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1 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?
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Concerning the Ammonites, the LORD proclaims: Doesn't Israel have children? Aren't there heirs to his land? Why then has Milcom taken over Gad? Why have his people settled in its towns?
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.
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Therefore, the time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle alarm against Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonites. The city will be demolished, and its neighboring villages will be burned to the ground. Then Israel will repossess the land seized by its captors, 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.
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Weep, you people of Heshbon; Ai has been destroyed. Wail, you daughters of Rabbah; put on funeral clothing, cry your eyes out, run for shelter. Milcom will surely go into exile, together with his priests and ministers.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys, O faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me? ’
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Why do you brag about your strength? Your strength is exhausted, you rebellious daughter. You trust in your treasures, never imagining who would attack you.
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.
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I'm the one who will terrify you from every side, declares the LORD of heavenly forces. Every one of you will be scattered about; no one will gather those who fled.
6 “But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord. ”
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Afterward, though, I will bring back the Ammonites from captivity, declares the LORD.
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?
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Concerning Edom, the LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: Is wisdom no longer in Teman? Has good sense vanished from the perceptive? Are they no longer wise?
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.
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Turn, flee, and run for cover, you inhabitants of Dedan. I'm bringing disaster on Esau: its day of reckoning.
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?
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If workers would come to you to pick grapes, they would at least leave a few on the vine. If thieves would come in the night, they would take only what they needed.
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.
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But me? I will strip Esau bare. I will expose his hiding places, and he will find no place to take cover. His offspring, family, and acquaintances will perish, and there will be no one left to say,
11 Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me. ”
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"Leave me your orphans, and I'll look after them; trust your widows into my care."
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.
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The LORD proclaims: If the innocent must drink the cup, why do you expect to escape punishment? You won't! You will drink it!
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. ”
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I myself swear, declares the LORD, that Bozrah will become an object of horror and scorn, a wasteland and a curse. And all of its towns will lie in ruins forever.
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!
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I have heard a report from the LORD that a messenger is sent among the nations: Join forces and come against her; prepare for war!
15 For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind.
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I'm about to cut you down to size before the nations; you will be scorned by everyone.
16 The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock, 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.
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The terror you have inflicted on others has deceived you, as has your own pride. Though you live in a fortress and occupy the high ground; though you nest on high like the eagles, I will bring you down, 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.
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Then Edom will become a wasteland. All who pass by will be shocked by its injuries.
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.
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It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and their surrounding towns, says the LORD. No one will live there; no human will dwell in it.
19 Behold, like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make him 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?
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Like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan to a well-watered meadow, so I will suddenly chase down Edom and single out its choicest of rams. Who is like me? Who can direct me? What shepherd can withstand 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.
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Therefore, listen to the counsel that the LORD has for Edom and the plans he's devised against the people of Teman: The little ones of the flock will be dragged off, as their pasture watches in utter disbelief.
21 At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea.
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The earth quakes as the Edomites go down; their screams echo as far as the Reed 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. ”
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Look! One who mounts up and soars like an eagle, who swoops down and spreads his wings over Bozrah. On that day, the heart of every soldier from Edom will be like that of a woman in the throes of labor.
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.
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Concerning Damascus: Hamath and Arpad lose heart when they hear the bad news. They are trembling with fear, like the raging sea, which can't become 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.
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Damascus staggers about; she tries to flee, but panic overwhelms her. She's gripped by anguish and pain, like a woman in labor.
25 How is the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy?
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Forsaken is the renowned city, city of my delight.
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.
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Yes, her young men will fall in the streets, and her soldiers will be silent on that day, declares the LORD of heavenly forces.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. ”
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I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will burn up the fortresses of Ben-hadad.
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!
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Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar defeated, the LORD proclaims: Get ready to attack Kedar; destroy the people from 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! ’
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Seize their tents and their flocks, their belongings and all their goods. Take off with their camels and shout as you go: "Panic Lurks Everywhere!"
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.
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Run away; take cover, you people of Hazor, declares the LORD. Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar has taken counsel and devised a plan 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.
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Get ready to attack a nation that feels safe and secure, declares the LORD, one without barred gates that lives by itself.
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.
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Their camels will become plunder; their many cattle will be pillaged. I will scatter to the winds those who are clean-shaven, and I will bring disaster on them from every side, 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. ”
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Hazor will become a den for wild dogs, a wilderness forever. No one will live there; no human will dwell in it.
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.
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This is what the LORD told the prophet Jeremiah concerning Elam at the beginning of the rule of Judah's King Zedekiah.
35 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might.
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The LORD of heavenly forces proclaims: I'm going to break the bow of Elam, the backbone of its military 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.
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I will bring against Elam four winds from the four corners of heaven, and I will scatter them to the winds. Those banished from Elam will migrate to every nation.
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,
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I will terrify Elam before their enemies, before those who seek to kill them. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, declares the LORD. I will send the sword to attack them until I have destroyed them all.
38 and I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the Lord.
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I will establish my rule in Elam and dispose of its king and officials, declares the LORD.
39 “But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord. ”
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But in the days to come I will bring back the captives of Elam, declares the LORD.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible