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Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts:

Is there no more wisdom in Teman,[a]
    has counsel perished from the prudent,
    is their wisdom gone?
Flee, retreat, hide deep for lodging,
    inhabitants of Dedan:
For I bring disaster upon Esau[b]
    when I come to punish them.(A)
If vintagers came upon you,
    they would leave no gleanings;
If thieves by night,
    they would destroy as they pleased.(B)
10 So I myself will strip Esau;
    I will uncover his lairs so he cannot hide.
Offspring and family are destroyed,
    neighbors, too; he is no more.(C)
11 Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive;
    your widows, let them trust in me.(D)

12 For thus says the Lord: Look, even those not sentenced to drink the cup must drink it! Shall you then go unpunished? You shall not! You shall drink every bit of it!(E) 13 By myself I have sworn—oracle of the Lord—Bozrah[c] shall become an object of horror, a disgrace, a desolation, and a curse. Bozrah and all its cities shall become ruins forever.(F)

14 I have heard a report from the Lord,
    a herald has been sent among the nations:
“Gather together, move against it,
    get ready for battle!”
15 I will make you the least among the nations,
    despised by all people!(G)
16 The terror you spread,
    the pride of your heart, beguiled you.
You denizens of rocks and crevices,
    occupying towering peaks:
Though you build your nest high as the eagle,
    from there I will bring you down—oracle of the Lord.(H)

17 Edom shall become an object of horror. Passersby recoil in terror, hissing at all its wounds. 18 As when Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighbors were overthrown—oracle of the Lord—no one shall live in it, nor anyone settle there.(I)

19 As when a lion comes up from a thicket of the Jordan
    to a permanent pasture,
So in an instant, I will chase them off;
    I will establish there whomever I choose.
For who is like me? Who holds me accountable?
    What shepherd can stand against me?(J)
20 Therefore, listen to the strategy
    the Lord devised for Edom;
The plans he has drawn up
    against the inhabitants of Teman:
They shall be dragged away, even the smallest of the flock;
    their pasture shall be aghast because of them.
21 With the din of their collapse the earth quakes,
    to the Red Sea the outcry is heard!
22 Look! like an eagle he soars aloft,
    and spreads his wings over Bozrah;
On that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors become
    like the heart of a woman in labor.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 49:7 Teman, a district of Edom (cf. Jb 2:11), represents the whole country, which was famous for the wisdom of its sages.
  2. 49:8 Esau: Jacob’s brother, the traditional ancestor of the Edomites; cf. Gn 36:1.
  3. 49:13 Bozrah: capital of Edom.

A Message About Edom(A)(B)

Concerning Edom:(C)

This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(D)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(E)
    you who live in Dedan,(F)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
    at the time when I punish him.
If 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?
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
    I will uncover his hiding places,(G)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one(H) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(I) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows(J) too can depend on me.’”

12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(K) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(L) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(M) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(N) will become a ruin and a curse,[a] an object of horror(O) and reproach;(P) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(Q)

14 I 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.
16 The terror you inspire
    and the pride(R) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(S)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(T) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(U)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.(V)
18 As Sodom(W) and Gomorrah(X) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell(Y) in it.

19 “Like a lion(Z) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AA)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like(AB) me and who can challenge me?(AC)
    And what shepherd(AD) can stand against me?”

20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(AE)
    what he has purposed(AF) against those who live in Teman:(AG)
The young of the flock(AH) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(AI)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(AJ)
    their cry(AK) will resound to the Red Sea.[b]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(AL) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.(AM)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(AN)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  2. Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds

Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.

If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.

10 But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.

11 Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

12 For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

13 For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

14 I have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

15 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.

17 Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

19 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

20 Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

21 The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.

22 Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

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