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v1
Concerning the Ammonites: ^[Literally “sons of Ammon”] Thus says Yahweh, “Are there no sons for Israel? Or is there no heir for him? Why has Milcom taken possession of Gad, and his people dwelled in its towns?
v2
Therefore ^[Literally “To thus”] look, days are coming,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, “and I will sound against Rabbah, the Ammonites, ^[Literally “sons of Ammon”] the alarm of the war, and it will become as a mound of desolation, and its daughters will burn in the fire. Then Israel will dispossess his dispossessors,” says Yahweh.
v3
“Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is devastated. Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, put on sackcloth. Lament and run back and forth among the walls. For Milcom will go into exile, his priests and his officials together.
v4
Why do you boast in your valleys? Your valleys ^[Hebrew “valley”] are ebbing. O unfaithful daughter, who trusted in her treasures, who said, ‘Who will come against me?‘
v5
Look, I am going to bring dread on you,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Lord Yahweh of hosts, “from all your surrounding neighbors. And you will be scattered, each one before it, ^[Literally “to the face of it”] and there is no one who gathers the fugitives. ^[Hebrew “fugitive”]
v6
Yet afterward ^[Literally “after thus”] I will restore the fortunes ^[Hebrew “fortune”] of the Ammonites,” ^[Literally “sons of Ammon”] declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v7
Concerning Edom, thus says Yahweh of hosts: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel become lost from those who understand? Is their wisdom rotting?
v8
Flee! Turn back! Get down low! ^[Literally “make deep to dwell”] O inhabitants of Dedan. For I will bring upon him the disaster of Esau at the time when I will punish him.
v9
If grape-gatherers come to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves in the night, they destroy only enough for them. ^[Literally “their enough”]
v10
But I have stripped Esau bare. I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to hide himself. His offspring are devastated, along with ^[Literally “and”] his brothers, and his neighbors, and he is no more. ^[Literally “and not he”]
v11
Leave your orphans. I will let them ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] live. And your widows, let them trust in me.”
v12
For thus says Yahweh, “Look, those who are not condemned ^[Literally “who there is not their justice”] to drink the cup must certainly drink it. ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] And are you the one who will go entirely unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must certainly drink it. ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation]
v13
For I have sworn by myself,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, “that Bozrah will become as a horror, as a disgrace, as a waste, and as a curse. And all her towns will be everlasting sites of ruins.” ^[Literally “sites of ruins of eternity”]
v14
I have heard a message from Yahweh, and a messenger has been sent among the nations. “Gather and come against her, and rise for the battle.”
v15
“For look, I will make you small among the nations, despised by the humankind.
v16
Your terror has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, you who seize the height of the hill. Though you make your nest high like the eagle, from there I will bring you down,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v17
“And Edom will become as a horror, everyone who passes by it ^[Literally “all who passes by it”] will be appalled, and will hiss because of all its blows.
v18
As the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says Yahweh, “no one ^[Literally “not a man”] will live there, and the son of humankind will not dwell as an alien in it.
v19
Look, like a lion he comes up from the thickets of the Jordan to a pastureland by a constantly flowing stream. ^[Literally “a pasture of everflowing”] So I will chase him away hurriedly ^[Literally “I will do in an instant I will chase him away”] from it. And whoever is chosen I will appoint over it. For who is like me, and who can summon me? And who is this, the shepherd who can stand before me?” ^[Literally “to the face of me”]
v20
Therefore ^[Literally “To thus”] hear the plan of Yahweh that he has planned against Edom, and his plans that he has planned against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely ^[Literally “If not”] they will drag them away, the little ones of the flock. Surely ^[Literally “If not”] he will cause to be desolated over them their grazing place.
v21
The earth will quake from the sound of their falling. A cry of distress! Their voice will be heard at the Red Sea. ^[Hebrew “Sea of Reeds”]
v22
Look, like an eagle he will go up and he will swoop down, and he will spread out his wings against Bozrah. And the heart of the warriors of Edom will be in that day like the heart of a woman who is in labor.
v23
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are ashamed, for they have heard bad news; they melt. There is concern in the sea. It is not able to keep quiet.
v24
Damascus has grown slack. She has turned away to flee and panic. Anxiety has seized her, and labor pains have grasped her, like a woman in labor.
v25
How the city of praise has not been abandoned! The city of my joy!
v26
Therefore ^[Literally “To thus”] her young men will fall in her public squares, and all the soldiers ^[Literally “the men of the battle”] will perish in that day,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh of hosts.
v27
“And I will kindle a fire at the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the citadel fortresses of Ben-hadad.”
v28
Concerning Kedar and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon defeated. Thus says Yahweh: “Rise up, go up against Kedar and destroy the people ^[Or “sons”] of the east.
v29
They will take their tents, and their flocks, their tent curtains, and all their equipment, and their camels they will carry away for themselves, and they will call to them, ‘Terror is from all around.‘
v30
Flee! Wander far away! Get down low! ^[Literally “Make deep to dwell”] O inhabitants of Hazor,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. “For Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has planned a plan against you. And he has schemed ^[Or “planned”] a scheme ^[Or “plan”] against you.
v31
Rise up, go up against a nation which is at ease, living securely,” ^[Literally “with confidence”] declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. “There are no gates and there are no bars ^[Hebrew “bar”] for them, they dwell alone.
v32
And their camels will become as plunder, and the multitude of their livestock as spoil. And I will scatter to every wind those who are trimmed to the side, and from every side ^[Literally “all his sides”] I will bring their disaster,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v33
“And Hazor will become as a lair of jackals, a waste forever; no one will live there, and no son of humankind will dwell as an alien in it.”
v34
The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the king of Judah, saying, ^[Literally “to say”]
v35
“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Look, I am going to break the bow of Elam, the first and best of their might.
v36
And I will bring to Elam four winds, from the four corners of heaven, and I will scatter them to all these winds, and there will not be a nation where the scattered people of Elam will not go.
v37
So I will shatter Elam before ^[Literally “to the face of”] their enemies, and before ^[Literally “to the face of”] the seekers of their life. And I will bring disaster upon them, my burning anger, ^[Literally “the blaze of my nose”]’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh. ‘And I will send after them the sword until I have destroyed them.
v38
And I will set my throne in Elam and I will destroy from there king and officials,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.
v39
‘And then ^[Literally “And it will happen”] in the last of the days I will restore the fortunes ^[Hebrew “fortune”] of Elam,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.”