Font Size
Jeremiah 49
New Catholic Bible
Jeremiah 49
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 49
Against the Ammonites.[a] 1 In regard to the Ammonites, thus says the Lord:
Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then has Milcom inherited Gad,
and why have his people settled in its towns?
2 Therefore, the days are coming,
says the Lord,
when I will sound the battle cry
against Rabbah of the Ammonites.
It will become a desolate mound,
and its villages will be burned to the ground.
Then Israel will dispossess
those who dispossessed her, says the Lord.
3 Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been laid waste.
Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah.
Wrap yourselves in sackcloth and mourn;
run to and fro and gash your bodies.
For Milcom will go into exile
together with his priests and his attendants.
4 Why do you glory in your strength
that is now beginning to ebb?
O rebellious daughter,
you place your trust in your treasures,
saying, “Who will dare to attack me?”
5 I will bring terror upon you from every side,
says the Lord God of hosts.
Every one of you will be driven away and scattered,
with no one to rally the fugitives.
6 But afterward, says the Lord,
I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites.
Against Edom.[b] 7 In regard to Edom, thus says the Lord of hosts:
Can wisdom no longer be found in Teman?
Has counsel ceased to exist in the prudent?
Has their wisdom become a thing of the past?
8 Turn away and flee, O inhabitants of Dedan;
seek refuge in remote locales.
For I will inflict retribution on Esau
when I decide upon the time to punish him.
9 If those who gather grapes were to come upon you,
would they not leave behind some gleanings?
If thieves came during the night,
would they not steal only what they wanted?
10 But I for my part will strip Esau bare;
I will discover his hiding places,
and he will have nowhere to conceal himself.
His children will perish,
as will his relatives and neighbors,
and he will be no more.
11 Leave behind your orphans;
I will support them,
and your widows will place their trust in me.
12 For thus says the Lord: If those who were not doomed to drink the cup still must drink it, should you alone be the one to go unpunished? You will not go unpunished. You will be required to drink it. 13 For by my own self I have sworn, says the Lord, that Bozrah will become an object of horror and reproach, a desolate wasteland, and a curse, and all her towns will be ruins forevermore.
14 I have received a message from the Lord,
a herald has been sent to all the nations,
“Gather together and prepare to attack her;
rise up for battle.”
15 I will make you the least among the nations,
the most despised of people, O Edom.
16 You have been deceived by your proud heart
and by the terror you inspire,
you who dwell in rocky crags
and look down from the heights of the hill.
Even though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,
I will drag you down from there, says the Lord.
17 Edom will become an object of horror. Everyone who passes by will be appalled and astounded at the sight of all her wounds. 18 As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors were overthrown, no one will live there, nor will anyone ever again settle there.
19 As when a lion comes up to rich pastures
from the dense thickets of the Jordan,
so will I in an instant drive away Edom from its land
and designate those whom I wish to settle there.
For who is like me?
Who can bring charges against me?
What shepherd can stand his ground against me?
20 Therefore, hear the plan
that the Lord has devised against Edom
and the schemes that he has in mind
to forestall the inhabitants of Teman.
They will be dragged away
like the smallest of the flock,
and their pastures will be completely destroyed.
21 At the sound of their downfall,
the earth will tremble,
and their anguished cries will be heard
as far away as the Red Sea.
22 Like an eagle he will soar and swoop down
and spread his wings against Bozrah,
and the hearts of Edom’s warriors on that day
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23 Against Damascus.[c] Concerning Damascus:
Hamath and Arpad are deeply troubled,
for they have heard distressing news.
In their concern, they are filled with anxiety,
tossed about like the sea
that cannot be calmed.
24 Damascus has been weakened;
gripped with panic, she prepares to flee.
Anguish and sorrow have overwhelmed her;
her pain is like that of a woman in labor.
25 How can this renowned city be forsaken
in which I take such delight?
26 Her young men will fall in her squares,
and all her warriors will perish on that day,
says the Lord of hosts.
27 Then I will set fire to the walls of Damascus
that will devour the palaces of Benhadad.
28 Against Arabia.[d] In regard to Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that were conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, thus says the Lord:
Rise up and attack Kedar.
Destroy the desert dwellers of the east.
29 Carry away their tents and their flocks,
their tent curtains and all their goods.
Seize their camels for yourselves
and let the shout be raised,
“There is terror on every side.”
30 Flee quickly to distant areas,
and take refuge in remote places,
inhabitants of Hazor, says the Lord.
For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
is determined to eradicate you
and has formulated a plan against you.
31 Thus says the Lord:
Rise up against a nation
that never bothers to strengthen its security,
that has no gates or bars
and is located in a remote area.
32 Their camels will become your booty,
and their herds of cattle will be your spoil.
I will scatter to the winds
those who shave their temples,
and I will bring ruin on them
from every side, says the Lord.
33 Hazor will become the lair of jackals,
an everlasting place of desolation,
where no one will live anymore,
nor will anyone stay there again.
34 Against Elam.[e] This word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah in regard to Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah. 35 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring upon Elam the four winds
from the four quarters of the heavens.
I will scatter them to all these winds,
and there will not be a single nation
to which the exiles of Elam will not go.
37 I will cause the people of Elam
to tremble before their foes
and before those who are determined to kill them.
I will bring disaster upon them,
my burning anger, says the Lord.
I will pursue them with the sword
until I have completely destroyed them.
38 Then I will establish my throne in Elam
and destroy their king and his officials, says the Lord.
39 However, in the days to come
I will restore the fortunes of Elam, says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 49:1 Ammon, a racial brother of Israel, was also a hostile brother (Gen 19:38; 2 Ki 24:2). But his chief crime was to have attacked the sacred domain of the Lord by occupying the territory of the tribe of Gad, his neighbor (see Jos 13:24-28). His god was Molech; Rabbah is the present-day Amman, capital of Jordan.
- Jeremiah 49:7 Entrenched as it was on rocky summits, the land of Edom, with its two districts, Teman and Dedan, may have thought itself sheltered. It was also a country of wise men (see Job 15:17-19). The people were descended from Esau, brother of Jacob (see Gen 26), and had engaged in continual quarrels and conflicts with the Hebrews; this hostile brother had struck Israel in the back and had shown itself especially hateful at the time when Jerusalem was in ruins (see Ezek 25:12-14; 35:15).
- Jeremiah 49:23 Damascus and the other Syrian cities had often seen invaders passing through their land. Damascus was the capital of an Aramean state that was a stubborn rival of Israel. This magnificent oasis was at the center of the great communication routes. Some of its princes bore the name Ben-hadad.
- Jeremiah 49:28 The king of Babylon is urged to deal ferociously with these people who were the distant descendants of Ishmael. We may think of the elusive Bedouin, whose caravans cross the desert, and of the sheik-led seminomadic or semisedentary tribes installed with their immense flocks in villages of tents and of straw mixed with clay on the edge of the steppes.
- Jeremiah 49:34 Elam, in the region northeast of the Persian Gulf, was famous for its archers (see v. 35; Isa 22:6). This people was not strictly an enemy of Israel.
Jeremiah 49
New International Version
Jeremiah 49
New International Version
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?
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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)
5 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)
6 “Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.
A Message About Edom(R)(S)
7 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?
8 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.
9 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
- Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
- Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
- Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
- Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.