A message about Ammon
1Concerning the Ammonites:
This is what the Lord says:
‘Has Israel no sons?
Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3 taken possession of Gad?
Why do his people live in its towns?
2But the days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
‘when I will sound the battle cry
against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,’
says the Lord.
3‘Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!
Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek will go into exile,
together with his priests and officials.
4Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,
you trust in your riches and say,
“Who will attack me?”
5I will bring terror on you
from all those around you,’
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
‘Every one of you will be driven away,
and no-one will gather the fugitives.
6‘Yet afterwards, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,’
declares the Lord.
A message about Edom
7Concerning Edom:
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
you who live in Dedan,
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time when I punish him.
9If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his hiding-places,
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
also his allies and neighbours,
so there is no-one to say,
11“Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” ’
12This is what the Lord says: ‘If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13I swear by myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse,49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed. an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins for ever.’
14I have heard a message from the Lord;
an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
‘Assemble yourselves to attack it!
Rise up for battle!’
15‘Now I will make you small among the nations,
despised by mankind.
16The terror you inspire
and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,’
declares the Lord.
17‘Edom will become an object of horror;
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.
18As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown,
along with their neighbouring towns,’ says the Lord,
‘so no-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.
19‘Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pasture-land,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?’
20Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,
what he has purposed against those who live in Teman:
the young of the flock will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
21At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;
their cry will resound to the Red Sea.49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labour.
A message about Damascus
23Concerning Damascus:
‘Hamath and Arpad are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like49:23 Hebrew on or by the restless sea.
24Damascus has become feeble,
she has turned to flee
and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
pain like that of a woman in labour.
25Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’
declares the Lord Almighty.
27‘I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.’
A message about Kedar and Hazor
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the Lord says:
‘Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.
29Their tents and their flocks will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
“Terror on every side!”
30‘Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,’
declares the Lord.
‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you;
he has devised a plan against you.
31‘Arise and attack a nation at ease,
which lives in confidence,’
declares the Lord,
‘a nation that has neither gates nor bars;
its people live far from danger.
32Their camels will become plunder,
and their large herds will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
and will bring disaster on them from every side,’
declares the Lord.
33‘Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
a desolate place for ever.
No-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.’
A message about Elam
34This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:
35This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘See, I will break the bow of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring against Elam the four winds
from the four quarters of heaven;
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
even my fierce anger,’
declares the Lord.
‘I will pursue them with the sword
until I have made an end of them.
38I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,’
declares the Lord.
39‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,’
declares the Lord.
審判亞捫的預言
1論到亞捫人，耶和華說：
「難道以色列沒有子孫，
沒有繼承人嗎？
為什麼祭拜米勒公的人佔據了迦得，住在城邑中？」
2耶和華說：
「看啊，時候將到，
我要使亞捫人的拉巴城外響起戰爭的呐喊。
拉巴必淪為廢墟，
它周圍的鄉村都要被焚燒，
以色列人必收復失地。
這是耶和華說的。
3「希實本啊，哀哭吧！
因為艾城毀滅了。
拉巴的居民啊，痛哭吧！
披上麻衣悲傷地在城牆內跑來跑去吧！
因為米勒公及其祭司和官長都要被擄走。
4背叛的人民啊，
你們為肥沃的山谷而感到自豪嗎？
你們依仗財富以為無人敢來侵犯。」
5上帝——萬軍之耶和華說：
「看啊，我要使你們四面受敵，
驚恐萬狀，四散奔逃，
潰不成軍。
6然而，日後我要使被擄的亞捫人重建家園。
這是耶和華說的。」
審判以東的預言
7論到以東，萬軍之耶和華說：
「提幔再沒有智者了嗎？
謀士已無計可施了嗎？
他們都失去智慧了嗎？
8底但的居民啊，
你們要轉身逃命，
藏在深洞裡，
因為我必降災禍懲罰以東。
9人們來以東摘葡萄，不會摘盡；
盜賊夜間來偷東西，不會偷光。
10但我要奪走以東人所有的一切，
我要使他們無處藏身。
他們及其孩子、弟兄和鄰居必一同滅亡。
11撇下你們的孤兒吧！
我必使他們存活；
你們的寡婦也可以倚靠我。」
12耶和華說：「看啊，那些本不該喝這杯憤怒的人尚且要喝，更何況你們呢？你們必難逃懲罰，你們一定要喝這杯憤怒。 13因為我已憑自己起誓，波斯拉必淪為廢墟，令人驚懼，被人嘲笑和咒詛。它周圍的村鎮要永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。」
14我從耶和華那裡聽到消息，
有位使者被派去聯合列國來攻打以東。
15耶和華說：
「以東啊，我要使你在列國中成為被藐視的弱國。
16你這棲身在石縫間、盤踞在高山上的民族啊，
你令人驚懼、心高氣傲，
其實只是自欺。
儘管你像老鷹在高處搭窩，
我也必把你拉下來。
這是耶和華說的。
17「以東的下場將很可怕，它的滿目瘡痍令路人驚懼、嗤笑。 18那裡要像所多瑪、蛾摩拉及其周圍的村鎮一樣被毀滅，荒無人煙。這是耶和華說的。 19看啊，我必在瞬間把以東人趕離家園，如約旦河邊叢林中跳出的獅子趕散草場的羊群。我要派我揀選的人統治這地方。誰能與我相比？誰能與我較量？哪位首領能抵擋我？」 20因此，你們要聽聽耶和華攻擊以東的策略，聽聽祂攻擊提幔居民的計劃。他們的孩子要被拖走，他們的家園要被毀滅。 21以東傾覆的聲音震動大地，哭喊聲直傳到紅海。 22看啊，敵人必像展翅飛來的鷹一樣攻擊波斯拉。到那日，以東的勇士必像臨盆的婦女一樣膽戰心驚。
審判大馬士革的預言
23論到大馬士革，耶和華說：
「哈馬和亞珥拔驚恐不安，
因為他們聽見了壞消息。
他們心驚膽戰，像大海一樣無法平靜。
24大馬士革喪失勇氣，轉身逃命。
她像分娩的婦人一樣驚恐不安，
充滿痛苦和憂愁。
25我所喜悅的名城為何還沒有被撇棄？
26城中的青年將倒斃街頭，
那時所有的戰士都要滅亡。
這是萬軍之耶和華說的。
27我要焚燒大馬士革的城牆和便·哈達的宮殿。」
審判基達和夏瑣的預言
28論到被巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒打敗的基達及夏瑣的各城邦，耶和華說：
「迦勒底人啊，去攻打基達，
消滅那些東方人吧！
29你們要搶走他們的帳篷、
幔子、器皿、羊群和駱駝。
他們必聽見呼喊聲，
『真恐怖！四面都是敵人。』
30夏瑣的居民啊，快逃命吧！
逃得遠遠的藏起來，
因為巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒已計劃攻擊你們，
準備消滅你們。
這是耶和華說的。
31迦勒底人啊，
上去攻打那安逸無憂、無門無閂、獨居一方的國家吧！
這是耶和華說的。
32他們的駱駝必被擄去，
大群的牲畜必成為戰利品。
我要把剃去鬢髮的人驅散到四方，
使災禍從四面八方臨到他們。
這是耶和華說的。
33夏瑣要永遠荒涼，
杳無人跡，
成為豺狼出沒的地方。」
審判以攔的預言
34猶大王西底迦執政初期，耶和華告訴了耶利米先知有關以攔的事。 35萬軍之耶和華說：「看啊，我要摧毀以攔的弓箭手——他們的精銳之師。 36我要使敵人從四面八方如風而來，把以攔人驅散到四方，使他們流落到列國。 37我要讓仇敵擊潰他們，我要發烈怒降禍給他們，用刀劍追殺他們，直到徹底消滅他們。這是耶和華說的。 38我要在以攔設立我的寶座，消滅那裡的君王和官長。這是耶和華說的。 39但將來有一天，我要使被擄的以攔人重建家園。這是耶和華說的。」
