Jeremiah 49

A message about Ammon

1 The Lord gave this message about the people of Ammon:

‘There are plenty of Israel's descendants who are still alive.

They are strong enough to live in the land that is their home.

So why have people who worship the god Molech moved in to the land of Gad's tribe?

They should not be living in towns that belong to Gad's people.’

2 The Lord says,

‘A time will come when an army attacks Rabbah, Ammon's capital city.

Its people will hear the noise of a battle.

The city will become a big heap of stones.

Fire will destroy the villages around it.

Then the Israelites will chase out the people who had taken their land from them.’

That is what the Lord says.

3 ‘You people in Heshbon, cry aloud,

because the enemy has destroyed Ai.

Weep, you people who live in Rabbah.

Dress yourselves in sackcloth, because you are so sad.

Run around inside the city.

The enemy will take away your idol of Molech.

They will take Molech's priests and their officers to a foreign land.

4 You people of Ammon boast about your power.

But that will soon come to an end!

You have not been faithful.

You have trusted in your riches and you say,

“Nobody will be able to attack us!” ’

5 But the Lord God Almighty says,

‘I will bring terror all around you.

Your enemy will chase you away in all directions.

Nobody will be able to bring you together again.

6 But in future days, I will make Ammon's people strong again.’

That is what the Lord says.

A message about Edom

7 The Lord Almighty gave this message about Edom:

‘It seems that wisdom has disappeared from Teman.

Edom's clever men have no good advice.

Their great ideas have gone away.

8 You people who live in Dedan, run away and escape!

Go and find somewhere safe to hide!

The time has come for me to punish Esau's descendants.

I will cause them to have terrible trouble.

9 If people came to pick your grapes,

they would leave a few grapes on the vines.

If robbers came at night to take your things,

they would only take the things that they needed.

10 But I will take everything from Esau's descendants,

so that they have nothing.

I will open their secret places,

so that they have nowhere to hide.

The enemy will destroy them and their children, family and friends.

None of them will remain alive.

11 But I will take care of your widows and the children who have no family.

You can trust me to keep them safe.’

12 The Lord says, ‘I had to punish even those people who did not deserve my great punishment. So you will certainly not escape my punishment! You will have to drink my anger from the cup that I give to you. 13 I, the Lord, promise you this, with the authority of my own name: Bozrah city will become a heap of stones. The people of other nations will think that it is disgusting. They will laugh at it. They will use its name as a curse. All the towns and villages around it will be heaps of stones for ever.’

14 I have heard a message from the Lord. He has sent someone with this message to the nations:

‘Prepare your armies to attack Edom.

Prepare to fight a battle against Edom!’

15 The Lord says to Edom's people,

‘I will make you a weak nation that nobody respects.

16 You are proud people.

You boast that you cause other people to be afraid of you.

But your thoughts have deceived you.

You live high up among the rocks,

and on the tops of mountains.

But I will bring you down from there,

even if you are as high as an eagle's nest.’

That is what the Lord says.

17 ‘People will see how disgusting Edom is. Everybody who goes there will be very surprised. They will see all the terrible trouble that has happened to the nation, and they will insult it.

18 Edom will become a heap of stones where nobody lives.

The same thing happened to Sodom and Gomorrah,

and the towns that were near them.

Edom will be as empty as a desert.’

That is what the Lord says.

19 ‘I will attack the people of Edom

and I will chase them out of their land.

I will be like a lion that has been hiding in the forest.

It attacks the sheep in the fields beside the Jordan River.

Like that lion, I will suddenly chase Edom's people out of their country.

Then I will choose a leader to rule that nation.

There is nobody who is like me.

Nobody can accuse me of anything.

No ruler can stand against me.

20 So listen to me, the Lord!

This is what I have decided to do to Edom.

Yes, this is the trouble that I will bring to the people who live in Teman.

Soldiers will catch their children and take them away,

like little lambs that they take from their mothers.

I will completely destroy their homes.

21 When Edom's people fall,

the noise will cause the whole earth to shake.

The sound of their sad voices will reach as far as the Red Sea.

22 A nation will rise up high, like an eagle in the sky.

It will fly down to catch its food in Bozrah!

When the brave soldiers of Edom see that, they will become very afraid.

They will be afraid, like a woman who will soon give birth.’

A message about Damascus

23 The Lord gave this message about Damascus:

‘The people of Hamath and Arpad will hear bad news.

It will cause them to be upset.

They will no longer feel brave.

They will not be able to rest because they are afraid.

24 The people of Damascus will become weak.

They will try to run away.

They will become confused because of their fear.

They will feel pain like a woman who is giving birth.

25 Damascus was a famous city.

The people who lived in it were very happy.

But now it will become empty.

26 Its young men will die in its streets.

All its soldiers will be dead.

27 I will burn down the city walls of Damascus.

Fire will destroy the palaces of King Ben-Hadad.’

That is what the Lord Almighty says.

Punishment for Kedar and Hazor

28 The Lord gave this message about Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked:

‘March to Kedar and attack the city!

Destroy those people who live east of Judah.

29 Take away their tents and their sheep.

Take their curtains and the other things in their tents.

Carry those things away with their camels.

Cause the people to shout,

“Terror is everywhere around us!” ’

30 The Lord says,

‘You people who live in Hazor, run away quickly!

Go and find somewhere safe to hide!

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has decided to attack you.

He knows how he will destroy you.’

31 The Lord says to King Nebuchadnezzar,

‘Go and attack that nation.

They think that they are strong and safe.

But their city has no gates or walls to protect them.

They live far away from other people.

32 Take their camels and their farm animals for yourselves.

I will chase away those people who live in the desert and who cut their hair short.

I will send them away in every direction.

And I will bring terrible trouble from every direction to hurt them.

33 Hazor will become as empty as a desert.

Only wild animals will live there.

It will always be a place where no people live.’

Punishment for Elam

34 Soon after Zedekiah became king of Judah, the Lord gave this message about Elam to the prophet Jeremiah. 35 The Lord Almighty said,

‘Listen to me! Elam's army makes them a strong nation.

They have soldiers who can shoot arrows well.

But I will destroy those soldiers.

36 I will cause enemies to attack Elam,

like winds that blow from every direction.

I will chase Elam's people away in every direction.

They will run away to live in every other nation of the world.

37 I will make them very afraid of their enemies who want to kill them.

I will cause them to have terrible trouble,

because I am very angry with them.’

That is what the Lord says.

‘I will send soldiers to attack them,

until I have completely destroyed them.

38 I will destroy their kings and their leaders.

I will be the king who rules over Elam.’

That is what the Lord says.

39 ‘But at a future time,

I will make Elam strong again.’

That is what the Lord says.