Chapter 49

Concerning the Ammonites, ⁵⁹⁸³ thus saith¹ the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir?⁶ why [then] doth their king inherit¹ Gad, and his people dwell¹ in his cities?

Therefore, behold, the days come,⁶ saith⁷ the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard⁵² in Rabbah of the Ammonites; ⁵⁹⁸³ and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned⁴ with fire: then shall Israel be heir¹ unto them that were his heirs,⁶ saith¹ the LORD.

Howl,⁵⁴ O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled:²⁷ cry,³ ye daughters of Rabbah, gird³ you with sackcloth; lament,³ and run to and fro¹¹² by the hedges; for their king shall go⁴ into captivity, [and] his priests and his princes together.

Wherefore gloriest¹⁰¹ thou in the valleys, thy flowing⁶ valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted⁶ in her treasures, [saying], Who shall come⁴ unto me?

Behold, I will bring⁵⁶ a fear upon thee, saith⁷ the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out⁸ every man right forth; and none shall gather up¹⁸ him that wandereth.⁶

And afterward I will bring again⁵⁵ the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith⁷ the LORD.

Concerning Edom, thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts; [Is] wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished¹ from the prudent?⁵ is their wisdom vanished?⁸

Flee³ ye, turn back,⁹⁰ dwell² deep,⁵² O inhabitants⁶ of Dedan; for I will bring⁵² the calamity of Esau upon him, the time [that] I will visit¹ him.

If grapegatherers⁶ come¹ to thee, would they not leave⁵⁵ [some] gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy⁵² till they have enough.

But I have made Esau bare,¹ I have uncovered¹⁴ his secret places, and he shall not be able⁴ to hide⁹ himself: his seed is spoiled,²⁷ and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he [is] not.

Leave³ thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive;¹⁷ and let thy widows trust⁴ in me.

For thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment [was] not to drink² of the cup have assuredly² drunken;⁴ and [art] thou he [that] shall altogether² go unpunished?¹¹ thou shalt not go unpunished,¹¹ but thou shalt surely² drink⁴ [of it].

For I have sworn⁸ by myself, saith⁷ the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

I have heard¹ a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent⁷ unto the heathen, [saying], Gather ye together,¹⁰⁰ and come³ against her, and rise up³ to the battle.

For, lo, I will make¹ thee small among the heathen, [and] despised⁷ among men.

Thy terribleness hath deceived⁵² thee, [and] the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest⁶ in the clefts of the rock, that holdest⁶ the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high⁵⁵ as the eagle, I will bring thee down⁵⁵ from thence, saith⁷ the LORD.

Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth⁶ by it shall be astonished,⁴ and shall hiss⁴ at all the plagues thereof.

As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour [cities] thereof, saith¹ the LORD, no man shall abide⁴ there, neither shall a son of man dwell⁴ in it.

Behold, he shall come up⁴ like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly⁵⁵ make him run away⁵⁵ from her: and who [is] a chosen⁷ [man, that] I may appoint⁴ over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time?⁵⁵ and who [is] that shepherd⁶ that will stand⁴ before me?

Therefore hear³ the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken¹ against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed¹ against the inhabitants⁶ of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out:⁴ surely he shall make their habitations desolate⁵⁵ with them.

The earth is moved¹ at the noise of their fall,² at the cry the noise thereof was heard⁸ in the Red sea.

Behold, he shall come up⁴ and fly⁴ as the eagle, and spread⁴ 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.⁵⁶

Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded,¹ and Arpad: for they have heard¹ evil tidings: they are fainthearted;⁸ [there is] sorrow on the sea; it cannot ^{3201 4} be quiet.⁵³

Damascus is waxed feeble,¹ [and] turneth⁵² herself to flee,² and fear hath seized⁵² on [her]: anguish and sorrows have taken her,¹ as a woman in travail.⁶

How is the city of praise not left,²⁷ the city of my joy!

Therefore her young men shall fall⁴ in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off¹¹ in that day, saith⁷ the LORD of hosts.

And I will kindle⁵² a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume¹ the palaces of Benhadad.

Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite,⁵² thus saith¹ the LORD; Arise³ ye, go up³ to Kedar, and spoil³ the men of the east.

Their tents and their flocks shall they take away:⁴ they shall take⁴ to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry¹ unto them, Fear [is] on every side.

Flee,³ get³ you far off, dwell² deep,⁵² O ye inhabitants⁶ of Hazor, saith⁷ the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel ^{3289 1} against you, and hath conceived¹ a purpose against you.

Arise,³ get you up³ unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth⁶ without care, saith⁷ the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, [which] dwell⁴ alone.

And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter¹⁴ into all winds them [that are] in the utmost⁷ corners; and I will bring⁵⁵ their calamity from all sides thereof, saith⁷ the LORD.

And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, [and] a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide⁴ there, nor [any] son of man dwell⁴ in it.

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,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break⁶ the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

And upon Elam will I bring⁵² the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter¹⁴ them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts¹² of Elam ⁵⁷⁶⁹ shall not come.⁴

For I will cause Elam to be dismayed⁵² before their enemies,⁶ and before them that seek¹⁸ their life: and I will bring⁵² evil upon them, [even] my fierce anger, saith⁷ the LORD; and I will send¹⁴ the sword after them, till I have consumed¹⁵ them:

And I will set¹ my throne in Elam, and will destroy⁵² from thence the king and the princes, saith⁷ the LORD.

But it shall come to pass in the latter days, [that] I will bring again^{55 7725 4} the captivity ⁷⁶²² of Elam, saith⁷ the LORD.