1-6. God’s Message on the Ammonites:“Doesn’t Israel have any children,no one to step into her inheritance?So why is the god Milcom taking over Gad’s land,his followers moving into its towns?But not for long! The time’s coming”—God’s Decree—“When I’ll fill the ears of Rabbah, Ammon’s big city,with battle cries.She’ll end up a pile of rubble,all her towns burned to the ground.Then Israel will kick out the invaders.I, God, say so, and it will be so.Wail Heshbon, Ai is in ruins.Villages of Rabbah, wring your hands!Dress in mourning, weep buckets of tears.Go into hysterics, run around in circles!Your god Milcom will be hauled off to exile,and all his priests and managers right with him.Why do you brag of your once-famous strength?You’re a broken-down has-been, a castoffWho fondles his trophies and dreams of glory daysand vainly thinks, ‘No one can lay a hand on me.’Well, think again. I’ll face you with terror from all sides.”Word of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.“You’ll be stampeded headlong,with no one to round up the runaways.Still, the time will comewhen I will make things right with Ammon.” God’s Decree.
7-11. The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies on Edom:“Is there nobody wise left in famous Teman?no one with a sense of reality?Has their wisdom gone wormy and rotten?Run for your lives! Get out while you can!Find a good place to hide,you who live in Dedan!I’m bringing doom to Esau.It’s time to settle accounts.When harvesters work your fields,don’t they leave gleanings?When burglars break into your house,don’t they take only what they want?But I’ll strip Esau clean.I’ll search out every nook and cranny.I’ll destroy everything connected with him,children and relatives and neighbors.There’ll be no one left who will be able to say,‘I’ll take care of your orphans.Your widows can depend on me.’”
12-13. Indeed. God says, “I tell you, if there are people who have to drink the cup of God’s wrath even though they don’t deserve it, why would you think you’d get off? You won’t get off. You’ll drink it. Oh yes, you’ll drink every drop. And as for Bozrah, your capital, I swear by all that I am”—God’s Decree—“that that city will end up a pile of charred ruins, a stinking garbage dump, an obscenity—and all her daughter-cities with her.”
14. I’ve just heard the latest from God.He’s sent an envoy to the nations:“Muster your troops and attack Edom.Present arms! Go to war!”
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.”