The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God's Message came to me:
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The word of the LORD came to me:
2 "Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people:
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"Son of man, set your face toward the Ammonites and prophesy against them.
3 Listen to the Message of God, the Master. This is what God has to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile,
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Say to the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Because you said, 'Aha!' over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Judah when they went into exile,
4 I'm giving you over to the people of the east. They'll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk.
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therefore behold, I am handing you over to the people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings in your midst. They shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
5 I'll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you'll realize that I am God.
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I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammona fold for flocks. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
6 "God, the Master, says, Because you clapped and cheered, venting all your malicious contempt against the land of Israel,
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For thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within your soul against the land of Israel,
7 I'll step in and hand you out as loot - first come, first served. I'll cross you off the roster of nations. There'll be nothing left of you. And you'll realize that I am God."
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therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you, and will hand you over as plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
8 "God, the Master, says: Because Moab said, 'Look, Judah's nothing special,'
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"Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Moab and Seir said, 'Behold, the house of Judah is like all the other nations,'
9 I'll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.
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therefore I will lay open the flank of Moab from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.
10 I'll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won't be heard from again.
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I will give it along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as a possession, that the Ammonites may be remembered no more among the nations,
11 I'll punish Moab severely. And they'll realize that I am God."
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and I will execute judgments upon Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
12 "God, the Master, says: Because Edom reacted against the people of Judah in spiteful revenge and was so criminally vengeful against them,
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"Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them,
13 therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose Edom and kill the lot of them, people and animals both. I'll waste it - corpses stretched from Teman to Dedan.
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therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast. And I will make it desolate; from Teman even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword.
14 I'll use my people Israel to bring my vengeance down on Edom. My wrath will fuel their action. And they'll realize it's my vengeance. Decree of God the Master."
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And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath, and they shall know my vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.
15 "God, the Master, says: Because the Philistines were so spitefully vengeful - all those centuries of stored-up malice! - and did their best to destroy Judah,
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"Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity,
16 therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose the Philistines and cut down the Cretans and anybody else left along the seacoast.
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therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast.
17 Huge acts of vengeance, massive punishments! When I bring vengeance, they'll realize that I am God."
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I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay my vengeance upon them."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.