the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Jeremiah 49
A Message About Ammon
1 This message is about the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says:
"Ammonites, do you think that
the people of Israel don't have children?
Do you think there are no children
to take the land when the parents die?
Maybe that is why Milcom took Gad's[a] land?"
2 The Lord says, "The time will come in Rabbah of Ammon[b]
when people hear the sounds of battle.
Rabbah of Ammon will be destroyed.
It will be an empty hill covered with ruined buildings,
and the towns around it will be burned.
Those people forced the people of Israel to leave their own land.
But later, Israel will force them to leave."
This is what the Lord said.
3 "People in Heshbon, cry because the town of Ai is destroyed!
Women in Rabbah of Ammon, cry!
Put on sackcloth and cry.
Run to the city for safety,
because the enemy will take away the god Milcom,
with his priests and officials.
4 You brag about your strength,
but you are losing your strength.
You trust in your wealth to save you.
You think no one would even think of attacking you."
5 But this is what the Lord God All-Powerful says:
"I will bring troubles to you from every side.
You will all run away,
and no one will be able to bring you together again."
6 "The Ammonites will be taken away as captives. But the time will come when I will bring the Ammonites back." This message is from the Lord.
A Message About Edom
7 This message is about Edom. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Is there no more wisdom in Teman?
Are the wise men of Edom not able to give good advice?
Have they lost their wisdom?
8 You people living in Dedan, run away and hide,
because I will punish Esau for the bad things he did.
9 "Workers pick grapes from grapevines,
but they leave a few grapes on the plants.
If thieves come at night,
they don't take everything.
10 But I will take everything from Esau.
I will find all his hiding places.
He will not be able to hide from me.
His children, relatives, and neighbors will all die.
11 No one will be left to care for his children.
His wives will have no one to depend on."
12 This is what the Lord says: "Some people don't deserve to be punished, but they suffer. But, Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will really be punished. You will not escape the punishment you deserve. You will be punished." 13 The Lord says, "By my own power, I make this promise: I promise that the city of Bozrah will be destroyed. It will become a ruined pile of rocks. People will use it as an example when they ask for bad things to happen to other cities. People will insult that city, and all the towns around Bozrah will become ruins forever."
14 I heard a message from the Lord:
He sent this messenger to the nations.
This is the message:
"Gather your armies together!
Get ready for battle!
March against the nation of Edom!
15 Edom, I will make you become unimportant.
Everyone will hate you.
16 Edom, you made other nations afraid,
so you thought you were important.
But your pride has fooled you.
You live in caves, high on the cliff.
Your home is high in the hills.
But even if you build your home as high as an eagle's nest,
I will bring you down from there."
This is what the Lord said.
17 "Edom will be destroyed.
People will be shocked to see the destroyed cities.
They will whistle from amazement at the destroyed cities.
18 Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them.
No one will live there."
This is what the Lord said.
19 "Sometimes a lion will come from the thick bushes near the Jordan River. And it will go into the fields where people put their sheep and cattle. I am like that lion. I will go to Edom. And I will frighten the people and make them run away. None of their young men will stop me. No one is like me. No one will challenge me. None of their leaders will stand up against me."
20 So listen to what the Lord has planned to do to the people of Edom.
Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in Teman.
The enemy will drag away the young kids of Edom's flock.
Edom's pastures will be empty because of what they did.
21 At the sound of Edom's fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22 Just as an eagle flies high to see the animal it will attack,
so the Lord will spread his wings over Bozrah.
And Edom's soldiers will be filled with fear
like a woman giving birth.
A Message About Damascus
23 This message is about the city of Damascus:
"The towns of Hamath and Arpad are afraid.
They are afraid because they heard the bad news.
They are discouraged.
They are worried and afraid.
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people want to run away.
They are ready to panic.
They are overcome with fear and pain,
like a woman giving birth.
25 "Damascus is a happy city.
The people have not left that ‘fun city' yet.
26 So the young men will die in the public squares of that city.
All her soldiers will be killed at that time."
This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
27 "I will set the walls of Damascus on fire.
The fire will completely burn up the strong forts of Ben-Hadad.[c]"
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28 This message is about the tribe of Kedar and the rulers of Hazor. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated them. This is what the Lord says:
"Go and attack the tribe of Kedar.
Destroy the people of the East.
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their tents and all their riches will be carried off.
Their enemy will take away the camels.
Men will shout this to them:
‘Terrible things are happening all around us.'
30 Run away quickly!
People in Hazor, find a good place to hide."
This message is from the Lord.
"Nebuchadnezzar has made plans against you.
He thought of a smart plan to defeat you.
31 "There is a nation that feels so safe and secure
that it does not have gates or fences to protect it.
And no one lives near enough to help them.
So attack that nation!" says the Lord.
32 "Their camels are there to be taken in battle.
Their large herds of cattle will be yours.
I will scatter them throughout the earth—those people who cut their hair short.[d]
I will bring disaster on them from every direction."
This message is from the Lord.
33 "Hazor will become a home for wild dogs, an empty desert forever.
No one will live there.
No one will stay in that place."
A Message About Elam
34 Early in the time when Zedekiah was king of Judah, Jeremiah the prophet received a message from the Lord about the nation of Elam.[e]
35 The Lord All-Powerful says,
"I will break Elam's bow very soon.
It is Elam's strongest weapon.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam.
I will bring them from the four corners of the skies.
I will send the people of Elam to every place on the earth where the four winds blow.
Elam's captives will be carried away to every nation.
37 I will break Elam to pieces while their enemies are watching.
I will break Elam in front of the people who want to kill them.
I will bring terrible troubles to them.
I will show them how angry I am."
This message is from the Lord.
"I will send a sword to chase Elam.
The sword will chase them until I have killed them all.
38 I will show Elam that I am in control,
and I will destroy its king and his officials."
This message is from the Lord.
39 "But in the future I will make good things happen to Elam."
This message is from the Lord.
