A Message to Ammon
49 This message is to the ·Ammonite people [L sons of Ammon; Gen. 19:30–38; Deut. 2:19; 23:3–6].
This is what the Lord says:
“Do you think that Israel has no children?
Do you think there is no ·one to take the land when the parents die [L heir]?
If that were true, why did Molech [C the chief god of Ammon] take Gad’s [C a tribe in the north of Israel] land
and why did Molech’s people settle in Gad’s towns [C a bitter reference to the sacrifice of children to Molech]?”
2 The Lord says,
“The ·time will come [L days are coming] when I will make Rabbah
of the Ammonites [C its capital], hear the battle cry.
It will become a ·hill covered with ruins [desolate ruin],
and the ·towns [villages; L daughters] around it will be burned with fire.
Those people ·forced [dispossessed] Israel out of that land,
but now Israel will ·force them out [dispossess them]!” says the Lord.
3 “People in the town of Heshbon, ·cry sadly [wail] because the town of Ai is destroyed!
·Those who live in [L Daughters of] Rabbah, cry out!
Put on your ·rough cloth to show your sadness [sackcloth; burlap], and ·cry loudly [mourn; wail].
Run here and there for safety inside the walls,
because Molech will be taken ·captive [into exile]
and his priests and officers with him.
4 ·You [L Why do you…?] brag about your valleys
and about the fruit in your valleys.
You are like an ·unfaithful [rebellious] ·child [L daughter]
who ·believes her treasures will save her [L trusts/has confidence in her treasures/arsenals].
You think, ‘Who would attack me?’
5 I will soon bring terror on you
from everyone around you,”
says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
“You will all be ·forced to run [driven] away,
and no one will be able to gather you.
6 “But the time will come
when I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon] again,”
says the Lord.
A Message to Edom
7 This message is to Edom [Gen. 36; Num. 20:14–21; Ps. 137:7; Lam. 4:22; Obad. 10–14]. This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman [Job 2:11]?
Can the wise men [C of Edom] no longer give good advice?
Have they lost their wisdom?
8 You people living in the town of Dedan,
·run away [flee] and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring ·disaster [calamity] on the people of Esau.
It is time for me to punish them.
9 If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
they would leave ·a few grapes [gleanings] behind.
If robbers came at night,
they would steal only enough for themselves.
10 But I will strip Esau [C Edom] bare.
I will ·find [expose] all their hiding places,
so they will not be able to hide from me.
The ·children [L seed], ·relatives [brothers], and neighbors will die,
And they [C Edom] will be no more.
11 ·Leave [Abandon; Forsake] the orphans, and I will ·take care of them [keep them alive].
Your widows also can ·trust [have confidence] in me.”
12 This is what the Lord says: “Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup [C of suffering; 25:15–38; 48:26–28] anyway. You [C people of Edom] deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup.” 13 The Lord says, “I swear by ·my own name [L myself] that the city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. They will ·insult [reproach] that city and ·speak evil of [curse] it. And all the towns around it will become ruins forever.”
14 I have heard a message from the Lord.
A ·messenger [herald] has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather [C your armies] to attack it!
·Get ready [L Rise up] for battle!”
15 “Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
and you will be greatly ·hated [despised] by everyone.
16 Edom, you ·frightened [terrorized] other nations,
but your ·pride [arrogance] has ·fooled [deceived] you.
You live in the hollow places of the ·cliff [rock; crag]
and ·control [seize] the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
17 “Edom will be ·destroyed [desolate].
People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
and they will ·be amazed [hiss] at all her ·injuries [disasters].
18 Edom will be ·destroyed [overturned] like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 18—19]
and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there!
No one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it [C Edom].
19 “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
to attack ·a strong pen for sheep [or perennial pastures; 50:44],
I will suddenly chase it [C Edom] from its land.
Who is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to do this?
·There is no one [L Who is…?] like me,
·no one who [L who…?] can take me to court.
·None of their leaders [L Who is the shepherd who…?] can stand up against me.”
20 So listen to ·what the Lord has planned to do against Edom [L the counsel/advice of the Lord].
Listen to ·what he has decided to do to [L his plans against] the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young of the flock [C the youth of Edom].
Their ·hometowns [L pasture] will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
21 At the sound of their [C Edom’s] fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the ·Red [Reed] Sea [50:20; Ex. 10:19].
22 The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened,
like a woman ·having a baby [in labor; 48:40; Ezek. 17:3–4; Hos. 8:1].
A Message to Damascus
23 This message is to the city of Damascus:
“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are ·put to shame [humiliated],
because they have heard ·bad [disastrous] news.
They ·are discouraged [L melt; C in fear].
They are troubled like the ·tossing sea [sea that cannot be quieted].
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people ·want to run away [turn to flee];
·they are ready to panic [panic seized them].
·The people feel pain and suffering [L Anguish and distress have grabbed them],
like a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 48:41; 49:22; 50:43].
25 Damascus was a city of my joy.
Why have the people not ·left [abandoned; forsaken] that famous city yet?
26 Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
and all her soldiers will be ·killed [L stilled; quieted] ·at that time [L on that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
27 “I will ·set [kindle a] fire to the walls of Damascus,
and it will completely ·burn [consume] the ·strong cities [strongholds; citadels] of King Ben-Hadad [C a name taken by many kings of Damascus].”
A Message to Kedar and Hazor
28 This message is to the tribe of Kedar [Song 1:5; Ezek. 27:21] and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·defeated [L struck]. This is what the Lord says:
“·Go [L Rise up] and attack the people of Kedar,
and destroy the ·people of the East [L sons of Kedar].
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their belongings will be carried off—
their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
‘Terror on every side [6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5]!’
30 “·Run away [Flee] quickly!
People in Hazor, ·find a ·good [L deep] place to hide [hide in deep places]!” says the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
and ·wants to defeat [L makes plans against] you.
31 “·Get [L Rise] up! Attack the nation that is ·comfortable [at ease],
that is ·sure [confident; C that no one will defeat it],” says the Lord.
“It does not have gates or ·fences [L bars; C to protect it].
Its people live alone.
32 The enemy will ·steal [L plunder; despoil] their camels
and their large herds of cattle as ·war prizes [plunder; booty].
I will scatter the people who ·cut their hair short [shave their temples; Deut. 14:1] to ·every part of the earth [L the wind],
and I will bring disaster on them from everywhere,” says the Lord.
33 “The city of Hazor will become a ·home [den; haunt] for ·wild dogs [jackals; 9:11; 10:22];
it will be ·an empty desert [desolate] forever.
No one will live there,
and no one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it.”
A Message to Elam
34 ·Soon after Zedekiah became [L At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the] king of Judah [C beginning in 597 bc], the Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the nation of Elam [C located on the Iranian plateau].
35 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“I will soon break Elam’s bow [Is. 22:6],
its greatest strength.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam
from the four corners of the ·skies [heavens].
I will scatter its people ·everywhere the four winds blow [L to all four winds];
its ·captives [exiles] will go to every nation.
37 I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies,
who ·want to destroy them [L seek their life].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] to Elam
and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord.
“I will send a sword ·to chase Elam [L after them]
until I have ·killed [ended; annihilated] them all.
38 I will set up my throne in Elam,
and I will destroy its king and its officers!” says the Lord.
39 “But I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] Elam again
in the ·future [L latter days],” says the Lord.