Jeremiah 49
Open in the reader1Concerning the children of Kindred, this is what He-Who-Is says: “Has Strives-with-God no sons? Is he without heir? Why then has Their-King taken possession of Fortune? Why have his people settled in their cities?
2Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares He-Who-Is, when I will sound the battle cry against Great of the children of Kindred. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned. Then Strives-with-God will drive out their dispossessors, says He-Who-Is.
3Wail, O Reckoning, for The-Ruin has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Great! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Their-King will go into exile together with his priests and officials.
4Why do you boast of your valleys— your valleys so fruitful, O faithless daughter? You trust in your riches and say, ‘Who can come against me?’
5Behold, I am about to bring terror upon you, declares the Lord He-Who-Is of Hosts, from all those around you. You will each be driven headlong, with no one to regather the fugitives.
6Yet afterward I will restore the children of Kindred from captivity,” declares He-Who-Is.
7Concerning Red, this is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in South? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
8Turn and run! Lie low, O dwellers of Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Hairy at the time I punish him.
9If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings? Were thieves to come in the night, would they not steal only what they wanted?
10But I will strip Hairy bare; I will uncover his hiding places, and he will be unable to conceal himself. His descendants will be destroyed along with his relatives and neighbors, and he will be no more.
11Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.”
12For this is what He-Who-Is says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must drink it too.
13For by Myself I have sworn, declares He-Who-Is, that Fortress will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will be in ruins forever.”
14I have heard a message from He-Who-Is; an envoy has been sent to the nations: “Assemble yourselves to march against her! Rise up for battle!”
15“For behold, I will make you small among nations, despised among men.
16The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” declares He-Who-Is.
17“Red will become an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.
18As Sodom and Heap-of-Ruins were overthrown along with their neighbors,” says He-Who-Is, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.
19Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Descender to the watered pasture. For in an instant I will chase Red from her land. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? For who is like Me, and who can challenge Me? What shepherd can stand against Me?”
20Therefore hear the plans that He-Who-Is has drawn up against Red and the strategies He has devised against the people of South: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.
21At the sound of their fall the earth will quake; their cry will resound to the Reed Sea.
22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Fortress. In that day the hearts of Red’s mighty men will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
23Concerning Damascus: “Fortress and Spread-Out are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the Sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed.
24Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor.
25How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy?
26For her young men will fall in the streets, and all her warriors will be silenced in that day,” declares He-Who-Is of Hosts.
27“I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Son-of-Hadad.”
28Concerning Dark and the kingdoms of Settlement, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion defeated, this is what He-Who-Is says: “Rise up, advance against Dark, and destroy the people of the east!
29They will take their tents and flocks, their tent curtains and all their goods. They will take their camels for themselves. They will shout to them: ‘Terror is on every side!’
30Run! Escape quickly! Lie low, O residents of Settlement,” declares He-Who-Is, “for Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion has drawn up a plan against you; he has devised a strategy against you.
31Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, one that dwells securely,” declares He-Who-Is. “They have no gates or bars; they live alone.
32Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoil. I will scatter to the wind in every direction those who shave their temples; I will bring calamity on them from all sides,” declares He-Who-Is.
33“Settlement will become a haunt for jackals, a desolation forever. No one will dwell there; no man will abide there.”
34This is the word of He-Who-Is that came to He-Who-Is-Will-Rise the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of He-Who-Is-Righteousness king of Praised.
35This is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: “Behold, I will shatter Elam’s bow, the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them to all these winds. There will not be a nation to which Elam’s exiles will not go.
37So I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives. I will bring disaster upon them, even My fierce anger,” declares He-Who-Is. “I will send out the sword after them until I finish them off.
38I will set My throne in Elam, and destroy its king and officials,” declares He-Who-Is.
39“Yet in the last days, I will restore Elam from captivity,” declares He-Who-Is.