15-16 “Ah, Edom, I’m dropping you to last place among nations,the bottom of the heap, kicked around.You think you’re so great—strutting across the stage of history,Living high in the impregnable rocks,acting like king of the mountain.You think you’re above it all, don’t you,like an eagle in its aerie?Well, you’re headed for a fall.I’ll bring you crashing to the ground.” God’s Decree.
17-18 “Edom will end up trash. Stinking, despicable trash. A wonder of the world in reverse. She’ll join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors in the sewers of history.” God says so.“No one will live there,no mortal soul move in there.
19 “Watch this: Like a lion coming upfrom the thick jungle of the JordanLooking for prey in the mountain pastures,I will come upon Edom and pounce.I’ll take my pick of the flock—and who’s to stop me?The shepherds of Edom are helpless before me.”
20-22 So, listen to this plan that God has worked out against Edom, the blueprint of what he’s prepared for those who live in Teman:“Believe it or not, the young, the vulnerable—mere lambs and kids—will be dragged off.Believe it or not, the flockin shock, helpless to help, will watch it happen.The very earth will shudder because of their cries,cries of anguish heard at the distant Red Sea.Look! An eagle soars, swoops down,spreads its wings over Bozrah.Brave warriors will double up in pain, helpless to fight,like a woman giving birth to a baby.”
23-27 The Message on Damascus:“Hamath and Arpad will be in shockwhen they hear the bad news.Their hearts will melt in fearas they pace back and forth in worry.The blood will drain from the face of Damascusas she turns to flee.Hysterical, she’ll fall to pieces,disabled, like a woman in childbirth.And now how lonely—bereft, abandoned!The once famous city, the once happy city.Her bright young men dead in the streets,her brave warriors silent as death.On that day”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies—“I’ll start a fire at the wall of Damascusthat will burn down all of Ben-hadad’s forts.”
28-33 The Message on Kedar and the sheikdoms of Hazor who were attacked by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This is God’s Message:“On your feet! Attack Kedar!Plunder the Bedouin nomads from the east.Grab their blankets and pots and pans.Steal their camels.Traumatize them, shouting, ‘Terror! Death! Doom!Danger everywhere!’Oh, run for your lives,You nomads from Hazor.” God’s Decree.“Find a safe place to hide.Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonhas plans to wipe you out,to go after you with a vengeance:‘After them,’ he says. ‘Go after these relaxed nomadswho live free and easy in the desert,Who live in the open with no doors to lock,who live off by themselves.’Their camels are there for the taking,their herds and flocks, easy picking.I’ll scatter them to the four winds,these defenseless nomads on the fringes of the desert.I’ll bring terror from every direction.They won’t know what hit them.” God’s Decree.“Jackals will take over the camps of Hazor,camps abandoned to wind and sand.No one will live there,no mortal soul move in there.”
34-39 God’s Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says:“Watch this! I’ll break Elam’s bow,her weapon of choice, across my knee.Then I’ll let four winds loose on Elam,winds from the four corners of earth.I’ll blow them away in all directions,landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth.They’ll live in constant fear and terroramong enemies who want to kill them.I’ll bring doom on them,my anger-fueled doom.I’ll set murderous hounds on their heelsuntil there’s nothing left of them.And then I’ll set up my throne in Elam,having thrown out the king and his henchmen.But the time will come when I makeeverything right for Elam again.” God’s Decree.