1
Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thussays the LORD: "Does Israelhavenosons? Orhas he noheirs? Why then has Malcamtakenpossession of Gad And his peoplesettled in its cities?
2
"Thereforebehold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "That I will cause a trumpetblast of war to be heardAgainstRabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolateheap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will takepossession of his possessors," Says the LORD.
3
"Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, Girdyourselves with sackcloth and lament, And rushback and forth inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exileTogether with his priests and his princes.
4
"Howboastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backslidingdaughter Who trusts in her treasures, saying, 'Who will comeagainst me?'
5
"Behold, I am going to bringterror upon you," Declares the LordGOD of hosts, "From all directions around you; And each of you will be driven out headlong, With noone to gather the fugitives together.
10
"But I have strippedEsaubare, I have uncovered his hidingplaces So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives And his neighbors, and he is nomore.
12
For thussays the LORD, "Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainlydrink it, and are you the one who will be completelyacquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainlydrink it.
13
"For I have sworn by Myself," declares the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will becomeperpetualruins."
14
I have heard a message from the LORD, And an envoy is sent among the nations, saying, "Gather yourselves together and comeagainst her, And rise up for battle!"
16
"As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle's, I will bring you down from there," declares the LORD.
19
"Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordanagainst a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appointover it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And whothen is the shepherdwho can standagainst Me?"
20
Thereforehear the plan of the LORDwhich He has plannedagainstEdom, and His purposeswhich He has purposedagainst the inhabitants of Teman: surely* they will drag them off, even the littleones of the flock; surely* He will make their pasturedesolatebecause of them.
22
Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wingsagainstBozrah; and the hearts of the mightymen of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23
Concerning Damascus. "Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heardbadnews; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot* be calmed.
24
"Damascus has becomehelpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have takenhold of her Like a woman in childbirth.
28
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, whichNebuchadnezzarking of Babylondefeated. Thussays the LORD, "Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the men of the east.
29
"They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carryoff for themselves Their tentcurtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, 'Terror on everyside!'
30
"Runaway, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor," declares the LORD; "For Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon has formed a planagainst you And devised a schemeagainst you.
32
"Their camels will becomeplunder, And their manycattle for booty, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; And I will bring their disaster from everyside," declares the LORD.
36
'I will bring upon Elam the fourwinds From the fourends of heaven, And will scatter them to allthesewinds; And there will be nonation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37
'So I will shatterElambefore their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bringcalamity upon them, Even My fierceanger,' declares the LORD, 'And I will send out the swordafter them Until I have consumed them.