from Heshbon(BV) to Elealeh(BW) and Jahaz,(BX)
from Zoar(BY) as far as Horonaim(BZ) and Eglath Shelishiyah,
    for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.(CA)
35 In Moab I will put an end
    to those who make offerings on the high places(CB)
    and burn incense(CC) to their gods,”
declares the Lord.
36 “So my heart laments(CD) for Moab like the music of a pipe;
    it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.(CE)
    The wealth they acquired(CF) is gone.
37 Every head is shaved(CG)
    and every beard(CH) cut off;
every hand is slashed
    and every waist is covered with sackcloth.(CI)
38 On all the roofs in Moab
    and in the public squares(CJ)
there is nothing but mourning,
    for I have broken Moab
    like a jar(CK) that no one wants,”
declares the Lord.
39 “How shattered(CL) she is! How they wail!
    How Moab turns her back in shame!
Moab has become an object of ridicule,(CM)
    an object of horror to all those around her.”

40 This is what the Lord says:

“Look! An eagle is swooping(CN) down,
    spreading its wings(CO) over Moab.
41 Kerioth[j](CP) will be captured
    and the strongholds taken.
In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors(CQ)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(CR)
42 Moab will be destroyed(CS) as a nation(CT)
    because she defied(CU) the Lord.
43 Terror(CV) and pit and snare(CW) await you,
    you people of Moab,”
declares the Lord.
44 “Whoever flees(CX) from the terror
    will fall into a pit,
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare;
for I will bring on Moab
    the year(CY) of her punishment,”
declares the Lord.

45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
    the fugitives stand helpless,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
    a blaze from the midst of Sihon;(CZ)
it burns the foreheads of Moab,
    the skulls(DA) of the noisy boasters.
46 Woe to you, Moab!(DB)
    The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
your sons are taken into exile
    and your daughters into captivity.

47 “Yet I will restore(DC) the fortunes of Moab
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

Here ends the judgment on Moab.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 48:1 Or captured; / Misgab
  2. Jeremiah 48:2 The Hebrew for Heshbon sounds like the Hebrew for plot.
  3. Jeremiah 48:2 The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for be silenced.
  4. Jeremiah 48:4 Hebrew; Septuagint / proclaim it to Zoar
  5. Jeremiah 48:6 Or like Aroer
  6. Jeremiah 48:9 Or Give wings to Moab, / for she will fly away
  7. Jeremiah 48:25 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  8. Jeremiah 48:32 Probably the Dead Sea
  9. Jeremiah 48:32 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts as far as the Sea of
  10. Jeremiah 48:41 Or The cities

Prophecy against Ammon

49 Concerning the sons of (A)Ammon. Thus says the Lord:

“Does Israel have no sons?
Or has he no heirs?
Why then has [a]Malcam taken possession of Gad
And his people settled in its cities?
“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“That I will cause a [b](B)trumpet blast of war to be heard
Against (C)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon;
And it will become a desolate heap,
And her (D)towns will be set on fire.
Then Israel will take (E)possession of his possessors,”
Says the Lord.
“Wail, O (F)Heshbon, for (G)Ai has been destroyed!
Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah,
(H)Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament,
And rush back and forth inside the walls;
For [c]Malcam will (I)go into exile
Together with his priests and his princes.
“How (J)boastful you are about the valleys!
Your valley is flowing away,
O (K)backsliding daughter
Who trusts in her (L)treasures, saying,
(M)Who will come against me?’
“Behold, I am going to bring (N)terror upon you,”
Declares the Lord [d]God of hosts,
“From all directions around you;
And each of you will be (O)driven out [e]headlong,
With no one to gather the (P)fugitives together.
“But afterward I will (Q)restore
The [f]fortunes of the sons of Ammon,”
Declares the Lord.

Prophecy against Edom

Concerning (R)Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any (S)wisdom in (T)Teman?
Has good counsel been lost to the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
“Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of (U)Dedan,
For I [g]will bring the (V)disaster of Esau upon him
At the time I [h]punish him.
(W)If grape gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only [i]until they had enough.
10 “But I have (X)stripped Esau bare,
I have uncovered his hiding places
So that he will not be able to conceal himself;
His [j]offspring has been destroyed along with his [k]relatives
And his neighbors, and (Y)he is no more.
11 “Leave your [l](Z)orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your (AA)widows trust in Me.”

12 For thus says the Lord, “Behold, those [m]who were not sentenced to drink the (AB)cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be (AC)completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it. 13 For I have (AD)sworn by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that (AE)Bozrah will become an (AF)object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.”

14 I have (AG)heard a message from the Lord,
And an (AH)envoy is sent among the nations, saying,
(AI)Gather yourselves together and come against her,
And rise up for battle!”
15 “For behold, I have made you small among the nations,
Despised among men.
16 “As for the terror of you,
The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
O you who live in the clefts of [n]the (AJ)rock,
Who occupy the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as (AK)high as an eagle’s,
I will (AL)bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.

17 “Edom will become an (AM)object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will (AN)hiss at all its wounds. 18 Like the (AO)overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the Lord, “(AP)no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. 19 (AQ)Behold, one will come up like a lion from the [o](AR)thickets of the Jordan against [p]a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is (AS)chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is (AT)like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd (AU)who can stand against Me?”

20 Therefore hear the (AV)plan of the Lord which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their [q]pasture (AW)desolate because of them. 21 The (AX)earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the [r]Red Sea. 22 Behold, [s]He will mount up and (AY)swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings [t]against Bozrah; and the (AZ)hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

Prophecy against Damascus

23 Concerning (BA)Damascus.
(BB)Hamath and (BC)Arpad are put to shame,
For they have heard bad news;
They are (BD)disheartened.
There is anxiety by the sea,
It (BE)cannot be calmed.
24 “Damascus has become helpless;
She has turned away to flee,
And panic has gripped her;
(BF)Distress and pangs have taken hold of her
Like a woman in childbirth.
25 “How [u]the (BG)city of praise has not been deserted,
The town of My joy!
26 “Therefore, her (BH)young men will fall in her streets,
And all the men of war will be [v]silenced in that day,” declares the Lord of hosts.
27 “I will (BI)set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will devour the [w]fortified towers of (BJ)Ben-hadad.”

Prophecy against Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning (BK)Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the Lord,

“Arise, go up to Kedar
And devastate the [x](BL)men of the east.
29 “They will take away their tents and their flocks;
They will carry off for themselves
Their tent (BM)curtains, all their goods and their (BN)camels,
And they will call out to one another, ‘(BO)Terror on every side!’
30 “Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the Lord;
“For (BP)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you
And devised a scheme against you.
31 “Arise, go up against a nation which is (BQ)at ease,
Which lives securely,” declares the Lord.
“It has (BR)no gates or bars;
They (BS)dwell alone.
32 “Their camels will become plunder,
And their many cattle for booty,
And I will (BT)scatter to all the winds those who (BU)cut the corners of their hair;
And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor will become a (BV)haunt of jackals,
A desolation forever;
No one will live there,
Nor will a son of man reside in it.”

Prophecy against Elam

34 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning (BW)Elam, (BX)at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying:

35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts,
‘Behold, I am going to (BY)break the bow of Elam,
The [y]finest of their might.
36 ‘I will bring upon Elam the (BZ)four winds
From the four ends of heaven,
And will (CA)scatter them to all these winds;
And there will be no nation
To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 ‘So I will [z]shatter Elam before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will (CB)bring calamity upon them,
Even My (CC)fierce anger,’ declares the Lord,
‘And I will (CD)send out the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 ‘Then I will set My throne in Elam
And destroy [aa]out of it king and princes,’
Declares the Lord.
39 ‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will (CE)restore the [ab]fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 In 1 Kin 11:5, 33 and Zeph 1:5, Milcom
  2. Jeremiah 49:2 Or shout of
  3. Jeremiah 49:3 Cf v 1
  4. Jeremiah 49:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Jeremiah 49:5 Lit before him
  6. Jeremiah 49:6 Or captivity
  7. Jeremiah 49:8 Or brought
  8. Jeremiah 49:8 Or punished
  9. Jeremiah 49:9 Lit their sufficiency
  10. Jeremiah 49:10 Lit seed
  11. Jeremiah 49:10 Lit brothers
  12. Jeremiah 49:11 Or fatherless
  13. Jeremiah 49:12 Lit whose judgment was not to
  14. Jeremiah 49:16 Or Sela
  15. Jeremiah 49:19 Lit pride
  16. Jeremiah 49:19 Or an enduring habitation
  17. Jeremiah 49:20 Or habitation
  18. Jeremiah 49:21 Lit Sea of Reeds
  19. Jeremiah 49:22 Or one
  20. Jeremiah 49:22 Or over
  21. Jeremiah 49:25 Or deserted is the city of praise
  22. Jeremiah 49:26 Or destroyed
  23. Jeremiah 49:27 Or palaces
  24. Jeremiah 49:28 Lit sons
  25. Jeremiah 49:35 Lit first
  26. Jeremiah 49:37 Or dismay
  27. Jeremiah 49:38 Or from there
  28. Jeremiah 49:39 Or captivity

A Message About Ammon

49 Concerning the Ammonites:(A)

This is what the Lord says:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[a](B) taken possession of Gad?(C)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(D)
    against Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(F)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,(G)
says the Lord.
“Wail, Heshbon,(H) for Ai(I) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(J) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(K) will go into exile,(L)
    together with his priests and officials.
Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(M)
    you trust in your riches(N) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’(O)
I will bring terror on you
    from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
    and no one will gather the fugitives.(P)

“Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.

A Message About Edom(R)(S)

Concerning Edom:(T)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(U)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(V)
    you who live in Dedan,(W)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
    at the time when I punish him.
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
    I will uncover his hiding places,(X)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one(Y) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(Z) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows(AA) too can depend on me.’”

12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(AB) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(AC) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(AD) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(AE) will become a ruin and a curse,[b] an object of horror(AF) and reproach;(AG) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(AH)

14 I have heard a message from the Lord;
    an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
    Rise up for battle!”

15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,
    despised by mankind.
16 The terror you inspire
    and the pride(AI) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(AJ)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(AK) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(AL)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.(AM)
18 As Sodom(AN) and Gomorrah(AO) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell(AP) in it.

19 “Like a lion(AQ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AR)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like(AS) me and who can challenge me?(AT)
    And what shepherd(AU) can stand against me?”

20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(AV)
    what he has purposed(AW) against those who live in Teman:(AX)
The young of the flock(AY) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(AZ)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(BA)
    their cry(BB) will resound to the Red Sea.[c]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(BC) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.(BD)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(BE)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(BF)

A Message About Damascus

23 Concerning Damascus:(BG)

“Hamath(BH) and Arpad(BI) are dismayed,
    for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
    troubled like[d] the restless sea.(BJ)
24 Damascus has become feeble,
    she has turned to flee
    and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(BK)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
    the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(BL) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced(BM) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(BN) to the walls of Damascus;(BO)
    it will consume(BP) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(BQ)

A Message About Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning Kedar(BR) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(BS) which Nebuchadnezzar(BT) king of Babylon attacked:

This is what the Lord says:

“Arise, and attack Kedar
    and destroy the people of the East.(BU)
29 Their tents and their flocks(BV) will be taken;
    their shelters will be carried off
    with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
    ‘Terror(BW) on every side!’

30 “Flee quickly away!
    Stay in deep caves,(BX) you who live in Hazor,(BY)
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(BZ) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
    he has devised a plan against you.

31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
    which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;(CA)
    its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(CB) will become plunder,
    and their large herds(CC) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(CD) those who are in distant places[e](CE)
    and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(CF) will become a haunt of jackals,(CG)
    a desolate(CH) place forever.
No one will live there;
    no people will dwell(CI) in it.”

A Message About Elam

34 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(CJ) early in the reign of Zedekiah(CK) king of Judah:

35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will break the bow(CL) of Elam,
    the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring against Elam the four winds(CM)
    from the four quarters of heaven;(CN)
I will scatter them to the four winds,
    and there will not be a nation
    where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37 I will shatter Elam before their foes,
    before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
    even my fierce anger,”(CO)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword(CP)
    until I have made an end of them.
38 I will set my throne in Elam
    and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the Lord.

39 “Yet I will restore(CQ) the fortunes of Elam
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
  2. Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  3. Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
  4. Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
  5. Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads

Prophecy against Babylon

50 The word which the Lord spoke concerning (A)Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:

(B)Declare and proclaim among the nations.
Proclaim it and (C)lift up a standard.
Do not conceal it but say,
(D)Babylon has been captured,
(E)Bel has been put to shame, [a]Marduk has been [b]shattered;
Her (F)images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’

For a nation has come up against her out of the (G)north; it will make her land (H)an object of horror, and there will be (I)no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!

“In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah (J)as well; they will go along (K)weeping as they go, and it will be (L)the Lord their God they will seek. They will (M)ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces [c]in its direction; [d]they [e]will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an (N)everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

“My people have become (O)lost sheep;
(P)Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have made them turn aside on the (Q)mountains;
They have gone along from mountain to hill
And have forgotten their (R)resting place.
“All who came upon them have devoured them;
And their adversaries have said, ‘(S)We are not guilty,
Inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord who is the (T)habitation of righteousness,
Even the Lord, the (U)hope of their fathers.’

“Wander away from the (V)midst of Babylon
And [f]go forth from the land of the Chaldeans;
Be also like male goats [g]at the head of the flock.
“For behold, I am going to (W)arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north,
And they will draw up their battle lines against her;
From there she will be taken captive.
Their arrows will be like [h]an expert warrior
Who does not return empty-handed.
10 [i](X)Chaldea will become plunder;
All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the Lord.

11 “Because you are glad, because you are jubilant,
O you who (Y)pillage My heritage,
Because you skip about [j]like a threshing (Z)heifer
And neigh like [k]stallions,
12 Your (AA)mother [l]will be greatly ashamed,
She who gave you birth [m]will be humiliated.
Behold, she will be the least of the nations,
A (AB)wilderness, a parched land and a desert.
13 “Because of the indignation of the Lord she will (AC)not be inhabited,
But she will be (AD)completely desolate;
Everyone who passes by Babylon (AE)will be horrified
And will hiss because of all her wounds.
14 “Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side,
All you who [n]bend the bow;
Shoot at her, do not be sparing with your arrows,
For she has (AF)sinned against the Lord.
15 “Raise your battle cry against her on every side!
She has (AG)given [o]herself up, her pillars have fallen,
Her (AH)walls have been torn down.
For this is the (AI)vengeance of the Lord:
Take vengeance on her;
(AJ)As she has done to others, so do to her.
16 “Cut off the (AK)sower from Babylon
And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest;
From before [p]the (AL)sword of the oppressor
(AM)They will each turn back to his own people
And they will each flee to his own land.

17 “Israel is a (AN)scattered [q]flock, the (AO)lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the (AP)king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is (AQ)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 18 Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I (AR)punished the king of Assyria. 19 And I will (AS)bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his [r]desire will be satisfied in the (AT)hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. 20 In those days and at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but (AU)there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those (AV)whom I leave as a remnant.’

21 “Against the land of [s]Merathaim, go up against it,
And against the inhabitants of [t](AW)Pekod.
Slay and [u]utterly destroy them,” declares the Lord,
“And do according to all that I have commanded you.
22 “The (AX)noise of battle is in the land,
And great destruction.
23 “How the (AY)hammer of the whole earth
Has been cut off and broken!
How Babylon has become
An object of horror among the nations!
24 “I (AZ)set a snare for you and you were also (BA)caught, O Babylon,
While you yourself were not aware;
You have been found and also seized
Because you have engaged in (BB)conflict with the Lord.”
25 The Lord has opened His armory
And has brought forth the (BC)weapons of His indignation,
For it is a (BD)work of the Lord [v]God of hosts
In the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come to her from the [w]farthest border;
(BE)Open up her barns,
Pile her up like heaps
And [x](BF)utterly destroy her,
Let nothing be left to her.
27 (BG)Put all her young bulls to the sword;
Let them (BH)go down to the slaughter!
Woe be upon them, for their (BI)day has come,
The time of their punishment.

28 There is a (BJ)sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon,
To declare in Zion the (BK)vengeance of the Lord our God,
Vengeance for His (BL)temple.

29 “Summon [y]many against Babylon,
All those who [z]bend the bow:
Encamp against her on every side,
Let there be no escape[aa].
Repay her according to her work;
(BM)According to all that she has done, so do to her;
For she has become (BN)arrogant against the Lord,
Against the Holy One of Israel.
30 “Therefore her (BO)young men will fall in her streets,
And all her men of war will be [ab](BP)silenced in that day,” declares the Lord.
31 “Behold, (BQ)I am against you, O [ac]arrogant one,”
Declares the Lord [ad]God of hosts,
“For your day has come,
The time [ae]when I will punish you.
32 “The [af](BR)arrogant one will stumble and fall
With no one to raise him up;
And I will (BS)set fire to his cities
And it will devour all his environs.”

33 Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“The sons of Israel are oppressed,
And the sons of Judah as well;
And (BT)all who took them captive have held them fast,
They have refused to let them go.
34 “Their (BU)Redeemer is strong, (BV)the Lord of hosts is His name;
He will vigorously (BW)plead their case
So that He may (BX)bring rest to [ag]the earth,
But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 “A (BY)sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the Lord,
“And against the inhabitants of Babylon
And against her (BZ)officials and her (CA)wise men!
36 “A sword against the (CB)oracle priests, and they will become fools!
A sword against her (CC)mighty men, and they will be [ah](CD)shattered!
37 “A sword against [ai]their (CE)horses and against [aj]their chariots
And against all the [ak](CF)foreigners who are in the midst of her,
And they will become (CG)women!
A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!
38 “A [al](CH)drought on her waters, and they will be dried up!
For it is a land of (CI)idols,
And they are mad over fearsome idols.

39 “Therefore the (CJ)desert creatures will live there along with the jackals;
The ostriches also will live in it,
And it will (CK)never again be inhabited
Or dwelt in from generation to generation.
40 “As when God overthrew (CL)Sodom
And Gomorrah with its neighbors,” declares the Lord,
“No man will live there,
Nor will any son of man reside in it.

41 “Behold, a people is coming (CM)from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.
42 “They (CN)seize their bow and javelin;
They are (CO)cruel and have no mercy.
Their (CP)voice roars like the sea;
And they ride on (CQ)horses,
(CR)Marshalled like a man for the battle
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 “The (CS)king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands hang limp;
(CT)Distress has gripped him,
Agony like a woman in childbirth.

44 (CU)Behold, one will come up like a lion from the [am]thicket of the Jordan to [an]a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them run away from it, and whoever is (CV)chosen I will appoint over it. For who is (CW)like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can (CX)stand before Me?” 45 Therefore hear the (CY)plan of the Lord which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: (CZ)surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their [ao]pasture desolate because of them. 46 At the [ap]shout, “Babylon has been seized!” the (DA)earth is shaken, and an (DB)outcry is heard among the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:2 Heb Merodach
  2. Jeremiah 50:2 Or dismayed
  3. Jeremiah 50:5 Lit hither
  4. Jeremiah 50:5 M.T. reads come ye!
  5. Jeremiah 50:5 Or will have come
  6. Jeremiah 50:8 Another reading is let them go forth
  7. Jeremiah 50:8 Or in front of
  8. Jeremiah 50:9 So some mss and versions; M.T. reads a warrior who makes childless
  9. Jeremiah 50:10 Or the Chaldeans
  10. Jeremiah 50:11 Another reading is in the grass
  11. Jeremiah 50:11 Lit mighty ones
  12. Jeremiah 50:12 Or has become
  13. Jeremiah 50:12 Or has become
  14. Jeremiah 50:14 Lit tread (in order to string)
  15. Jeremiah 50:15 Lit her hand
  16. Jeremiah 50:16 Or the oppressing sword
  17. Jeremiah 50:17 Lit sheep
  18. Jeremiah 50:19 Lit soul
  19. Jeremiah 50:21 Or Double Rebellion
  20. Jeremiah 50:21 Or Punishment
  21. Jeremiah 50:21 Lit put under the ban
  22. Jeremiah 50:25 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  23. Jeremiah 50:26 Lit end
  24. Jeremiah 50:26 Lit put under the ban
  25. Jeremiah 50:29 Another reading is archers
  26. Jeremiah 50:29 Lit tread (in order to string)
  27. Jeremiah 50:29 Some mss add to her
  28. Jeremiah 50:30 Or made lifeless or destroyed
  29. Jeremiah 50:31 Lit arrogance
  30. Jeremiah 50:31 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  31. Jeremiah 50:31 Another reading is of your punishment
  32. Jeremiah 50:32 Lit arrogance
  33. Jeremiah 50:34 Or their land
  34. Jeremiah 50:36 Or dismayed
  35. Jeremiah 50:37 Lit his
  36. Jeremiah 50:37 Lit his
  37. Jeremiah 50:37 Lit mixed multitude
  38. Jeremiah 50:38 Another reading is sword
  39. Jeremiah 50:44 Lit pride
  40. Jeremiah 50:44 Or an enduring habitation
  41. Jeremiah 50:45 Or habitation
  42. Jeremiah 50:46 Lit voice

A Message About Babylon(A)

50 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon(B) and the land of the Babylonians[a]:

“Announce and proclaim(C) among the nations,
    lift up a banner(D) and proclaim it;
    keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;(E)
    Bel(F) will be put to shame,(G)
    Marduk(H) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
    and her idols(I) filled with terror.’
A nation from the north(J) will attack her
    and lay waste her land.
No one will live(K) in it;
    both people and animals(L) will flee away.

“In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together(M)
    will go in tears(N) to seek(O) the Lord their God.
They will ask the way(P) to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come(Q) and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant(R)
    that will not be forgotten.

“My people have been lost sheep;(S)
    their shepherds(T) have led them astray(U)
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill(V)
    and forgot their own resting place.(W)
Whoever found them devoured(X) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,(Y)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope(Z) of their ancestors.’

“Flee(AA) out of Babylon;(AB)
    leave the land of the Babylonians,
    and be like the goats that lead the flock.
For I will stir(AC) up and bring against Babylon
    an alliance of great nations(AD) from the land of the north.(AE)
They will take up their positions against her,
    and from the north she will be captured.(AF)
Their arrows(AG) will be like skilled warriors
    who do not return empty-handed.
10 So Babylonia[b] will be plundered;(AH)
    all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.

11 “Because you rejoice and are glad,
    you who pillage my inheritance,(AI)
because you frolic like a heifer(AJ) threshing grain
    and neigh like stallions,
12 your mother will be greatly ashamed;
    she who gave you birth will be disgraced.(AK)
She will be the least of the nations—
    a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.(AL)
13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
    but will be completely desolate.(AM)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;(AN)
    they will scoff(AO) because of all her wounds.(AP)

14 “Take up your positions around Babylon,
    all you who draw the bow.(AQ)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,(AR)
    for she has sinned against the Lord.
15 Shout(AS) against her on every side!
    She surrenders, her towers fall,
    her walls(AT) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance(AU) of the Lord,
    take vengeance on her;
    do to her(AV) as she has done to others.(AW)
16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
    and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword(AX) of the oppressor
    let everyone return to their own people,(AY)
    let everyone flee to their own land.(AZ)

17 “Israel is a scattered flock(BA)
    that lions(BB) have chased away.
The first to devour(BC) them
    was the king(BD) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones(BE)
    was Nebuchadnezzar(BF) king(BG) of Babylon.”

18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king(BH) of Assyria.(BI)
19 But I will bring(BJ) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied(BK)
    on the hills(BL) of Ephraim and Gilead.(BM)
20 In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,(BN)
and for the sins(BO) of Judah,
    but none will be found,
    for I will forgive(BP) the remnant(BQ) I spare.

21 “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.(BR)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy[c] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
22 The noise(BS) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
23 How broken and shattered
    is the hammer(BT) of the whole earth!(BU)
How desolate(BV) is Babylon
    among the nations!
24 I set a trap(BW) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured(BX)
    because you opposed(BY) the Lord.
25 The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons(BZ) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.(CA)
26 Come against her from afar.(CB)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.(CC)
Completely destroy(CD) her
    and leave her no remnant.
27 Kill all her young bulls;(CE)
    let them go down to the slaughter!(CF)
Woe to them! For their day(CG) has come,
    the time(CH) for them to be punished.
28 Listen to the fugitives(CI) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion(CJ)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,(CK)
    vengeance for his temple.(CL)

29 “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.(CM)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.(CN)
Repay(CO) her for her deeds;(CP)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied(CQ) the Lord,
    the Holy One(CR) of Israel.
30 Therefore, her young men(CS) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
31 “See, I am against(CT) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day(CU) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
32 The arrogant(CV) one will stumble and fall(CW)
    and no one will help her up;(CX)
I will kindle a fire(CY) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“The people of Israel are oppressed,(CZ)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.(DA)
34 Yet their Redeemer(DB) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty(DC) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause(DD)
    so that he may bring rest(DE) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

35 “A sword(DF) against the Babylonians!”(DG)
    declares the Lord
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise(DH) men!
36 A sword against her false prophets!
    They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!(DI)
    They will be filled with terror.(DJ)
37 A sword against her horses and chariots(DK)
    and all the foreigners in her ranks!
    They will become weaklings.(DL)
A sword against her treasures!(DM)
    They will be plundered.
38 A drought on[d] her waters!(DN)
    They will dry(DO) up.
For it is a land of idols,(DP)
    idols that will go mad with terror.

39 “So desert creatures(DQ) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.(DR)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah(DS)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.(DT)

41 “Look! An army is coming from the north;(DU)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred(DV) up from the ends of the earth.(DW)
42 They are armed with bows(DX) and spears;
    they are cruel(DY) and without mercy.(DZ)
They sound like the roaring sea(EA)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.(EB)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.(EC)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(ED)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets(EE)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen(EF) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?(EG)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

45 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed(EH) against the land of the Babylonians:(EI)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;(EJ)
    its cry(EK) will resound among the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 25, 35 and 45
  2. Jeremiah 50:10 Or Chaldea
  3. Jeremiah 50:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.
  4. Jeremiah 50:38 Or A sword against