Jeremiah 48:1-49:39

Other Translations of Jeremiah 48:1-49:39

New International Version

The Prophecy concerning Moab

48¹ Concerning Moab: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the strongholdOr "captured;" / "Misgab" will be disgraced and shattered. ² Moab will be praised no more; in HeshbonThe Hebrew for "Heshbon" sounds like the Hebrew for "plot" . people will plot her downfall: 'Come, let us put an end to that nation.' You, the people of Madmen,The name of the Moabite town Madmen sounds like the Hebrew for "be silenced." will also be silenced; the sword will pursue you. ³ Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim, cries of great havoc and destruction. ⁴ Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out.Hebrew; Septuagint "/ proclaim it to Zoar" ⁵ They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim anguished cries over the destruction are heard. ⁶ Flee! Run for your lives; become like a bushOr "like Aroer" in the desert. ⁷ Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. ⁸ The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the Lord has spoken. ⁹ Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid wasteOr "Give wings to Moab," / "for she will fly away" ; her towns will become desolate, with no one to live in them. ¹⁰ "A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work! A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed! ¹¹ "Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another- she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. ¹² But days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will send men who pour from pitchers, and they will pour her out; they will empty her pitchers and smash her jars. ¹³ Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.

¹⁴ "How can you say, 'We are warriors, men valiant in battle'? ¹⁵ Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter," declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty. ¹⁶ "The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. ¹⁷ Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, 'How broken is the mighty scepter, how broken the glorious staff!' ¹⁸ "Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon, for the one who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities. ¹⁹ Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, 'What has happened?' ²⁰ Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. ²¹ Judgment has come to the plateau- to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath, ²² to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, ²³ to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, ²⁴ to Kerioth and Bozrah- to all the towns of Moab, far and near. ²⁵ Moab's horn"Horn" here symbolizes strength. is cut off; her arm is broken," declares the Lord. ²⁶ "Make her drunk, for she has defied the Lord. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. ²⁷ Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her? ²⁸ Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave. ²⁹ "We have heard of Moab's pride- how great is her arrogance!- of her insolence, her pride, her conceit and the haughtiness of her heart. ³⁰ I know her insolence but it is futile," declares the Lord, "and her boasts accomplish nothing. ³¹ Therefore I wail over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth. ³² I weep for you, as Jazer weeps, you vines of Sibmah. Your branches spread as far as the seaProbably the Dead Sea ; they reached as far asTwo Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts "as far as the Sea of" Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. ³³ Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy. Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy. ³⁴ "The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up. ³⁵ In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods," declares the Lord. ³⁶ "So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone. ³⁷ Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth. ³⁸ On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants," declares the Lord. ³⁹ "How shattered she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule, an object of horror to all those around her." ⁴⁰ This is what the Lord says: "Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. ⁴¹ KeriothOr "The cities" will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. ⁴² Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord. ⁴³ Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab," declares the Lord. ⁴⁴ "Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment," declares the Lord. ⁴⁵ "In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters. ⁴⁶ Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. ⁴⁷ "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab.

The Prophecy concerning the Ammonites

49¹ Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the Lord says: "Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has MolekOr "their king" ; also in verse 3 taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns? ² But the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the Lord. ³ "Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. ⁴ Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, 'Who will attack me?' ⁵ I will bring terror on you from all those around you," declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. "Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. ⁶ "Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the Lord.

The Prophecy concerning Edom

⁷ Concerning Edom: This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? ⁸ Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him. ⁹ If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? ¹⁰ But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say, ¹¹ 'Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.' " ¹² This is what the Lord says: "If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. ¹³ I swear by myself," declares the Lord, "that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse,That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed. an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever." ¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, "Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!" ¹⁵ "Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind. ¹⁶ The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down," declares the Lord. ¹⁷ "Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. ¹⁸ As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns," says the Lord, "so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it. ¹⁹ "Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?" ²⁰ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. ²¹ At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.Or "the Sea of Reeds" ²² Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

The Prophecy concerning Damascus

²³ Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled likeHebrew "on" or "by" the restless sea. ²⁴ Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. ²⁵ Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? ²⁶ Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day," declares the Lord Almighty. ²⁷ "I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad."

The Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: "Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. ²⁹ Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, 'Terror on every side!' ³⁰ "Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor," declares the Lord. "Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. ³¹ "Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence," declares the Lord, "a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger. ³² Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant placesOr "who clip the hair by their foreheads"and will bring disaster on them from every side," declares the Lord. ³³ "Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it."

The Prophecy concerning Elam

³⁴ This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: ³⁵ This is what the Lord Almighty says: "See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. ³⁶ I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go. ³⁷ I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger," declares the Lord. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. ³⁸ I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials," declares the Lord. ³⁹ "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come," declares the Lord.

English Standard Version

The Prophecy concerning Moab

48¹ Concerning Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste! Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; the fortress is put to shame and broken down; ² the renown of Moab is no more. In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: 'Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!' You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you. ³ "A voice! A cry from Horonaim, 'Desolation and great destruction!' ⁴ Moab is destroyed; her little ones have made a cry. ⁵ For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping;Hebrew weeping goes up with weeping for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distressed crySeptuagint (compare Isaiah 15:5) heard the cry of destruction. ⁶ Flee! Save yourselves! You will be like a juniper in the desert! ⁷ For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials. ⁸ The destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord has spoken. ⁹ "Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them. ¹⁰ "Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. ¹¹ "Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. ¹² "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break hisSeptuagint, Aquila; Hebrew their jars in pieces. ¹³ Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

¹⁴ "How do you say, 'We are heroes and mighty men of war'? ¹⁵ The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. ¹⁶ The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly. ¹⁷ Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, 'How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff.' ¹⁸ "Come down from your glory, and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitant of Dibon! For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you; he has destroyed your strongholds. ¹⁹ Stand by the way and watch, O inhabitant of Aroer! Ask him who flees and her who escapes; say, 'What has happened?' ²⁰ Moab is put to shame, for it is broken; wail and cry! Tell it beside the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. ²¹ "Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon, and Jahzah, and Mephaath, ²² and Dibon, and Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, ²³ and Kiriathaim, and Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, ²⁴ and Kerioth, and Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. ²⁵ The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, declares the Lord. ²⁶ "Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against the Lord, so that Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he too shall be held in derision. ²⁷ Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head? ²⁸ "Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab! Be like the dove that nests in the sides of the mouth of a gorge. ²⁹ We have heard of the pride of Moab-- he is very proud-- of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart. ³⁰ I know his insolence, declares the Lord; his boasts are false, his deeds are false. ³¹ Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn. ³² More than for Jazer I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches passed over the sea, reached to the Sea of Jazer; on your summer fruits and your grapes the destroyer has fallen. ³³ Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy. ³⁴ "From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also have become desolate. ³⁵ And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the Lord, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god. ³⁶ Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished. ³⁷ "For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth. ³⁸ On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the Lord. ³⁹ How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him." ⁴⁰ For thus says the Lord: "Behold, one shall fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab; ⁴¹ the cities shall be taken and the strongholds seized. The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains; ⁴² Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he magnified himself against the Lord. ⁴³ Terror, pit, and snare are before you, O inhabitant of Moab! declares the Lord. ⁴⁴ He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the Lord. ⁴⁵ "In the shadow of Heshbon fugitives stop without strength, for fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the house of Sihon; it has destroyed the forehead of Moab, the crown of the sons of tumult. ⁴⁶ Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone, for your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters into captivity. ⁴⁷ Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord." Thus far is the judgment on Moab.

The Prophecy concerning the Ammonites

49¹ Concerning the Ammonites. Thus says the Lord: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has Milcom dispossessed Gad, and his people settled in its cities? ² Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will cause the battle cry to be heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it shall become a desolate mound, and its villages shall be burned with fire; then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the Lord. ³ "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro among the hedges! For Milcom shall go into exile, with his priests and his officials. ⁴ Why do you boast of your valleys,Hebrew boast of your valleys, your valley flows O faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' ⁵ Behold, I will bring terror upon you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts, from all who are around you, and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him, with none to gather the fugitives. ⁶ "But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord."

The Prophecy concerning Edom

⁷ Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? ⁸ Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time when I punish him. ⁹ If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves? ¹⁰ But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more. ¹¹ Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me." ¹² For thus says the Lord: "If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. ¹³ For I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes." ¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord, and an envoy has been sent among the nations: "Gather yourselves together and come against her, and rise up for battle! ¹⁵ For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind. ¹⁶ The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock,Or of Sela who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord. ¹⁷ "Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. ¹⁸ As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the Lord, no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn in her. ¹⁹ Behold, like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make himSeptuagint, Syriac them run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? ²⁰ Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. ²¹ At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. ²² Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains."

The Prophecy concerning Damascus

²³ Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard bad news; they melt in fear, they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet. ²⁴ Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor. ²⁵ How is the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy? ²⁶ Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day, declares the Lord of hosts. ²⁷ And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad."

The Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down. Thus says the Lord: "Rise up, advance against Kedar! Destroy the people of the east! ²⁹ Their tents and their flocks shall be taken, their curtains and all their goods; their camels shall be led away from them, and men shall cry to them: 'Terror on every side!' ³⁰ Flee, wander far away, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor! declares the Lord. For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made a plan against you and formed a purpose against you. ³¹ "Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, that dwells securely, declares the Lord, that has no gates or bars, that dwells alone. ³² Their camels shall become plunder, their herds of livestock a spoil. I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their hair, and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, declares the Lord. ³³ Hazor shall become a haunt of jackals, an everlasting waste; no man shall dwell there; no man shall sojourn in her."

The Prophecy concerning Elam

³⁴ The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. ³⁵ Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. ³⁶ And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come. ³⁷ I will terrify Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, declares the Lord. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them, ³⁸ and I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the Lord. ³⁹ "But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord."

The Message

The Prophecy concerning Moab

48¹ The Message on Moab from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel: "Doom to Nebo! Leveled to the ground! Kiriathaim demeaned and defeated, The mighty fortress reduced to a molehill, ² Moab's glory - dust and ashes. Conspirators plot Heshbon's doom: 'Come, let's wipe Moab off the map.' Dungface Dimon will loudly lament, as killing follows killing. ³ Listen! A cry out of Horonaim: 'Disaster - doom and more doom!' ⁴ Moab will be shattered. Her cries will be heard clear down in Zoar. ⁵ Up the ascent of Luhith climbers weep, And down the descent from Horonaim, cries of loss and devastation. ⁶ Oh, run for your lives! Get out while you can! Survive by your wits in the wild! ⁷ You trusted in thick walls and big money, yes? But it won't help you now. Your big god Chemosh will be hauled off, his priests and managers with him. ⁸ A wrecker will wreck every city. Not a city will survive. The valley fields will be ruined, the plateau pastures destroyed, just as I told you. ⁹ Cover the land of Moab with salt. Make sure nothing ever grows here again. Her towns will all be ghost towns. Nobody will ever live here again. ¹⁰ Sloppy work in God's name is cursed, and cursed all halfhearted use of the sword. ¹¹ "Moab has always taken it easy - lazy as a dog in the sun, Never had to work for a living, never faced any trouble, Never had to grow up, never once worked up a sweat. ¹² But those days are a thing of the past. I'll put him to work at hard labor. That will wake him up to the world of hard knocks. That will smash his illusions. ¹³ Moab will be as ashamed of god Chemosh as Israel was ashamed of her Bethel calf-gods, the calf-gods she thought were so great.

¹⁴ For how long do you think you'll be saying, 'We're tough. We can beat anyone anywhere'? ¹⁵ The destruction of Moab has already begun. Her choice young soldiers are lying dead right now." The King's Decree - his full name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies. ¹⁶ "Yes. Moab's doom is on countdown, disaster targeted and launched. ¹⁷ Weep for Moab, friends and neighbors, all who know how famous he's been. Lament, 'His mighty scepter snapped in two like a toothpick, that magnificent royal staff!' ¹⁸ "Come down from your high horse, pampered beauty of Dibon. Sit in dog dung. The destroyer of Moab will come against you. He'll wreck your safe, secure houses. ¹⁹ Stand on the roadside, pampered women of Aroer. Interview the refugees who are running away. Ask them, 'What's happened? And why?' ²⁰ Moab will be an embarrassing memory, nothing left of the place. Wail and weep your eyes out! Tell the bad news along the Arnon river. Tell the world that Moab is no more. ²¹ "My judgment will come to the plateau cities: on Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath; ²² on Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim; ²³ on Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon; ²⁴ on Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the cities of Moab, far and near. ²⁵ "Moab's link to power is severed. Moab's arm is broken." God's Decree. The Sheer Nothingness of Moab ²⁶ "Turn Moab into a drunken sot, drunk on the wine of my wrath, a dung-faced drunk, filling the country with vomit - Moab a falling-down drunk, a joke in bad taste. ²⁷ Wasn't it you, Moab, who made crude jokes over Israel? And when they were caught in bad company, didn't you cluck and gossip and snicker? ²⁸ "Leave town! Leave! Look for a home in the cliffs, you who grew up in Moab. Try living like a dove who nests high in the river gorge. ²⁹ "We've all heard of Moab's pride, that legendary pride, The strutting, bullying, puffed-up pride, the insufferable arrogance. ³⁰ I know" - God's Decree - "his rooster-crowing pride, the inflated claims, the sheer nothingness of Moab. ³¹ But I will weep for Moab, yes, I will mourn for the people of Moab. I will even mourn for the people of Kir-heres. ³² I'll weep for the grapevines of Sibmah and join Jazer in her weeping - Grapevines that once reached the Dead Sea with tendrils as far as Jazer. Your summer fruit and your bursting grapes will be looted by brutal plunderers, ³³ Lush Moab stripped of song and laughter. And yes, I'll shut down the winepresses, stop all the shouts and hurrahs of harvest. ³⁴ "Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out, and the people in Jahaz will hear the cries. They will hear them all the way from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim will be dried up. ³⁵ "I will put a stop in Moab" - God's Decree - "to all hiking to the high places to offer burnt sacrifices to the gods. ³⁶ "My heart moans for Moab, for the men of Kir-heres, like soft flute sounds carried by the wind. They've lost it all. They've got nothing. ³⁷ "Everywhere you look are signs of mourning: heads shaved, beards cut, Hands scratched and bleeding, clothes ripped and torn. ³⁸ "In every house in Moab there'll be loud lamentation, on every street in Moab, loud lamentation. As with a pottery jug that no one wants, I'll smash Moab to bits." God's Decree. ³⁹ "Moab ruined! Moab shamed and ashamed to be seen! Moab a cruel joke! The stark horror of Moab!" ⁴⁰ God's verdict on Moab. Indeed! "Look! An eagle is about to swoop down and spread its wings over Moab. ⁴¹ The towns will be captured, the fortresses taken. Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight, like a woman giving birth to a baby. ⁴² There'll be nothing left of Moab, nothing at all, because of his defiant arrogance against me. ⁴³ "Terror and pit and trap are what you have facing you, Moab." God's Decree. ⁴⁴ "A man running in terror will fall into a trap. A man climbing out of a pit will be caught in a trap. This is my agenda for Moab on doomsday." God's Decree. ⁴⁵ "On the outskirts of Heshbon, refugees will pull up short, worn out. Fire will flame high from Heshbon, a firestorm raging from the capital of Sihon's kingdom. It will burn off Moab's eyebrows, will scorch the skull of the braggarts. ⁴⁶ That's all for you, Moab! You worshipers of Chemosh will be finished off! Your sons will be trucked off to prison camps; your daughters will be herded into exile. ⁴⁷ But yet there's a day that's coming when I'll put things right in Moab. "For now, that's the judgment on Moab."

The Prophecy concerning the Ammonites

49¹ God's Message on the Ammonites: "Doesn't Israel have any children, no one to step into her inheritance? So why is the god Milcom taking over Gad's land, his followers moving into its towns? ² But not for long! The time's coming" - God's Decree - "When I'll fill the ears of Rabbah, Ammon's big city, with battle cries. She'll end up a pile of rubble, all her towns burned to the ground. Then Israel will kick out the invaders. I, God, say so, and it will be so. ³ Wail Heshbon, Ai is in ruins. Villages of Rabbah, wring your hands! Dress in mourning, weep buckets of tears. Go into hysterics, run around in circles! Your god Milcom will be hauled off to exile, and all his priests and managers right with him. ⁴ Why do you brag of your once-famous strength? You're a broken-down has-been, a castoff Who fondles his trophies and dreams of glory days and vainly thinks, 'No one can lay a hand on me.' ⁵ Well, think again. I'll face you with terror from all sides." Word of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies. "You'll be stampeded headlong, with no one to round up the runaways. ⁶ Still, the time will come when I will make things right with Ammon." God's Decree. Strutting Across the Stage of History

The Prophecy concerning Edom

⁷ The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on Edom: "Is there nobody wise left in famous Teman? no one with a sense of reality? Has their wisdom gone wormy and rotten? ⁸ Run for your lives! Get out while you can! Find a good place to hide, you who live in Dedan! I'm bringing doom to Esau. It's time to settle accounts. ⁹ When harvesters work your fields, don't they leave gleanings? When burglars break into your house, don't they take only what they want? ¹⁰ But I'll strip Esau clean. I'll search out every nook and cranny. I'll destroy everything connected with him, children and relatives and neighbors. There'll be no one left who will be able to say, ¹¹ 'I'll take care of your orphans. Your widows can depend on me.'" ¹² Indeed. God says, "I tell you, if there are people who have to drink the cup of God's wrath even though they don't deserve it, why would you think you'd get off? You won't get off. You'll drink it. Oh yes, you'll drink every drop. ¹³ And as for Bozrah, your capital, I swear by all that I am" - God's Decree - "that that city will end up a pile of charred ruins, a stinking garbage dump, an obscenity - and all her daughter-cities with her." ¹⁴ I've just heard the latest from God. He's sent an envoy to the nations: "Muster your troops and attack Edom. Present arms! Go to war!" ¹⁵ "Ah, Edom, I'm dropping you to last place among nations, the bottom of the heap, kicked around. ¹⁶ You think you're so great - strutting across the stage of history, Living high in the impregnable rocks, acting like king of the mountain. You think you're above it all, don't you, like an eagle in its aerie? Well, you're headed for a fall. I'll bring you crashing to the ground." God's Decree. ¹⁷ "Edom will end up trash. Stinking, despicable trash. A wonder of the world in reverse. ¹⁸ She'll join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors in the sewers of history." God says so. "No one will live there, no mortal soul move in there. ¹⁹ "Watch this: Like a lion coming up from the thick jungle of the Jordan Looking for prey in the mountain pastures, I will come upon Edom and pounce. I'll take my pick of the flock - and who's to stop me? The shepherds of Edom are helpless before me." ²⁰ So, listen to this plan that God has worked out against Edom, the blueprint of what he's prepared for those who live in Teman: "Believe it or not, the young, the vulnerable - mere lambs and kids - will be dragged off. Believe it or not, the flock in shock, helpless to help, will watch it happen. ²¹ The very earth will shudder because of their cries, cries of anguish heard at the distant Red Sea. ²² Look! An eagle soars, swoops down, spreads its wings over Bozrah. Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight, like a woman giving birth to a baby." The Blood Will Drain from the Face of Damascus

The Prophecy concerning Damascus

²³ The Message on Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad will be in shock when they hear the bad news. Their hearts will melt in fear as they pace back and forth in worry. ²⁴ The blood will drain from the face of Damascus as she turns to flee. Hysterical, she'll fall to pieces, disabled, like a woman in childbirth. ²⁵ And now how lonely - bereft, abandoned! The once famous city, the once happy city. ²⁶ Her bright young men dead in the streets, her brave warriors silent as death. On that day" - Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies - ²⁷ "I'll start a fire at the wall of Damascus that will burn down all of Ben-hadad's forts." Find a Safe Place to Hide

The Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ The Message on Kedar and the sheikdoms of Hazor who were attacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This is God's Message: "On your feet! Attack Kedar! Plunder the Bedouin nomads from the east. ²⁹ Grab their blankets and pots and pans. Steal their camels. Traumatize them, shouting, 'Terror! Death! Doom! Danger everywhere!' ³⁰ Oh, run for your lives, You nomads from Hazor." God's Decree. "Find a safe place to hide. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plans to wipe you out, to go after you with a vengeance: ³¹ 'After them,' he says. 'Go after these relaxed nomads who live free and easy in the desert, Who live in the open with no doors to lock, who live off by themselves.' ³² Their camels are there for the taking, their herds and flocks, easy picking. I'll scatter them to the four winds, these defenseless nomads on the fringes of the desert. I'll bring terror from every direction. They won't know what hit them." God's Decree. ³³ "Jackals will take over the camps of Hazor, camps abandoned to wind and sand. No one will live there, no mortal soul move in there." The Winds Will Blow Away Elam

The Prophecy concerning Elam

³⁴ God's Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. ³⁵ This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: "Watch this! I'll break Elam's bow, her weapon of choice, across my knee. ³⁶ Then I'll let four winds loose on Elam, winds from the four corners of earth. I'll blow them away in all directions, landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth. ³⁷ They'll live in constant fear and terror among enemies who want to kill them. I'll bring doom on them, my anger-fueled doom. I'll set murderous hounds on their heels until there's nothing left of them. ³⁸ And then I'll set up my throne in Elam, having thrown out the king and his henchmen. ³⁹ But the time will come when I make everything right for Elam again." God's Decree.

New King James Version

The Prophecy concerning Moab

48¹ Against Moab. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed-- ² No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: 'Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.' You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you; ³ A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: 'Plundering and great destruction!' ⁴ "Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard; ⁵ For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. ⁶ "Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness. ⁷ For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together. ⁸ And the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the Lord has spoken. ⁹ "Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them. ¹⁰ Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood. ¹¹ "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed. ¹² "Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I shall send him wine-workers Who will tip him over And empty his vessels And break the bottles. ¹³ Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

¹⁴ "How can you say, 'We are mighty And strong men for the war'? ¹⁵ Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter," says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts. ¹⁶ "The calamity of Moab is near at hand, And his affliction comes quickly. ¹⁷ Bemoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, 'How the strong staff is broken, The beautiful rod!' ¹⁸ "O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds. ¹⁹ O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way and watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; Say, 'What has happened?' ²⁰ Moab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered. ²¹ "And judgment has come on the plain country: On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath, ²² On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, ²³ On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, ²⁴ On Kerioth and Bozrah, On all the cities of the land of Moab, Far or near. ²⁵ The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken," says the Lord. ²⁶ "Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision. ²⁷ For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn. ²⁸ You who dwell in Moab, Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, And be like the dove which makes her nest In the sides of the cave's mouth. ²⁹ "We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart." ³⁰ "I know his wrath," says the Lord, "But it is not right; His lies have made nothing right. ³¹ Therefore I will wail for Moab, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres. ³² O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer. Your plants have gone over the sea, They reach to the sea of Jazer. The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage. ³³ Joy and gladness are taken From the plentiful field And from the land of Moab; I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses; No one will tread with joyous shouting-- Not joyous shouting! ³⁴ "From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz They have uttered their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim, Like a three-year-old heifer; For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate. ³⁵ "Moreover," says the Lord, "I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods. ³⁶ Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished. ³⁷ "For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth-- ³⁸ A general lamentation On all the housetops of Moab, And in its streets; For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure," says the Lord. ³⁹ "They shall wail: 'How she is broken down! How Moab has turned her back with shame!' So Moab shall be a derision And a dismay to all those about her." ⁴⁰ For thus says the Lord: "Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab. ⁴¹ Kerioth is taken, And the strongholds are surprised; The mighty men's hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs. ⁴² And Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the Lord. ⁴³ Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," says the Lord. ⁴⁴ "He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, And he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For upon Moab, upon it I will bring The year of their punishment," says the Lord. ⁴⁵ "Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult. ⁴⁶ Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. ⁴⁷ "Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days," says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

The Prophecy concerning the Ammonites

49¹ Against the Ammonites. Thus says the Lord: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad, And his people dwell in its cities? ² Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance," says the Lord. ³ "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is plundered! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth! Lament and run to and fro by the walls; For Milcom shall go into captivity With his priests and his princes together. ⁴ Why do you boast in the valleys, Your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' ⁵ Behold, I will bring fear upon you," Says the Lord God of hosts, "From all those who are around you; You shall be driven out, everyone headlong, And no one will gather those who wander off. ⁶ But afterward I will bring back The captives of the people of Ammon," says the Lord.

The Prophecy concerning Edom

⁷ Against Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? ⁸ Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, The time that I will punish him. ⁹ If grape-gatherers came to you, Would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, Would they not destroy until they have enough? ¹⁰ But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, And he shall not be able to hide himself. His descendants are plundered, His brethren and his neighbors, And he is no more. ¹¹ Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me." ¹² For thus says the Lord: "Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it. ¹³ For I have sworn by Myself," says the Lord, "that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual wastes." ¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord, And an ambassador has been sent to the nations: "Gather together, come against her, And rise up to battle! ¹⁵ "For indeed, I will make you small among nations, Despised among men. ¹⁶ Your fierceness has deceived you, The pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there," says the Lord. ¹⁷ "Edom also shall be an astonishment; Everyone who goes by it will be astonished And will hiss at all its plagues. ¹⁸ As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors," says the Lord, "No one shall remain there, Nor shall a son of man dwell in it. ¹⁹ "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?" ²⁰ Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord that He has taken against Edom, And His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; Surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them. ²¹ The earth shakes at the noise of their fall; At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea. ²² Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, And spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.

The Prophecy concerning Damascus

²³ Against Damascus. "Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. ²⁴ Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. ²⁵ Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? ²⁶ Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day," says the Lord of hosts. ²⁷ "I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad."

The Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike. Thus says the Lord: "Arise, go up to Kedar, And devastate the men of the East! ²⁹ Their tents and their flocks they shall take away. They shall take for themselves their curtains, All their vessels and their camels; And they shall cry out to them, 'Fear is on every side!' ³⁰ "Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor!" says the Lord. "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you, And has conceived a plan against you. ³¹ "Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely," says the Lord, "Which has neither gates nor bars, Dwelling alone. ³² Their camels shall be for booty, And the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, And I will bring their calamity from all its sides," says the Lord. ³³ "Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it."

The Prophecy concerning Elam

³⁴ 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, ³⁵ "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might. ³⁶ Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go. ³⁷ For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,' says the Lord; 'And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them. ³⁸ I will set My throne in Elam, And will destroy from there the king and the princes,' says the Lord. ³⁹ 'But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,' says the Lord."

New Living Translation

The Prophecy concerning Moab

48¹ This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, says: "What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down. ² No one will ever brag about Moab again, for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her. 'Come,' they say, 'we will cut her off from being a nation.' The town of Madmen, too, will be silenced; the sword will follow you there. ³ Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of devastation and great destruction. ⁴ All Moab is destroyed. Her little ones will cry out. ⁵ Her refugees weep bitterly, climbing the slope to Luhith. They cry out in terror, descending the slope to Horonaim. ⁶ Flee for your lives! Hide in the wilderness! ⁷ Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive. Your god Chemosh, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands! ⁸ "All the towns will be destroyed, and no one will escape- either on the plateaus or in the valleys, for the Lord has spoken. ⁹ Oh, that Moab had wings so she could fly away, for her towns will be left empty, with no one living in them. ¹⁰ Cursed are those who refuse to do the Lord 's work, who hold back their swords from shedding blood! ¹¹ "From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace, never going into exile. He is like wine that has been allowed to settle. He has not been poured from flask to flask, and he is now fragrant and smooth. ¹² But the time is coming soon," says the Lord, "when I will send men to pour him from his jar. They will pour him out, then shatter the jar! ¹³ At last Moab will be ashamed of his idol Chemosh, as the people of Israel were ashamed of their gold calf at Bethel.

¹⁴ "You used to boast, 'We are heroes, mighty men of war.' ¹⁵ But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed. His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter," says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven's Armies. ¹⁶ "Destruction is coming fast for Moab; calamity threatens ominously. ¹⁷ You friends of Moab, weep for him and cry! See how the strong scepter is broken, how the beautiful staff is shattered! ¹⁸ "Come down from your glory and sit in the dust, you people of Dibon, for those who destroy Moab will shatter Dibon, too. They will tear down all your towers. ¹⁹ You people of Aroer, stand beside the road and watch. Shout to those who flee from Moab, 'What has happened there?' ²⁰ "And the reply comes back, 'Moab lies in ruins, disgraced; weep and wail! Tell it by the banks of the Arnon River: Moab has been destroyed!' ²¹ Judgment has been poured out on the towns of the plateau- on Holon and Jahaz and Mephaath, ²² on Dibon and Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, ²³ on Kiriathaim and Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, ²⁴ on Kerioth and Bozrah- all the towns of Moab, far and near. ²⁵ "The strength of Moab has ended. His arm has been broken," says the Lord . ²⁶ "Let him stagger and fall like a drunkard, for he has rebelled against the Lord . Moab will wallow in his own vomit, ridiculed by all. ²⁷ Did you not ridicule the people of Israel? Were they caught in the company of thieves that you should despise them as you do? ²⁸ "You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks. ²⁹ We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. ³⁰ I know about his insolence," says the Lord, "but his boasts are empty- as empty as his deeds. ³¹ So now I wail for Moab; yes, I will mourn for Moab. My heart is broken for the men of Kir-hareseth. ³² "You people of Sibmah, rich in vineyards, I will weep for you even more than I did for Jazer. Your spreading vines once reached as far as the Dead Sea, but the destroyer has stripped you bare! He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits. ³³ Joy and gladness are gone from fruitful Moab. The presses yield no wine. No one treads the grapes with shouts of joy. There is shouting, yes, but not of joy. ³⁴ "Instead, their awful cries of terror can be heard from Heshbon clear across to Elealeh and Jahaz; from Zoar all the way to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up now. ³⁵ "I will put an end to Moab," says the Lord, "for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods. ³⁶ My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared. ³⁷ The people shave their heads and beards in mourning. They slash their hands and put on clothes made of burlap. ³⁸ There is crying and sorrow in every Moabite home and on every street. For I have smashed Moab like an old, unwanted jar. ³⁹ How it is shattered! Hear the wailing! See the shame of Moab! It has become an object of ridicule, an example of ruin to all its neighbors." ⁴⁰ This is what the Lord says: "Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab. ⁴¹ Its cities will fall, and its strongholds will be seized. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor. ⁴² Moab will no longer be a nation, for it has boasted against the Lord . ⁴³ "Terror and traps and snares will be your lot, O Moab," says the Lord . ⁴⁴ "Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will step into a snare. I will see to it that you do not get away, for the time of your judgment has come," says the Lord . ⁴⁵ "The people flee as far as Heshbon but are unable to go on. For a fire comes from Heshbon, King Sihon's ancient home, to devour the entire land with all its rebellious people. ⁴⁶ "What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab! The people of the god Chemosh are destroyed! Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as captives. ⁴⁷ But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!" This is the end of Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Moab.

The Prophecy concerning the Ammonites

49¹ This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says: "Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns? ² In the days to come," says the Lord, "I will sound the battle cry against your city of Rabbah. It will become a desolate heap of ruins, and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her," says the Lord . ³ "Cry out, O Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed. Weep, O people of Rabbah! Put on your clothes of mourning. Weep and wail, hiding in the hedges, for your god Molech, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands. ⁴ You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you. ⁵ But look! I will bring terror upon you," says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies. "Your neighbors will chase you from your land, and no one will help your exiles as they flee. ⁶ But I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken."

The Prophecy concerning Edom

⁷ This message was given concerning Edom. This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: "Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is no one left to give wise counsel? ⁸ Turn and flee! Hide in deep caves, you people of Dedan! For when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you, too! ⁹ Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. If thieves came at night, they would not take everything. ¹⁰ But I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide. Its children, its brothers, and its neighbors will all be destroyed, and Edom itself will be no more. ¹¹ But I will protect the orphans who remain among you. Your widows, too, can depend on me for help." ¹² And this is what the Lord says: "If the innocent must suffer, how much more must you! You will not go unpunished! You must drink this cup of judgment! ¹³ For I have sworn by my own name," says the Lord, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of ruins; it will be mocked and cursed. All its towns and villages will be desolate forever." ¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, "Form a coalition against Edom, and prepare for battle!" ¹⁵ The Lord says to Edom, "I will cut you down to size among the nations. You will be despised by all. ¹⁶ You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down," says the Lord . ¹⁷ "Edom will be an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will gasp at the destruction they see there. ¹⁸ It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns," says the Lord . "No one will live there; no one will inhabit it. ¹⁹ I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Edom from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?" ²⁰ Listen to the Lord 's plans against Edom and the people of Teman. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed. ²¹ The earth will shake with the noise of Edom's fall, and its cry of despair will be heard all the way to the Red Sea. ²² Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Bozrah. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor.

The Prophecy concerning Damascus

²³ This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says: "The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction. Their hearts are troubled like a wild sea in a raging storm. ²⁴ Damascus has become feeble, and all her people turn to flee. Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her as they grip a woman in labor. ²⁵ That famous city, a city of joy, will be forsaken! ²⁶ Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. ²⁷ "And I will set fire to the walls of Damascus that will burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad."

The Prophecy concerning Kedar and Hazor

²⁸ This message was given concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which were attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This is what the Lord says: "Advance against Kedar! Destroy the warriors from the East! ²⁹ Their flocks and tents will be captured, and their household goods and camels will be taken away. Everywhere shouts of panic will be heard: 'We are terrorized at every turn!' ³⁰ Run for your lives," says the Lord . "Hide yourselves in deep caves, you people of Hazor, for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has plotted against you and is preparing to destroy you. ³¹ "Go up and attack that complacent nation," says the Lord . "Its people live alone in the desert without walls or gates. ³² Their camels and other livestock will all be yours. I will scatter to the winds these people who live in remote places. I will bring calamity upon them from every direction," says the Lord . ³³ "Hazor will be inhabited by jackals, and it will be desolate forever. No one will live there; no one will inhabit it."

The Prophecy concerning Elam

³⁴ This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. ³⁵ This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: "I will destroy the archers of Elam- the best of their forces. ³⁶ I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world. ³⁷ I myself will go with Elam's enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam," says the Lord . "Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. ³⁸ I will set my throne in Elam," says the Lord, "and I will destroy its king and officials. ³⁹ But I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!"