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1To the people of Ammon: This is what the LORD says: "Does Israel have no sons? Does he have no heir? Why then has Milcom taken possession of Gad, and his people settled in its towns? | 1The LORD spoke about the Ammonites. "Do you think there are not any people of the nation of Israel remaining? Do you think there are not any of them remaining to reinherit their land? Is that why you people who worship the god Milcom have taken possession of the territory of Gad and live in his cities? |
2Therefore, look, the time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I'll cause a battle cry to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a desolate mound, and its towns will be burned with fire. Israel will take possession of those who possessed him," says the LORD. | 2Because you did that, I, the LORD, affirm that a time is coming when I will make Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, hear the sound of the battle cry. It will become a mound covered with ruins. Its villages will be burned to the ground. Then Israel will take back its land from those who took their land from them. I, the Lord, affirm it! |
3"Wail, Heshbon, because Ai is destroyed. Cry out, daughters of Rabbah, put on sackcloth and lament. Run back and forth inside the walls, for Milcom is going into exile along with his priests and his princes. | 3Wail, you people in Heshbon, because Ai in Ammon is destroyed. Cry out in anguish, you people in the villages surrounding Rabbah. Put on sackcloth and cry out in mourning. Run about covered with gashes. For your god Milcom will go into exile along with his priests and officials. |
4Why do you boast in your valleys? Your valley is flowing away, faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' | 4Why do you brag about your great power? Your power is ebbing away, you rebellious people of Ammon, who trust in your riches and say, 'Who would dare to attack us?' |
5Look, I'm bringing terror on you from all around you," declares the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies. "You will be driven out, fleeing recklessly, and there will be no one to gather the fugitives. | 5I will bring terror on you from every side," says the Lord GOD who rules over all. "You will be scattered in every direction. No one will gather the fugitives back together. |
6But afterwards I'll restore the fortunes of the people of Ammon," declares the LORD. | 6Yet in days to come I will reverse Ammon's ill fortune." says the LORD. |
7To Edom: This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished among the prudent? Is their wisdom gone? | 7The LORD who rules over all spoke about Edom. "Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? Can Edom's counselors not give her any good advice? Has all of their wisdom turned bad? |
8Flee, turn around! Go to a remote place to stay, residents of Dedan! For I'll bring Esau's disaster on him at the time when I punish him. | 8Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places, you people who live in Dedan. For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau. I have decided it is time for me to punish them. |
9If the grape harvesters came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came at night, they would destroy only until they had enough. | 9If grape pickers came to pick your grapes, would they not leave a few grapes behind? If robbers came at night, would they not pillage only what they needed? |
10But I'll strip Esau bare. I'll uncover his hiding places so he cannot conceal himself. His offspring, his relatives, and his neighbors will be destroyed, and he will no longer exist. | 10But I will strip everything away from Esau's descendants. I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide. Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed. Not one of them will be left! |
11Leave your orphans. I'll keep them alive. Let your widows trust in me." | 11Leave your orphans behind and I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me." |
12For this is what the LORD says: "Look, those who don't deserve to drink the cup will surely drink it, and will you actually go unpunished? You won't go unpunished! You will certainly drink it! | 12For the LORD says, "If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath. |
13Indeed, I've sworn by myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror and scorn, a waste, and an object of ridicule. All her towns will become perpetual ruins." | 13For I solemnly swear," says the LORD, "that Bozrah will become a pile of ruins. It will become an object of horror and ridicule, an example to be used in curses. All the towns around it will lie in ruins forever." |
14I've heard a message from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: "Gather together and come up against her, and rise up to fight. | 14I said, "I have heard a message from the LORD. A messenger has been sent among the nations to say, 'Gather your armies and march out against her! Prepare to do battle with her!'" |
15Indeed, I'll make you the least of the nations, despised among men. | 15The LORD says to Edom, "I will certainly make you small among nations. I will make you despised by all humankind. |
16The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you. You who live in hidden places in the rocks, who hold on to the heights of the hill, although you make your nest high like the eagle, I'll bring you down from there," declares the LORD. | 16The terror you inspire in others and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you. You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks; you may occupy the highest places in the hills. But even if you made your home where the eagles nest, I would bring you down from there," says the LORD. |
17"Edom will become an object of horror. Everyone who passes by her will be horrified and will scoff because of all her wounds. | 17"Edom will become an object of horror. All who pass by it will be filled with horror; they will hiss out their scorn because of all the disasters that have happened to it. |
18Just like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors," says the LORD, "no one will live there. No human being will reside in it. | 18Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns that were around them. No one will live there. No human being will settle in it," says the LORD. |
19Look, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan to a pasture that grows year round, so I'll drive them away from her in an instant, and I'll appoint whomever is chosen over her. Indeed, who is like me? Who gives me counsel? Who is the shepherd who will stand against me?" | 19"A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. So too I will chase the Edomites off their land. Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account. There is no ruler who can stand up against me. |
20Therefore, hear the plan that the LORD has made against Edom, and the strategy that he devised against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely he will drag the little ones of the flock away. Surely their pasture will be desolate because of them. | 20So listen to what I, the LORD, have planned against Edom, what I intend to do to the people who live in Teman. Their little ones will be dragged off. I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done. |
21The earth will quake at the sound of their fall. A cry—it's her voice—is heard at the Reed Sea. | 21The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. |
22Look, he will rise up and fly swiftly like an eagle. He will spread his wings against Bozrah, and on that day the hearts of the warriors of Edom will be like the heart of a woman in labor. | 22Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings, a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah. At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful as a woman in labor." |
23To Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad will be humiliated. Their courage melts because they have heard bad news. There is anxiety like the sea that cannot be calmed. | 23The LORD spoke about Damascus. "The people of Hamath and Arpad will be dismayed because they have heard bad news. Their courage will melt away because of worry. Their hearts will not be able to rest. |
24Damascus will become weak. She will turn to flee, but panic will seize her. Distress and anguish will take hold of her like that of a woman giving birth. | 24The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee. Panic will grip them. Pain and anguish will seize them like a woman in labor. |
25Why is the famous city, the joyful town, not abandoned? | 25How deserted will that once-famous city be, that city that was once filled with joy! |
26Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all her soldiers will be silenced on that day," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. | 26For her young men will fall in her city squares. All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time," says the LORD who rules over all. |
27"I'll kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad." | 27"I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will burn up the palaces of Ben Hadad." |
28To Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed: This is what the LORD says: "Arise, go against Kedar! Plunder the people of the east! | 28The LORD spoke about Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered. "Army of Babylon, go and attack Kedar. Lay waste those who live in the eastern desert. |
29Take their tents and their flocks, their tent curtains and all their goods. Take their camels away from them. Cry out against them, 'Terror is all around!' | 29Their tents and their flocks will be taken away. Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off. People will shout to them, 'Terror is all around you!'" |
30Flee! Run away quickly! Go to a remote place to stay, residents of Hazor," declares the LORD. "For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has formed a plan and devised a strategy against them. | 30The LORD says, "Flee quickly, you who live in Hazor. Take up refuge in remote places. For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has laid out plans to attack you. He has formed his strategy on how to defeat you." |
31"Arise, go up against a nation at ease, living securely," declares the LORD, "without gates or bars, living alone. | 31The LORD says, "Army of Babylon, go and attack a nation that lives in peace and security. They have no gates or walls to protect them. They live all alone. |
32Their camels will become booty, their many herds will become spoil. I'll scatter to the winds those who shave the corners of their beards, and I'll bring disaster on them from every side," declares the LORD. | 32Their camels will be taken as plunder. Their vast herds will be taken as spoil. I will scatter to the four winds those desert peoples who cut their hair short at the temples. I will bring disaster against them from every direction," says the LORD. |
33"Hazor will become a dwelling place for jackals, a perpetual wasteland. No one will live there; no human being will reside in it." | 33"Hazor will become a permanent wasteland, a place where only jackals live. No one will live there. No human being will settle in it." |
34This is what came as a message from the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet about Elam at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah: | 34Early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the LORD spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Elam. |
35This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Look, I'm going to break the bow of Elam, the finest of their troops. | 35The LORD who rules over all said, "I will kill all the archers of Elam, who are the chief source of her military might. |
36I'll bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I'll scatter them to all these winds. There will be no nation to which the exiles from Elam won't go. | 36I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every direction like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven. I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go. |
37I'll terrify Elam before their enemies and before those who seek to kill them. I'll bring on them disaster and become fiercely angry at them," declares the LORD. "I'll send the sword after them, until I've made an end of them. | 37I will make the people of Elam terrified of their enemies, who are seeking to kill them. I will vent my fierce anger and bring disaster upon them," says the LORD. "I will send armies chasing after them until I have completely destroyed them. |
38I'll put my throne in Elam, and destroy the king and the officials there," declares the LORD. | 38I will establish my sovereignty over Elam. I will destroy their king and their leaders," says the LORD. |
39"But in the latter days I'll restore the fortunes of Elam," declares the LORD. | 39"Yet in days to come I will reverse Elam's ill fortune." says the LORD. |
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