LEB JER Chapter 49

A Message Concerning Ammon

• 49 Concerning the Ammonites:[fn] Thus says Yahweh, “Are there no sons for Israel?
  • Or is there no heir for him?
• Why has Milcom taken possession of Gad,
  • and his people dwelled in its towns?
• 2 [fn] look, days are coming,”[fn] Yahweh, “and I will sound against Rabbah, the[fn]
  • the alarm of the war,
• and it will become as a mound of desolation,
  • and its daughters will burn in the fire.
• Then Israel will dispossess his dispossessors,” says Yahweh.
  • 3  Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, put on sackcloth.
  • Lament and run back and forth among the walls.
• For Milcom will go into exile,
  • his priests and his officials together.
  • 4 your valleys? Your valleys[fn] are ebbing.
• O unfaithful daughter, who trusted in her treasures,
  • who said, ‘Who will come against me?’
• 5 am going to bring dread on you,”[fn] Lord Yahweh of hosts,
  • “from all your surrounding neighbors.
• And you will be scattered,
  • each one[fn]
• and there is no one who gathers the fugitives.[fn]
  • 6 [fn] I will restore the fortunes[fn] of the [fn] [fn] Yahweh.

A Message Concerning Edom

• 7 Concerning Edom, thus says Yahweh of hosts:“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
  • Has counsel become lost from those who understand?
  • Is their wisdom rotting?
  • 8 [fn] O inhabitants of Dedan.
• For I will bring upon him the disaster of Esau
  • at the time when I will punish him.
  • 9  would they not leave gleanings?
• If thieves in the night,
  • they destroy only[fn]
  • 10  I have uncovered his hiding places,
  • and he is not able to hide himself.
• His offspring are devastated,[fn] his brothers,
  • and his neighbors, and[fn]
  • 11 them[fn] live. And your widows, let them trust in me.”

12 For thus says Yahweh, “Look, those who are not condemned[fn] to drink the cup must certainly drink it.[fn] And are you the one who will go entirely unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must certainly drink it.[fn] 13 For I have sworn by myself,” declares[fn] Yahweh, “that Bozrah will become as a horror, as a disgrace, as a waste, and as a curse. And all her towns will be everlasting sites of ruins.”[fn]

• 14 and a messenger has been sent among the nations.
• “Gather and come against her,
  • and rise for the battle.”
  • 15  despised by the humankind.
  • 16  the pride of your heart,
• O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
  • you who seize the height of the hill.
• Though you make your nest high like the eagle,
  • from there I will bring you down,”[fn] Yahweh.
  • 17 [fn] will be appalled,
  • and will hiss because of all its blows.
  • 18  and their neighbors,” says Yahweh,
• “[fn] will live there,
  • and the son of humankind will not dwell as an alien in it.
  • 19  to[fn]
• So[fn] from it.
  • And whoever is chosen I will appoint over it.
• For who is like me, and who can summon me?
  • And who is this, the shepherd who can stand[fn]
  • 20 [fn] hear the plan of Yahweh that he has planned against Edom, and his plans that he has planned against the inhabitants of Teman.
• [fn] they will drag them away,
  • the little ones of the flock.
• [fn] he will cause to be desolated over them
  • their grazing place.
  • 21  A cry of distress! Their voice will be heard at[fn]
  • 22  and he will spread out his wings against Bozrah.
• And the heart of the warriors of Edom will be in that day
  • like the heart of a woman who is in labor.

A Message Concerning Damascus

• 23 Concerning Damascus:“Hamath and Arpad are ashamed,
  • for they have heard bad news;
  • they melt.
• There is concern in the sea.
  • It is not able to keep quiet.
  • 24  She has turned away to flee and panic.
• Anxiety has seized her,
  • and labor pains have grasped her,
  • like a woman in labor.
  • 25 the city of praise has not been abandoned! The city of my joy!
  • 26 [fn] her young men will fall in her public squares, and all[fn] will perish in that day,” [fn] Yahweh of hosts.
  • 27  and it will devour the citadel fortresses of Ben-hadad.”

A Message Concerning Kedar and the Kingdoms of Hazor

• 28 Concerning Kedar and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon defeated. Thus says Yahweh:“Rise up, go up against Kedar
  • and destroy the people[fn] of the east.
  • 29  their tent curtains, and all their equipment,
• and their camels they will carry away for themselves,
  • and they will call to them, ‘Terror is from all around.’
  • 30 [fn] O inhabitants of Hazor,”[fn] Yahweh.
• “For Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has planned a plan against you.
  • And he has schemed[fn] a scheme[fn] against you.
  • 31 which is at ease, living[fn] [fn] Yahweh.
• “ There are no gates and there are no bars[fn] for them,
  • they dwell alone.
  • 32  and the multitude of their livestock as spoil.
• And I will scatter to every wind those who are trimmed to the side,
  • and from[fn] I will bring their disaster,” [fn] Yahweh.
  • 33  a waste forever;
• no one will live there,
  • and no son of humankind will dwell as an alien in it.”

A Message Concerning Elam

34 The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the king of Judah, saying,[fn]

• 35 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts:‘Look, I am going to break the bow of Elam,
  • the first and best of their might.
  • 36  from the four corners of heaven,
• and I will scatter them to all these winds,
  • and there will not be a nation
  • where the scattered people of Elam will not go.
  • 37 [fn] their enemies, and[fn] the seekers of their life.
• And I will bring disaster upon them,
  • [fn]’ [fn] Yahweh.
• ‘And I will send after them the sword
  • until I have destroyed them.
  • 38  and I will destroy from there king and officials,’[fn] Yahweh.
  • 39 [fn] in the last of the days I will restore the fortunes[fn] of Elam,’ [fn] Yahweh.”