לִבְנֵי עַמּוֹן כֹּה אָמַר ה' הֲבָנִים אֵין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִם־יוֹרֵשׁ אֵין לוֹ מַדּוּעַ יָרַשׁ מַלְכָּם אֶת־גָּד וְעַמּוֹ בְּעָרָיו יָשָׁב!

Concerning the children of Amon, so said the Lord: Does Israel have no children, does it have no heir? Why has Malkam, the god of the Amonites, also called Milkom, or the king, melekh, of Amon, inherited Gad, and his people, the Amonites, inhabited its cities, that belong to Israel?

לָכֵן הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי אֶל־רַבַּת בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן תְּרוּעַת מִלְחָמָה וְהָיְתָה לְתֵל שְׁמָמָה וּבְנֹתֶיהָ בָּאֵשׁ תִּצַּתְנָה וְיָרַשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־יֹרְשָׁיו אָמַר ה'

Therefore, behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and I will sound to the city of Raba, the capital of the children of Amon an alarm of war, and at the end of this war, it, Raba, will become a mound of desolation, and its environs, the small surrounding cities, will be burned in fire, and Israel will inherit its inheritors, said the Lord. Those who had pretensions of inheriting Israel will themselves be removed from their land, and Israel will inherit them.

הֵילִילִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן כִּי שֻׁדְּדָה עַי צְעַקְנָה בְּנוֹת רַבָּה חֲגֹרְנָה שַׂקִּים סְפֹדְנָה וְהִתְשׁוֹטַטְנָה בַּגְּדֵרוֹת כִּי מַלְכָּם בַּגּוֹלָה יֵלֵךְ כֹּהֲנָיו וְשָׂרָיו יַחְדָּיו

Wail, city of Heshbon, in Moav, as the nearby Amonite city of Ai was sacked; cry out, daughters of Raba; gird yourselves with sackcloth, lament and wander among the fences, in areas of pasture where you can lament. Alternatively, this is a suggestion to escape to areas of pasture, since the walls of the city will no longer provide protection, as Malkam, the god of Amon, or the king of Amon, will go into exile, all his priests and his princes together.

מַה־תִּתְהַלְלִי בָּעֲמָקִים זָב עִמְקֵךְ הַבַּת הַשּׁוֹבֵבָה הַבֹּטְחָה בְּאֹצְרֹתֶיהָ מִי יָבוֹא אֵלָי!

Why do you, Amon, glory, brag, in the valleys, the fertile areas? Your valley flows away and dissolves, deviant daughter, small country that deviates from the upright path, who trusts in her treasures and says: Who will come to me?

הִנְנִי מֵבִיא עָלַיִךְ פַּחַד נְאֻם־ה' אֱלוֹהִים צְבָאוֹת מִכָּל־סְבִיבָיִךְ וְנִדַּחְתֶּם אִישׁ לְפָנָיו וְאֵין מְקַבֵּץ לַנֹּדֵד

Behold, I am bringing upon you fear – the utterance of the Lord, God of hosts – from all your surroundings, and you will be banished; each man will flee in the path before him, in no particular direction, with no one to gather the wanderer.

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן אָשִׁיב אֶת־שְׁבוּת בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן נְאֻם־ה'

But thereafter, after the great downfall, I will restore the returnees of the children of Amon – the utterance of the Lord.

לֶאֱדוֹם כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת הַאֵין עוֹד חָכְמָה בְּתֵימָן אָבְדָה עֵצָה מִבָּנִים נִסְרְחָה חָכְמָתָם!

A prophecy concerning Edom which, like Moav, was a small kingdom. So said the Lord of hosts: Is there wisdom no longer in Teman? Teman was an Edomite city. The land of the Temanites is mentioned as the place of origin of one of the kings of Edom. Teman, Esau’s firstborn, became the chief of a tribe. It is possible that the land was called Teman, meaning south, because it was located to the south of the Land of Israel and Judah. Is counsel lost from the children, has their wisdom spoiled? Edom’s wisdom and stratagems could not prevent the approaching evil.

נֻסוּ הָפְנוּ הֶעְמִקוּ לָשֶׁבֶת יֹשְׁבֵי דְּדָן כִּי אֵיד עֵשָׂו הֵבֵאתִי עָלָיו עֵת פְּקַדְתִּיו

Flee, evacuate, dwell in the depths, hide underground, inhabitants of the city of Dedan, as I have brought the calamity of Esau upon him at the time that I reckon with him, remember him negatively.

אִם־בֹּצְרִים בָּאוּ לָךְ — לֹא יַשְׁאִרוּ עוֹלֵלוֹת אִם־גַּנָּבִים בַּלַּיְלָה — הִשְׁחִיתוּ דַיָּם

If grape harvesters had come to you, would they not have left incomplete clusters, a few sparse grapes? Generally, harvesters leave behind some grapes in the vineyard. If thieves came at night, they would have pillaged only that which sufficed for them. Thieves take that which they need, but no more.

כִּי־אֲנִי חָשַׂפְתִּי אֶת־עֵשָׂו גִּלֵּיתִי אֶת־מִסְתָּרָיו וְנֶחְבָּה לֹא יוּכָל שֻׁדַּד זַרְעוֹ וְאֶחָיו וּשְׁכֵנָיו וְאֵינֶנּוּ

By contrast, nothing will remain of your crops and treasures, for I have exposed Esau, the father of Edom, I have revealed his hiding places, and he will be unable to hide; his offspring and his brothers and his neighbors have been plundered, and he is no more. The plunderers will take everything.

עָזְבָה יְתֹמֶיךָ אֲנִי אֲחַיֶּה וְאַלְמְנוֹתֶיךָ עָלַי תִּבְטָחוּ

Leave your orphans, I will sustain them, and your widows should rely on Me. There is no hope for you, and your orphans and widows have nothing to rely on but divine mercy.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' הִנֵּה אֲשֶׁר־אֵין מִשְׁפָּטָם לִשְׁתּוֹת הַכּוֹס שָׁתוֹ יִשְׁתּוּ וְאַתָּה הוּא נָקֹה תִּנָּקֶה! לֹא תִנָּקֶה כִּי שָׁתֹה תִּשְׁתֶּה

For so said the Lord: Behold, those nations whose custom is not to drink the cup of retribution will drink it, and are you he who will be absolved? You will not be absolved, for you will drink from the poisonous cup as well. When even the most secure nations in the region were struck severely, by Nebuchadnezzar, among others, can a small, isolated country such as Edom escape without harm?

כִּי בִי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם־ה' כִּי־לְשַׁמָּה לְחֶרְפָּה לְחֹרֶב וְלִקְלָלָה תִּהְיֶה בָצְרָה וְכָל־עָרֶיהָ תִהְיֶינָה לְחָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם

For I have taken an oath by Myself – the utterance of the Lord – that Botzra, a large city in Edom, often used as a symbol for Edom as a whole, shall become an astonishment, a disgrace, a ruin, or the dryness of a drought, and a curse, and all its cities shall become eternal ruins.

שְׁמוּעָה שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵאֵת ה' וְצִיר בַּגּוֹיִם שָׁלוּחַ הִתְקַבְּצוּ וּבֹאוּ עָלֶיהָ וְקוּמוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה

I heard a report from the Lord, and a messenger is sent among the nations. Messengers have already been sent to the heads of the nations, surreptitiously or openly, saying: Gather yourselves, and come against it, Edom, and arise to war.

כִּי־הִנֵּה קָטֹן נְתַתִּיךָ בַּגּוֹיִם בָּזוּי בָּאָדָם

For behold, I rendered you small among the nations, spurned among people. You are a small nation, respected by no one.

תִּפְלַצְתְּךָ הִשִּׁיא אֹתָךְ זְדוֹן לִבֶּךָ שֹׁכְנִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע תֹּפְשִׂי מְרוֹם גִּבְעָה כִּי־תַגְבִּיהַּ כַּנֶּשֶׁר קִנֶּךָ — מִשָּׁם אוֹרִידְךָ נְאֻם־ה'

Your terror, horrible idols, misled you, the evilness of your heart gave you false security, you who dwell in the crevices, or at the height of the rock, as one of the most important cities in Edom was Petra, whose architecture was carved from rock, you who have taken hold of the height of the hill. Since you reside in fortified hills, you feel that you are entirely secure. However, although you elevate your nest like the eagle, I will lower you from there – the utterance of the Lord.

וְהָיְתָה אֱדוֹם לְשַׁמָּה כֹּל עֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשֹּׁם וְיִשְׁרֹק עַל־כָּל־מַכּוֹתֶהָ

Edom will become desolation; everyone who passes it by and sees its destruction will be astonished and will whistle over all its afflictions.

כְּמַהְפֵּכַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וּשְׁכֵנֶיהָ אָמַר ה' לֹא־יֵשֵׁב שָׁם אִישׁ וְלֹא־יָגוּר בָּהּ בֶּן־אָדָם

It is like the upheaval of Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbors, said the Lord; no man will dwell there, in the land of Edom, and no human will reside in it.

הִנֵּה כְּאַרְיֵה יַעֲלֶה מִגְּאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן אֶל־נְוֵה אֵיתָן כִּי־אַרְגִּיעָה אֲרִיצֶנּוּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וּמִי בָחוּר אֵלֶיהָ אֶפְקֹד כִּי מִי כָמוֹנִי וּמִי יֹעִידֶנִּי וּמִי־זֶה רֹעֶה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲמֹד לְפָנָי

Behold, like a lion, it, the enemy, will come up and burst forth from the thickets of the Jordan, an area of high tide around the river, which was full of thick vegetation, and where lions continued to live a thousand years after Jeremiah’s time, to a great place of steadfast pasture; for in a moment I will cause it, Edom, to run upon it, the lion; or: I will send the lion to subdue the sheep, the complacent Edom, and whoever is chosen to go forth to war, I will appoint over it, for battle. For who is like Me, and who will appoint Me a time, and who is that shepherd who will stand before Me to rescue his flock from the lion? There is nobody who will help you, and you have no one upon whom you can rely.

לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ עֲצַת־ה' אֲשֶׁר יָעַץ אֶל אֱדוֹם וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב אֶל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵימָן אִם־לוֹא יִסְחָבוּם צְעִירֵי הַצֹּאן אִם־לֹא יַשִּׁים עֲלֵיהֶם נְוֵהֶם

Therefore, hear the schemes of the Lord that He has conceived against Edom, and His designs that He has devised against the inhabitants of Teman: Will the young of the flock not drag them, that is, the young flock will drag them. They will be so wretched that even the young, inexperienced soldiers will drag them away like prey. Will he not render their pasture, their houses, desolate for them?

מִקּוֹל נִפְלָם רָעֲשָׁה הָאָרֶץ צְעָקָה — בְּיַם־סוּף נִשְׁמַע קוֹלָהּ

From the sound of their fall the earth quaked; there is an outcry of the Edomites, at the Red Sea its sound is heard.

הִנֵּה כַנֶּשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה וְיִדְאֶה וְיִפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו עַל־בָּצְרָה וְהָיָה לֵב גִּבּוֹרֵי אֱדוֹם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּלֵב אִשָּׁה מְצֵרָה

Behold, like the eagle it, the enemy, will ascend and soar and spread its wings against Botzra, and the heart of the valiant of Edom will be on that day like the heart of a woman in anguish.

לְדַמֶּשֶׂק בּוֹשָׁה חֲמָת וְאַרְפָּד כִּי־שְׁמֻעָה רָעָה שָׁמְעוּ נָמֹגוּ בַּיָּם דְּאָגָה הַשְׁקֵט לֹא יוּכָל

A prophecy concerning Damascus: Hamat is shamed, and Arpad as well. These cities of Aram-Damascus will be humiliated and mortified, because they heard an evil report of the approach of the enemy, and they dissipated, melted away; like one who is in the sea there is concern, it cannot be silenced and calmed.

רָפְתָה דַמֶּשֶׂק הִפְנְתָה לָנוּס וְרֶטֶט הֶחֱזִיקָה צָרָה וַחֲבָלִים אֲחָזַתָּה כַּיּוֹלֵדָה

Damascus has been weakened, it turned to flee and trembling gripped it; anguish and labor pangs have seized it like a woman in childbirth. The Arameans are in dire straits, and their security is collapsing in front of them.

אֵיךְ לֹא־עֻזְּבָה עִיר תְּהִלָּת קִרְיַת מְשׂוֹשִׂי !

They say: How was the city of glory not spared by the conquerors, the city of my delight, the powerful and glorious city?

לָכֵן יִפְּלוּ בַחוּרֶיהָ בִּרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ וְכָל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה יִדַּמּוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת

Therefore, its young men will fall in its thoroughfares, and all the men of war will be eradicated on that day – the utterance of the Lord of hosts.

וְהִצַּתִּי אֵשׁ בְּחוֹמַת דַּמָּשֶׂק וְאָכְלָה אַרְמְנוֹת בֶּן־הֲדָד

I will ignite a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it will consume the palaces of Ben Hadad, the king who reigned in Damascus for many years.

לְקֵדָר וּלְמַמְלְכוֹת חָצוֹר אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל כֹּה אָמַר ה' קוּמוּ עֲלוּ אֶל־קֵדָר וְשָׁדְדוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם

A prophecy concerning Kedar, an Arab tribe or group of tribes that dwelled on the outskirts of the Land of Israel, and concerning the kingdoms of Hatzor, which was probably also a group of local Arabic kingdoms, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote, so said the Lord: Arise, go up against Kedar, and plunder the children of the East.

אָהֳלֵיהֶם וְצֹאנָם יִקָּחוּ יְרִיעוֹתֵיהֶם וְכָל־כְּלֵיהֶם וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם יִשְׂאוּ לָהֶם וְקָרְאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב

They will take their tents and their flocks; their hangings and all their vessels and their camels they will bear away for themselves. This is not referring to a territorial conquest but to the plunder of the animals and property of nomadic tribes. And they, people, will proclaim about them statements of terror all around. Alternatively, this means: And they will invite upon them fearful events.

נֻסוּ נֻּדוּ מְאֹד הֶעְמִיקוּ לָשֶׁבֶת יֹשְׁבֵי חָצוֹר נְאֻם־ה' כִּי־יָעַץ עֲלֵיכֶם נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עֵצָה וְחָשַׁב עֲלֵיכֶם מַחֲשָׁבָה

Flee, wander extensively, dwell in the depths, hide underground (see verse 8), inhabitants of Hatzor – the utterance of the Lord – as Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has conceived a scheme against you and devised a design against you. He has planned to conquer the lands of the periphery, which includes you.

קוּמוּ עֲלוּ אֶל־גּוֹי שְׁלֵיו יוֹשֵׁב לָבֶטַח נְאֻם־ה' לֹא־דְלָתַיִם וְלֹא־בְרִיחַ לוֹ בָּדָד יִשְׁכֹּנוּ

Arise, go up against a tranquil nation that lives in security – the utterance of the Lord – people with neither gates nor bars locking their cities, who dwell alone, a nation of nomads. Although they pose no threat, nevertheless Nebuchadnezzar will plunder them along his way.

וְהָיוּ גְמַלֵּיהֶם לָבַז וַהֲמוֹן מִקְנֵיהֶם — לְשָׁלָל וְזֵרִתִים לְכָל־רוּחַ קְצוּצֵי פֵאָה וּמִכָּל־עֲבָרָיו אָבִיא אֶת־אֵידָם נְאֻם־ה'

Their camels will become loot, and the multitude of their livestock will be spoils, and I will scatter them, those that have the corners of their hair cropped, in every direction, and I will bring their calamity from all its sides – the utterance of the Lord. Apparently, it was the custom of these tribes to cut their hair short in a particular fashion (see 9:25).

וְהָיְתָה חָצוֹר לִמְעוֹן תַּנִּים שְׁמָמָה עַד־עוֹלָם לֹא־יֵשֵׁב שָׁם אִישׁ וְלֹא־יָגוּר בָּהּ בֶּן־אָדָם

Hatzor will become an abode of jackals, desolation forever; no man will dwell there, and no human will reside in it. The entire desert region on the eastern and southern borders of the Land of Israel will become desolate.

אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־עֵילָם בְּרֵאשִׁית מַלְכוּת צִדְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord that was to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiya king of Judah, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת הִנְנִי שֹׁבֵר אֶת־קֶשֶׁת עֵילָם רֵאשִׁית גְּבוּרָתָם

So said the Lord of hosts: Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the source of their might. Elam was a kingdom that threatened Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia, but these kingdoms defeated Elam in the battlefield. For example, Shushan was originally the capital of Elam, before it became one of the capital cities of Persia.

וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶל־עֵילָם אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת מֵאַרְבַּע קְצוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְזֵרִתִים לְכֹל הָרֻחוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָבוֹא שָׁם נִדְּחֵי עֵילָם

I will bring against Elam four winds from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them in all these directions, and there will be no nation to which the outcasts of Elam will not come. The Elamites will be unable to defend themselves, and will be scattered among other nations.

וְהַחְתַּתִּי אֶת־עֵילָם לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיהֶם וְלִפְנֵי מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיהֶם רָעָה אֶת־חֲרוֹן אַפִּי נְאֻם־ה' וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֶת־הַחֶרֶב עַד כַּלּוֹתִי אוֹתָם

I will dismay, or smash Elam before their enemies and before the seekers of their life, and I will bring harm upon them, My enflamed wrath – the utterance of the Lord – and I will send the sword after them until My annihilation of them.

וְשַׂמְתִּי כִסְאִי בְּעֵילָם וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מִשָּׁם מֶלֶךְ וְשָׂרִים נְאֻם־ה'

I will place My throne in Elam to judge it, and I will eliminate king and princes from there – the utterance of the Lord.

וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים אָשִׁיב אֶת־שְׁבוּת עֵילָם נְאֻם־ה'

It shall be at the end of days, I will restore the returnees of Elam – the utterance of the Lord. Elam was never reestablished as an independent state, and its kingdom remains a mere historical memory; however, it did not remain desolate, and people live there to this day.