Judgment on Ammon
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1Concerning the Ammonites. Thus says the LORD: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then has 2Milcom 3dispossessed Gad, and his people settled in its cities?
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Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will cause 4the battle cry to be heard against 5Rabbah of the Ammonites; it shall become a desolate 6mound, and its villages shall be burned with fire; then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him, says the LORD.
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"Wail, O 7Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste! Cry out, O daughters of 8Rabbah! 9Put on sackcloth, lament, and run to and fro among the hedges! For 10Milcom shall go into exile, 11with his priests and his officials.
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Why do you boast of your valleys,a 12O faithless daughter, 13who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'
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Behold, 14I 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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"But 15afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the LORD."
Judgment on Edom
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Concerning 16Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts: 17"Is wisdom no more in 18Teman? 19Has counsel perished from the prudent? 20Has their wisdom vanished?
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21Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of 22Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, 23the time when I punish him.
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24If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave 25gleanings? 26If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
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27But I have stripped Esau bare; 28I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and 29he is no more.
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For thus says the LORD: 32"If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, 33will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink.
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34For I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, that 35Bozrah shall become 36a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes."
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37I have heard a message from the LORD, and an envoy has been sent among the nations: 38"Gather yourselves together and come against her, and rise up for battle!
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For behold, I will make you small among the nations, despised among mankind.
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The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock,b who hold the height of the hill. Though you 39make your nest as high as the eagle's, I will bring you down from there, declares the LORD.
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40"Edom shall become a horror. 41Everyone who passes by it will be horrified 42and will hiss because of all its disasters.
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43As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their 44neighboring cities were overthrown, says the LORD, 45no man shall dwell there, 46no man shall sojourn in her.
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47Behold, 48like a lion coming up from 49the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make himc run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. 50For who is like me? 51Who will summon me? 52What shepherd can stand before me?
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Therefore hear the plan that the LORD has made against 53Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of 54Teman: 55Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate.
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At the sound of their fall 56the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea.
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Behold, 57one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against 58Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart 59of a woman in her birth pains."
Judgment on Damascus
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Concerning 60Damascus: 61"Hamath and 62Arpad are confounded, for they have heard bad news; they melt in fear, 63they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.
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64Damascus has become feeble, 65she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as 66of a woman in labor.
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How is 67the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy?
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68Therefore 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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And 69I will kindle a fire in the wall of 70Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of 71Ben-hadad."
Judgment on Kedar and Hazor
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Concerning 72Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down. Thus says the LORD: 73"Rise up, advance against 74Kedar! Destroy 75the people of the east!
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76Their tents and their flocks shall be taken, their 77curtains and all their goods; their camels shall be led away from them, and men shall cry to them: 78'Terror on every side!'
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79Flee, 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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80"Rise up, advance against a nation 81at ease, 82that dwells securely, declares the LORD, 83that has no gates or bars, that dwells alone.
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84Their camels shall become plunder, their herds of livestock a spoil. 85I will scatter to every wind 86those 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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Hazor shall become 87a haunt of jackals, an everlasting waste; 88no man shall dwell there; 89no man shall sojourn in her."
Judgment on Elam
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The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning 90Elam, in the beginning of the reign of 91Zedekiah king of Judah.
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Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will break 92the bow of 93Elam, the mainstay of their might.
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And I will bring upon 94Elam 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 95Elam shall not come.
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I will 96terrify 97Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, 98my fierce anger, declares the LORD. 99I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them,
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and I will set my throne in 100Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the LORD.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)