1 Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says:
"Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then does Malcam possess Gad,
and his people dwell in its cities?
2 Therefore behold, the days come,"
says Yahweh,
"that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon,
and it will become a desolate heap,
and her daughters will be burned with fire;
then Israel will possess those who possessed him,"
says Yahweh.
3 "Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
Cry, you daughters of Rabbah!
Clothe yourself in sackcloth.
Lament, and run back and forth among the fences;
for Malcam will go into captivity,
his priests and his princes together.
4 Why do you boast in the valleys,
your flowing valley, backsliding daughter?
You trusted in her treasures,
saying, ‘Who will come to me?’
5 Behold, I will bring a terror on you,"
says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies,
"from all who are around you.
All of you will be driven completely out,
and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives.
6 "But afterward I will reverse the captivity of the children of Ammon,"
says Yahweh.
7 Of Edom, Yahweh of Armies says:
"Is wisdom no more in Teman?
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom vanished?
8 Flee! Turn back!
Dwell in the depths, inhabitants of Dedan;
for I will bring the calamity of Esau on him when I visit him.
9 If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave some gleaning grapes?
If thieves came by night,
wouldn’t they steal until they had enough?
10 But I have made Esau bare,
I have uncovered his secret places,
and he will not be able to hide himself.
His offspring is destroyed,
with his brothers and his neighbors;
and he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children.
I will preserve them alive.
Let your widows trust in me."
12 For Yahweh says: "Behold, they to whom it didn’t pertain to drink of the cup will certainly drink; and are you he who will altogether go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished, but you will surely drink. 13 For I have sworn by myself," says Yahweh, "that Bozrah will become an astonishment, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. All its cities will be perpetual wastes."
14 I have heard news from Yahweh,
and an ambassador is sent among the nations,
saying, "Gather yourselves together!
Come against her!
Rise up to the battle!"
15 "For, behold, I have made you small among the nations,
and despised among men.
16 As for your terror,
the pride of your heart has deceived you,
O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
who hold the height of the hill,
though you should make your nest as high as the eagle,
I will bring you down from there," says Yahweh.
17 "Edom will become an astonishment.
Everyone who passes by it will be astonished,
and will hiss at all its plagues.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities," says Yahweh,
"no man will dwell there,
neither will any son of man live therein.
19 "Behold, he will come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation;
for I will suddenly make them run away from it,
and whoever is chosen,
I will appoint him over it.
For who is like me?
Who will appoint me a time?
Who is the shepherd who will stand before me?"
20 Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh, that he has taken against Edom,
and his purposes that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman:
Surely they will drag them away,
the little ones of the flock.
Surely he will make their habitation desolate over them.
21 The earth trembles at the noise of their fall;
there is a cry, the noise which is heard in the Red Sea.
22 Behold, he will come up and fly as the eagle,
and spread out his wings against Bozrah.
The heart of the mighty men of Edom at that day will be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
23 Of Damascus:
"Hamath and Arpad are confounded,
for they have heard evil news.
They have melted away.
There is sorrow on the sea.
It can’t be quiet.
24 Damascus has grown feeble,
she turns herself to flee,
and trembling has seized her.
Anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her,
as of a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not forsaken,
the city of my joy?
26 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets,
and all the men of war will be brought to silence in that day,"
says Yahweh of Armies.
27 "I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad."
28 Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck, Yahweh says:
"Arise, go up to Kedar,
and destroy the children of the east.
29 They will take their tents and their flocks.
they will carry away for themselves their curtains,
all their vessels, and their camels;
and they will cry to them, ‘Terror on every side!’
30 Flee!
Wander far off!
Dwell in the depths, you inhabitants of Hazor," says Yahweh;
"for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you,
and has conceived a purpose against you.
31 Arise! Go up to a nation that is at ease,
that dwells without care," says Yahweh;
"that has neither gates nor bars,
that dwells alone.
32 Their camels will be a booty,
and the multitude of their livestock a plunder.
I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners of their beards cut off;
and I will bring their calamity from every side of them,"
says Yahweh.
33 Hazor will be a dwelling place of jackals,
a desolation forever.
No man will dwell there,
neither will any son of man live therein."
34 Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 "Yahweh of Armies says:
‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,
the chief of their might.
36 I will bring on Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the sky,
and will scatter them toward all those winds.
There will be no nation where the outcasts of Elam will not come.
37 I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies,
and before those who seek their life.
I will bring evil on them, even my fierce anger,’ says Yahweh;
‘and I will send the sword after them,
until I have consumed them.
38 I will set my throne in Elam,
and will destroy from there king and princes,’ says Yahweh.
39 ‘But it will happen in the latter days
that I will reverse the captivity of Elam,’ says Yahweh."
1 Oor die kinders van Ammon. So sê die HERE: Het Israel geen kinders nie? Het hy geen erfgenaam nie? Waarom het Milkom Gad uit sy besitting verdrywe en woon sy mense in die stede daarvan?
2 Daarom, kyk, daar kom dae, spreek die HERE, dat Ek teen Rabba van die kinders van Ammon oorlogsgeskreeu sal laat hoor, en dit sal word 'n woeste puinhoop, en sy onderhorige plekke sal met vuur verbrand word; dan sal Israel die wat hom in besit geneem het, in besit neem, sê die HERE.
3 Huil, o Hesbon, want Ai is verwoes; skreeu, o dogters van Rabba! Omgord julle met rouklere, hef 'n rouklag aan en swerf rond tussen die klipmure; want Milkom sal in ballingskap gaan, sy priesters en sy vorste almal saam.
4 Wat roem jy op die dale, op die oorvloed van jou dal, o afkerige dogter, wat op jou voorrade vertrou en sê: Wie sal aan my kom?
5 Kyk, Ek bring vrees oor jou vir almal wat rondom jou is, spreek die Here HERE van die leërskare; en julle sal weggedryf word, elkeen reg voor hom uit, sonder dat iemand die swerwelinge vergader.
6 Maar daarna sal Ek die lot van die kinders van Ammon verander, spreek die HERE.
7 Oor Edom. So sê die HERE van die leërskare: Is daar geen wysheid meer in Teman nie? Ontbreek raad by die verstandiges? Is hulle wysheid uitgeput?
8 Vlug, draai om, skuil diep weg, o inwoners van Dedan! Want Ek het die ondergang van Esau oor hom gebring, die tyd dat Ek oor hom besoeking doen.
9 As daar druiwesnyers na jou kom, sal hulle geen na-oes laat oorbly nie; of diewe in die nag -- hulle sal verniel totdat hulle genoeg het.
10 Want Ek het Esau ontbloot, Ek het sy skuilplekke oopgemaak, sodat hy hom nie kan wegsteek nie; sy geslag is verwoes, ook sy broers en sy bure, en hy is daar nie.
11 Laat jou wese agterbly, en Âk sal hulle in die lewe hou, en laat jou weduwees op My vertrou.
12 Want so sê die HERE: Kyk, hulle wat eintlik die beker nie moes drink nie, moet sekerlik drink; en jy, sou jy heeltemal ongestraf bly? Jy sal nie ongestraf bly nie, maar sekerlik drink.
13 Want Ek het by Myself gesweer, spreek die HERE, dat Bosra 'n voorwerp van verbasing, van smaad, 'n woestheid en 'n vervloeking sal word; en al sy stede sal ewige puinhope wees.
14 Ek het 'n tyding van die HERE gehoor, en 'n boodskapper is gestuur onder die nasies om te sê: Versamel julle en kom aan teen hom en maak julle gereed vir die oorlog.
15 Want kyk, Ek het jou klein gemaak onder die nasies, verag onder die mense.
16 Jou vreeslikheid het jou bedrieg, die vermetelheid van jou hart, o jy wat woon in die rotsklowe, jy wat die top van die heuwel in besit hou! Al maak jy jou nes so hoog soos die arend -- daarvandaan sal Ek jou neerwerp, spreek die HERE.
17 So sal Edom dan 'n voorwerp van verbasing word; elkeen wat by hom verbytrek, sal hom verbaas en spot oor al sy plae.
18 Soos die omkering van Sodom en Gomorra met hulle bure, sê die HERE, sal daar niemand woon en geen mensekind daar vertoef nie.
19 Kyk, soos 'n leeu uit die pronkbosse van die Jordaan sal daar een optrek teen die vaste woning; want in 'n oomblik sal Ek hulle daaruit wegjaag; en hom wat uitgekies is, sal Ek daaroor aanstel. Want wie is soos Ek? En wie sal My dagvaar? En wie is tog 'n herder wat voor my aangesig kan standhou?
20 Daarom, hoor die raadsbesluit van die HERE wat Hy teen Edom geneem en sy planne wat Hy teen die inwoners van Teman beraam het: Waarlik, die kleinstes van die kudde sal weggesleep word; waarlik, hulle weiveld sal oor hulle verslae wees.
21 Van die geluid van hulle val bewe die aarde; daar is 'n geskreeu -- by die Skelfsee word die geluid daarvan gehoor.
22 Kyk, een sal opstyg en vlieg soos 'n arend en sy vlerke oor Bosra uitsprei; en die hart van die helde van Edom sal in die dag wees soos die hart van 'n vrou wat in nood is.
23 Oor Damaskus. Beskaamd staan Hamat en Arpad, want hulle het slegte tyding gehoor; hulle beweeg, soos die see, in bekommernis, dit kan nie rus nie.
24 Damaskus is ontmoedig, hy het omgedraai om te vlug, en skrik het hom aangegryp; benoudheid en weë soos van een wat baar, het hom aangegryp.
25 Hoe is die roemryke stad nie verlaat nie, die vesting van my vreugde!
26 Daarom sal sy jongmanne val op sy pleine, en al die krygsmanne in die dag omkom, spreek die HERE van die leërskare.
27 En Ek sal 'n vuur aansteek in die muur van Damaskus, en dit sal die paleise van B,nhadad verteer.
28 Oor Kedar en oor die koninkryke van Hasor wat Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, verslaan het. So sê die HERE: Maak julle klaar, trek op teen Kedar, en verdelg die kinders van die Ooste.
29 Hulle sal hulle tente en kleinvee wegvoer, hulle tentdoeke en al hulle huisraad en hulle kamele meeneem, en oor hulle uitroep: Skrik rondom!
30 Vlug, vlug haastig, skuil diep weg, o inwoners van Hasor, spreek die HERE; want Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, het 'n besluit teen julle geneem en 'n plan teen julle beraam.
31 Maak julle klaar, trek op teen 'n sorgelose nasie wat in gerustheid woon, spreek die HERE, wat geen poorte of grendel het nie, wat alleen woon.
32 En hulle kamele sal 'n roof en die menigte van hulle vee 'n buit wees; en Ek sal hulle verstrooi na al die windstreke, die wat aan die rand hulle hare wegskeer; en Ek sal hulle ondergang van alle kante aanbring, spreek die HERE.
33 En Hasor sal word 'n lêplek van jakkalse, 'n wildernis tot in ewigheid; niemand sal daar woon nie, en geen mensekind sal daar vertoef nie.
34 Die woord van die HERE wat tot die profeet Jeremia gekom het oor Elam, in die begin van die regering van Sedek¡a, die koning van Juda, naamlik:
35 So sê die HERE van die leërskare: Kyk, Ek verbreek die boog van Elam, die keur van hulle krag.
36 En Ek sal vier winde uit die vier hoeke van die hemel oor Elam aanbring en sal hulle na al hierdie windstreke verstrooi; en daar sal geen nasie wees waar die verjaagdes van Elam nie sal kom nie.
37 En Ek sal Elam verskrik voor hulle vyande en voor die wat hulle lewe soek, en Ek sal onheil oor hulle bring, die gloed van my toorn, spreek die HERE; en Ek sal die swaard agter hulle aan stuur totdat Ek hulle vernietig het.
38 En Ek sal my troon in Elam vestig, en sal koning en vorste daaruit tot niet maak, spreek die HERE.
39 Maar aan die einde van die dae sal Ek die lot van Elam verander, spreek die HERE.