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Judgment on Ammon

49 Against the (A)Ammonites.

Thus says the Lord:

“Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then does [a]Milcom inherit (B)Gad,
And his people dwell in its cities?
(C)Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war
In (D)Rabbah of the Ammonites;
It shall be a desolate mound,
And her [b]villages shall be burned with fire.
Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the Lord.

“Wail, O (E)Heshbon, for Ai is plundered!
Cry, you daughters of Rabbah,
(F)Gird yourselves with sackcloth!
Lament and run to and fro by the walls;
For [c]Milcom shall go into captivity
With his (G)priests and his princes together.
Why (H)do you boast in the valleys,
[d]Your flowing valley, O (I)backsliding daughter?
Who trusted in her (J)treasures, (K)saying,
‘Who will come against me?’
Behold, I will bring fear upon you,”
Says the Lord God of hosts,
“From all those who are around you;
You shall be driven out, everyone headlong,
And no one will gather those who wander off.
But (L)afterward I will bring back
The captives of the people of Ammon,” says the Lord.

Judgment on Edom

(M)Against Edom.

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(N)Is wisdom no more in Teman?
(O)Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom (P)vanished?
Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of (Q)Dedan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
The time that I will punish him.
(R)If grape-gatherers came to you,
Would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
If thieves by night,
Would they not destroy until they have enough?
10 (S)But I have made Esau bare;
I have uncovered his secret places,
And he shall not be able to hide himself.
His descendants are plundered,
His brethren and his neighbors,
And (T)he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children,
I will preserve them alive;
And let your widows trust in Me.”

12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, (U)those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it. 13 For (V)I have sworn by Myself,” says the Lord, “that (W)Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a [e]waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual [f]wastes.”

14 (X)I have heard a message from the Lord,
And an ambassador has been sent to the nations:
“Gather together, come against her,
And rise up to battle!

15 “For indeed, I will make you small among nations,
Despised among men.
16 Your fierceness has deceived you,
The (Y)pride of your heart,
O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Who hold the height of the hill!
(Z)Though you make your (AA)nest as high as the eagle,
(AB)I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.

17 “Edom also shall be an astonishment;
(AC)Everyone who goes by it will be astonished
And will hiss at all its plagues.
18 (AD)As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah
And their neighbors,” says the Lord,
“No one shall remain there,
Nor shall a son of man dwell in it.

19 “Behold,(AE) he shall come up like a lion from (AF)the [g]floodplain of the Jordan
Against the dwelling place 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 (AG)who is like Me?
Who will arraign Me?
And (AH)who is that shepherd
Who will withstand Me?”

20 (AI)Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord that He has taken against Edom,
And His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely the least of the flock shall [h]draw them out;
Surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them.
21 (AJ)The earth shakes at the noise of their fall;
At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea.
22 Behold, (AK)He shall come up and fly like the eagle,
And spread His wings over Bozrah;
The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be
Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.

Judgment on Damascus

23 (AL)Against Damascus.

(AM)“Hamath and Arpad are shamed,
For they have heard bad news.
They are fainthearted;
(AN)There is [i]trouble on the sea;
It cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus has grown feeble;
She turns to flee,
And fear has seized her.
(AO)Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in [j]labor.
25 Why is (AP)the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy?
26 (AQ)Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets,
And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the Lord of hosts.
27 “I(AR) will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”

Judgment on Kedar and Hazor

28 (AS)Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike.

Thus says the Lord:

“Arise, go up to Kedar,
And devastate (AT)the men of the East!
29 Their (AU)tents and their flocks they shall take away.
They shall take for themselves their curtains,
All their vessels and their camels;
And they shall cry out to them,
(AV)‘Fear is on every side!’

30 “Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths,
O inhabitants of Hazor!” says the Lord.
“For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you,
And has conceived a plan against you.

31 “Arise, go up to (AW)the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the Lord,
“Which has neither gates nor bars,
(AX)Dwelling alone.
32 Their camels shall be for booty,
And the multitude of their cattle for plunder.
I will (AY)scatter to all winds those [k]in the farthest corners,
And I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the Lord.
33 “Hazor (AZ)shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever;
No one shall reside there,
Nor son of man dwell in it.”

Judgment on Elam

34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against (BA)Elam, in the (BB)beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, I will break (BC)the [l]bow of Elam,
The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
(BD)I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 I will (BE)set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.

39 ‘But it shall come to pass (BF)in the latter days:
I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 Heb. Malcam, lit. their king; an Ammonite god, 1 Kin. 11:5; Molech, Lev. 18:21
  2. Jeremiah 49:2 Lit. daughters
  3. Jeremiah 49:3 See v. 1
  4. Jeremiah 49:4 Lit. Your valley is flowing
  5. Jeremiah 49:13 ruin
  6. Jeremiah 49:13 ruins
  7. Jeremiah 49:19 Or thicket
  8. Jeremiah 49:20 Or drag them away
  9. Jeremiah 49:23 anxiety
  10. Jeremiah 49:24 childbirth
  11. Jeremiah 49:32 Lit. cut off at the corner, Jer. 9:26; 25:23
  12. Jeremiah 49:35 Power

Prophecy against Ammon

49 Concerning the sons of (A)Ammon. This is what the Lord says:

“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,
“When I will cause an alarm of (B)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, (F)Heshbon, for (G)Ai has been destroyed!
Cry out, daughters of Rabbah,
(H)Put on sackcloth and mourn,
And move about inside the walls;
For [b]Malcam will (I)go into exile
Together with his priests and his leaders.
How you (J)boast about the valleys!
Your valley is flowing away,
You (K)backsliding daughter
Who trusts in her (L)treasures, saying,
(M)Who can come against me?’
Behold, I am going to bring (N)terror upon you,”
Declares the Lord [c]God of armies,
“From all directions around you;
And you will be (O)driven away [d]one after another,
With no one to gather the (P)fugitives together.
But afterward I will (Q)restore
The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,”
Declares the Lord.

Prophecy against Edom

Concerning (R)Edom.
This is what the Lord of armies says:
“Is there no longer any (S)wisdom in (T)Teman?
Has good advice been lost by the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
You inhabitants of (U)Dedan,
For I [e]will bring the (V)disaster of Esau upon him
At the time I [f]punish him.
(W)If grape pickers came to you,
Would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
They would destroy only what was sufficient for them.
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 [g]offspring have been destroyed along with his [h]brothers
And his neighbors, and (Y)he no longer exists.
11 Leave your [i](Z)orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
And let your (AA)widows trust in Me.”

12 For this is what the Lord says: “Behold, those [j]who were not sentenced to drink the (AB)cup will certainly drink it, so are you the one who will be held (AC)completely blameless? You will not be held blameless, 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 disgrace, a wasteland, and a curse; and all its cities will become permanent ruins.”

14 I have (AG)heard a message from the Lord,
And a (AH)messenger is being 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 people.
16 As for the terror you cause,
The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
You who live in the clefts of [k]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 appalled and will [l](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 [m]anyone of mankind reside in it. 19 (AQ)Behold, one will come up like a lion from the (AR)thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will chase him away from it, and I will appoint over it whoever is (AS)chosen. 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 in mind against the inhabitants of Teman: they will certainly drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; He will certainly make their 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 [n]Red Sea. 22 Behold, [o]He will mount up and (AY)swoop like an eagle, and spread out His wings [p]against Bozrah; and the (AZ)hearts of the warriors of Edom on 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 (BD)despair.
There is anxiety at 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 labor pains have seized her
Like a woman in childbirth.
25 How 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 perish on that day,” declares the Lord of armies.
27 “I will (BI)set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will devour the fortified palace of (BJ)Ben-hadad.”

Prophecy against Kedar and Hazor

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

“Arise, go up to Kedar
And devastate the [q](BL)people 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)Horror on every side!’
30 Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths,
You 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 livestock for spoils,
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 [r]anyone of mankind reside in it.”

Prophecy against Elam

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

35 “This is what the Lord of armies says:
‘Behold, I am going to (BY)break the bow of Elam,
The [s]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 [t]shatter Elam before their enemies
And before those who seek their lives;
And I will (CB)bring disaster upon them,
Even My (CC)fierce anger,’ declares the Lord,
‘And I will (CD)send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.
38 Then I will set My throne in Elam,
And eliminate from there the king and officials,’
Declares the Lord.
39 ‘But it will come about in the last days
That I will (CE)restore the fortunes of Elam,’”
Declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 In 1 Kin 11:5, 33 and Zeph 1:5, Milcom
  2. Jeremiah 49:3 See note v 1
  3. Jeremiah 49:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  4. Jeremiah 49:5 Lit each one before him
  5. Jeremiah 49:8 Or brought
  6. Jeremiah 49:8 Or punished
  7. Jeremiah 49:10 Lit seed
  8. Jeremiah 49:10 Or relatives
  9. Jeremiah 49:11 Or fatherless
  10. Jeremiah 49:12 Lit whose judgment was not to
  11. Jeremiah 49:16 Or Sela
  12. Jeremiah 49:17 Or whistle
  13. Jeremiah 49:18 Lit a son of man
  14. Jeremiah 49:21 Lit Sea of Reeds
  15. Jeremiah 49:22 Or one
  16. Jeremiah 49:22 Or over
  17. Jeremiah 49:28 Lit sons
  18. Jeremiah 49:33 Lit a son of man
  19. Jeremiah 49:35 Lit first
  20. Jeremiah 49:37 Or dismay

Prophecy against Ammon

49 Concerning the [a]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 [b]Malcam taken possession of Gad
And [why do] his people live in the cities [of Gad]?

“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.(A)

“Wail, O [c]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.

“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?’

“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.

“But [d]afterward I will reverse
The captivity of the children of Ammon and restore their fortunes,”
Says the Lord.

Prophecy against Edom


Concerning Edom.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Is there no longer any wisdom in [e]Teman?
Has good counsel vanished from the intelligent and prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?(B)

“Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths [of the desert to escape the judgment of Edom],
O inhabitants of [f]Dedan,
For I will bring the destruction of [g]Esau (Edom) upon him
When I inspect and punish him.

“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.”

12 For 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].(C) 13 For I have sworn [an oath] by Myself,” says the Lord, “that [h]Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin, and a curse; and all its cities will become [i]perpetual ruins.”

14 
I 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.(D)
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 [j]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 [k]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?”

20 Therefore 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. 21 The 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. 22 Behold, 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.(E)

Prophecy against Damascus

23 
Concerning 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.(F)
27 
“I will set fire to the wall of Damascus,
And it will consume the palaces of [l]Ben-hadad.”

Prophecy against Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning [m]Kedar and concerning the kingdoms of [n]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!’(G)
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.(H)
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

34 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning [o]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 [p]Elam
And I will destroy from there the king and princes,’
Says the Lord.(I)
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.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:1 When the tribes of the Northern Kingdom were taken captive in 734-732 b.c., the Ammonites, a nomadic, warlike people descended from Lot through his younger daughter, moved into the territory of the tribe of Gad east of the Jordan.
  2. Jeremiah 49:1 Malcam or Milcom (1 Kin 11:5, 33; Zeph 1:5) was the national god of the Ammonites. Other variant forms of this name include Milcham and Malcham.
  3. Jeremiah 49:3 Originally a Moabite town, Heshbon was located south of Ammon.
  4. Jeremiah 49:6 As complete and continuous as the desolation of Moab and Ammon was for so many centuries, yet God is keeping His word for their restoration “in the latter days” (48:47) in a remarkable manner. For instance, Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (formerly called Transjordania, and in ancient times, Rabbath of Ammon or the City of Waters), was a mere village in 1900, but by the year 2000 it was a city of almost 2,000,000 inhabitants.
  5. Jeremiah 49:7 Teman was an important stronghold located in central Edom. It was about three miles from Sela (Petra). Teman was also used as a generic name to represent all of Edom.
  6. Jeremiah 49:8 A tribal settlement and trading center on Edom’s southeastern border.
  7. Jeremiah 49:8 The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s elder twin brother. Because of his godlessness he and his descendants were cursed.
  8. Jeremiah 49:13 Located in northern Edom, between Petra and the Dead Sea, the area was famous for its dyed garments.
  9. Jeremiah 49:13 How except by divine inspiration could the prophets have foretold that Edom’s desolation would be perpetual? After 2,500 years the statement is so literally true that in the land of Edom, where millions once lived, there are only a few people barely existing, and the land is in ruins. For there was no prophecy that Edom would recover “in the latter days” (48:47), as was predicted for Moab and Ammon, but Edom’s desolation was to be lasting. The short book of Obadiah presents an interesting further clarification of God’s reason for this exceptional treatment of Edom. It was the outcome of a deception and a family quarrel between two brothers, Jacob and Esau, which erupted into acts of violence and which continued from Genesis to the Gospels (see Gen 27).
  10. Jeremiah 49:16 Petra, once an important Roman province in Edom, was lost for many centuries but rediscovered in 1812. On the height above its ruins is the great high place. Other evidence of idolatry has been found on neighboring heights.
  11. Jeremiah 49:19 In about 550 b.c. the Nabataeans completely overthrew the Edomites and drove them from their land. They took control of the great Middle Eastern trade routes and made Petra (Sela) their capital city.
  12. Jeremiah 49:27 Ben-hadad (“son of Hadad,” a pagan god) was the title given to the early Syrian kings who ruled in Damascus.
  13. Jeremiah 49:28 A tribe of nomadic Arabs descended from Ishmael’s second son, Kedar (Gen 25:13).
  14. Jeremiah 49:28 This Hazor is not to be confused with three others mentioned elsewhere (Josh 11:1; 15:23; Neh 11:33). It was a region in the Arabian Desert east of Palestine. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning it was literally fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Arabia, according to historians, and Hazor’s exact situation is long since unknown. Hazor is also known as that part of the Arab nation which used fixed dwellings in unwalled towns, in contrast to nomadic Arabs.
  15. Jeremiah 49:34 Elam was located in what is now southwestern Iran (Khuzistan); however, no modern descendants remain. Susa (Heb Shushan), the ancient capital, was named for the gorgeous lilies that grew in the area. East of Babylonia, Elam was on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf in the lower Tigris Valley. After a long period of subjugation to foreign powers, it joined with Media, its northern neighbor, and ultimately captured Babylon (Is 21:2, 9). Elam became a province of the Persian Empire. Elamites settled as colonists in Samaria long before the return of the Jews from Babylon, and they joined with others in attempting to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple (Ezra 4:9). There were also Elamites present on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9), but they became extinct in the eleventh century. Thus this prophecy of that nation’s destruction is long since fulfilled, with the restoration of Elam’s fortunes predicted in v 39.
  16. Jeremiah 49:38 Susa (Heb Shushan), Elam’s capital, was the winter home of the Persian kings. During an excavation in 1901, the Code of Hammurabi was discovered among its ruins. Daniel’s vision of the ram and the goat was set in the great citadel of Susa (Dan 8:2).

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

49 Concerning 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?

Therefore, 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.

Howl, 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.

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

Behold, 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.

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

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

Flee 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.

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

10 But 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.

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

12 For 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.

13 For 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.

14 I 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.

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

16 Thy 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.

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

18 As 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.

19 Behold, 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?

20 Therefore 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.

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

22 Behold, 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.

23 Concerning 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.

24 Damascus 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.

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

26 Therefore 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.

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

28 Concerning 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.

29 Their 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.

30 Flee, 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.

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

32 And 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.

33 And 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.

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

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

36 And 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.

37 For 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:

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

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