Old/New Testament
A Message to Moab
48 This message is to the country of Moab [C to the east of Israel; Gen. 19; Num. 25; Deut. 23:3–6].
This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says:
“·How terrible it will be for the city of [Woe to] Nebo,
because it will be ·ruined [desolate].
The town of Kiriathaim [Num. 32:37; Josh. 13:19; Ezek. 25:9] will be disgraced and captured;
the ·strong [fortified] city will be disgraced and shattered.
2 Moab will not be praised again.
Men in the town of Heshbon plan ·Moab’s defeat [L its disaster].
They say, ‘Come, let us ·put an end to [L cut off] that nation!’
Town of Madmen you will also be silenced.
The sword will ·chase [L come after] you.
3 Listen to the cries from the town of Horonaim,
·cries of much confusion and destruction [L desolation and great fracture].
4 Moab will be broken up.
·Her little children will cry for help [or Their cries are heard as far as Zoar].
5 Moab’s people go up the path to the town of Luhith,
crying ·loudly [continually] as they go.
On the road down to Horonaim,
cries of pain and suffering can be heard.
6 ·Run [Flee]! ·Run for [L Escape with] your lives!
Go like a ·bush [or wild ass; or Aroer] in the ·desert [wilderness].
7 You ·trust [have confidence] in the things you do and in your ·wealth [L storehouses; or arsenals],
so you also will be captured.
The god Chemosh [C the chief god of Moab] will go into ·captivity [exile]
and his priests and officers with him.
8 The destroyer will come against every town;
not one town will escape.
The valley will ·be ruined [perish],
and the high plain will be destroyed,
as the Lord has said.
9 Give ·wings [or salt; C a symbol of complete destruction; Judg. 9:45] to Moab,
because she will surely leave her land.
Moab’s towns will become ·empty [desolate],
with no one to live in them.
10 A curse will be on anyone who ·doesn’t do what the Lord says [L is slack in doing the Lord’s work],
and a curse will be on anyone who holds back his sword from ·killing [L blood].
11 “The people of Moab have ·never known trouble [L been at ease since its youth].
They are like wine left to settle;
they have never been poured from one jar to another.
They have not ·been taken into captivity [L gone into exile].
So ·they taste as they did before [L their flavor stands],
and their ·smell [aroma] has not changed.
12 ·A time is [L Days are] coming,” says the Lord,
“When I will send people to ·pour [decant] you from your jars.
They will empty Moab’s jars
and smash their jugs [C a fitting image since Moab produced much wine; 16:8–10].
13 The ·people [L house] of Israel ·trusted [had confidence in] that god in the town of Bethel [1 Kin. 13:26–33; Amos 7:13],
and they were ·ashamed [humiliated] when there was no help.
In the same way Moab will be ·ashamed of [humiliated by] their god Chemosh.
14 “·You cannot [L How can you…?] say, ‘We are warriors!
We are brave men in battle!’
15 The destroyer of Moab and her towns has arrived.
Her best young men will be ·killed [slaughtered]!” says the King,
whose name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
16 “The ·end [disaster; calamity] of Moab is near,
and ·she will soon be destroyed [L her disaster comes quickly].
17 All you who live around Moab,
all you who know ·her [L her name], ·cry [mourn] for her.
Say, ‘The ·ruler’s power [L strong scepter] is broken;
·Moab’s power and glory are gone [L …the glorious/beautiful staff].’
18 “·You people living in the town of [L Enthroned daughter] Dibon, come down from ·your place of honor [glory]
and sit on the dry ground,
because the destroyer of Moab has come against you.
And he has destroyed your ·strong, walled [fortified] cities.
19 You people living in the town of Aroer,
stand next to the road and watch.
See the man ·running away [fleeing] and the woman escaping.
Ask them, ‘What happened?’
20 Moab is filled with ·shame [humiliation], because she is ruined.
·Cry [Wail], Moab, cry out!
Announce at the Arnon River
that Moab is destroyed.
21 People on the high plain have been ·punished [judged].
Judgment has come to these towns:
Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath;
22 Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim;
23 Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon;
24 Kerioth and Bozrah [C all cities on the Moabite plateau].
Judgment has come to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab’s ·strength [L horn; C a symbol of strength] has been cut off,
and its arm broken!” says the Lord.
26 “The people of Moab thought they were greater than the Lord,
so ·punish them until they act as if they are drunk [L make them drunk].
Moab will ·fall and roll around [wallow; or overflow] in its own vomit,
and people will even make fun of it [C they would drink from the cup of wrath; 25:15–38; Is. 19:14; 51:17; Nah. 1:10].
27 Moab, you made fun of Israel.
Israel was ·caught [or not found] in the middle of a gang of thieves.
When you spoke about Israel,
you shook your head [C acting as if Moab were better].
28 People in Moab, ·leave your towns empty [L abandon; forsake]
and go live among the ·rocks [crags].
Be like a dove that makes its nest
at the entrance of a cave.
29 “We have heard that the people of Moab are ·proud [arrogant],
very ·proud [arrogant].
They are proud, very ·proud [arrogant],
and in their hearts ·they think they are important [L are exalted; Ps. 131].”
30 The Lord says,
“I know ·Moab’s great pride [L his insolence], but it is ·useless [false].
Moab’s bragging accomplishes nothing.
31 So I ·cry sadly [wail] for Moab,
for everyone in Moab.
I ·moan [mourn] for the people from the town of Kir Hareseth.
32 I cry with the people of the town of Jazer
for you, the grapevines of the town of Sibmah.
In the past your vines spread all the way to the sea,
as far as the sea of Jazer.
But the destroyer has ·taken over [L fallen on]
your ·fruit [summer fruits] and ·grapes [vintage].
33 Joy and happiness are gone
from the ·large, rich fields [fruitful/garden lands] of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses.
No one walks on the grapes with shouts of joy.
There are shouts,
but not shouts of joy.
34 “Their ·crying [cry for help] can be heard from Moabite towns,
from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz.
It can be heard from Zoar as far away as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah.
Even the waters of Nimrim are ·dried up [desolate].
35 I will stop Moab
from making burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] at the ·places of worship [L high places; C sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] and from ·burning incense [or making offerings] to their gods,” says the Lord.
36 “My heart ·cries sadly [wails] for Moab like a ·flute [reed-pipe; C an instrument that plays funeral songs].
It ·cries [wails] like a ·flute [reed-pipe] for the people from Kir Hareseth.
The money they made has all ·been taken away [perished].
37 Every head has been shaved
and every beard cut off.
Everyone’s hands are ·cut [gashed],
and everyone wears ·rough cloth around his waist [sackcloth; burlap; C mourning rituals].
38 People are ·crying [mourning] on every roof [C flat roofs were living space] in Moab
and in every public square.
There is nothing but ·sadness [lament],
because I have broken Moab
like a jar no one wants [19:1–13; 22:28; Ps. 2:9],” says the Lord.
39 “·Moab [L How it] is shattered! The people are ·crying [wailing]!
·Moab turns away [L How it turns its neck] in ·shame [humiliation]!
People all around her make fun of her.
The things that happened fill them with great fear [Is. 16:6–12].”
40 This is what the Lord says:
“Look! Someone is coming, like an eagle ·diving down from the sky [swooping down]
and spreading its wings over Moab [49:22; Ezek. 17:3–4; Hos. 8:1].
41 The towns of Moab will be captured,
and the ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] will be ·defeated [seized].
·At that time [L On that day] ·Moab’s warriors will be frightened, [L the heart of Moab’s warriors will be]
like ·a [L the heart of a] woman who is ·having a baby [in labor].
42 The nation of Moab will be destroyed,
because they ·thought they were greater than [magnified themselves over] the Lord.
43 Fear, deep pits, and traps wait for you,
people of Moab,” says the Lord.
44 “People will ·run [flee] from fear,
but they will fall into the pits.
Anyone who climbs out of the pits
will be caught in the traps.
I will bring the year of punishment to Moab,” says the Lord.
45 “People ·have run [flee] from the ·powerful enemy [L strong]
and ·have gone to Heshbon for safety [L stand in the shadow of Heshbon].
But fire ·started in [L has come out from] Heshbon;
a ·blaze [L flame] has spread from the ·hometown [L house] of Sihon [C early king of Moab; Num. 21:28].
It ·burned up [L devoured] the ·leaders [or forehead] of Moab
and ·destroyed those proud people [L the pate of the sons of tumult].
46 ·How terrible it is for [Woe to] you, Moab!
The people of Chemosh [C the chief god of Moab] have been destroyed.
Your sons have been taken ·captive [into exile],
and your daughters ·have been taken away [into captivity].
47 “But in ·days to come [the latter days],
I will ·make good things happen again to [restore the fortunes of] Moab,” says the Lord.
This ends the judgment on Moab.
A Message to Ammon
49 This message is to the ·Ammonite people [L sons of Ammon; Gen. 19:30–38; Deut. 2:19; 23:3–6].
This is what the Lord says:
“Do you think that Israel has no children?
Do you think there is no ·one to take the land when the parents die [L heir]?
If that were true, why did Molech [C the chief god of Ammon] take Gad’s [C a tribe in the north of Israel] land
and why did Molech’s people settle in Gad’s towns [C a bitter reference to the sacrifice of children to Molech]?”
2 The Lord says,
“The ·time will come [L days are coming] when I will make Rabbah
of the Ammonites [C its capital], hear the battle cry.
It will become a ·hill covered with ruins [desolate ruin],
and the ·towns [villages; L daughters] around it will be burned with fire.
Those people ·forced [dispossessed] Israel out of that land,
but now Israel will ·force them out [dispossess them]!” says the Lord.
3 “People in the town of Heshbon, ·cry sadly [wail] because the town of Ai is destroyed!
·Those who live in [L Daughters of] Rabbah, cry out!
Put on your ·rough cloth to show your sadness [sackcloth; burlap], and ·cry loudly [mourn; wail].
Run here and there for safety inside the walls,
because Molech will be taken ·captive [into exile]
and his priests and officers with him.
4 ·You [L Why do you…?] brag about your valleys
and about the fruit in your valleys.
You are like an ·unfaithful [rebellious] ·child [L daughter]
who ·believes her treasures will save her [L trusts/has confidence in her treasures/arsenals].
You think, ‘Who would attack me?’
5 I will soon bring terror on you
from everyone around you,”
says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
“You will all be ·forced to run [driven] away,
and no one will be able to gather you.
6 “But the time will come
when I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon] again,”
says the Lord.
A Message to Edom
7 This message is to Edom [Gen. 36; Num. 20:14–21; Ps. 137:7; Lam. 4:22; Obad. 10–14]. This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman [Job 2:11]?
Can the wise men [C of Edom] no longer give good advice?
Have they lost their wisdom?
8 You people living in the town of Dedan,
·run away [flee] and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring ·disaster [calamity] on the people of Esau.
It is time for me to punish them.
9 If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
they would leave ·a few grapes [gleanings] behind.
If robbers came at night,
they would steal only enough for themselves.
10 But I will strip Esau [C Edom] bare.
I will ·find [expose] all their hiding places,
so they will not be able to hide from me.
The ·children [L seed], ·relatives [brothers], and neighbors will die,
And they [C Edom] will be no more.
11 ·Leave [Abandon; Forsake] the orphans, and I will ·take care of them [keep them alive].
Your widows also can ·trust [have confidence] in me.”
12 This is what the Lord says: “Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup [C of suffering; 25:15–38; 48:26–28] anyway. You [C people of Edom] deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup.” 13 The Lord says, “I swear by ·my own name [L myself] that the city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. They will ·insult [reproach] that city and ·speak evil of [curse] it. And all the towns around it will become ruins forever.”
14 I have heard a message from the Lord.
A ·messenger [herald] has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather [C your armies] to attack it!
·Get ready [L Rise up] for battle!”
15 “Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
and you will be greatly ·hated [despised] by everyone.
16 Edom, you ·frightened [terrorized] other nations,
but your ·pride [arrogance] has ·fooled [deceived] you.
You live in the hollow places of the ·cliff [rock; crag]
and ·control [seize] the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
17 “Edom will be ·destroyed [desolate].
People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
and they will ·be amazed [hiss] at all her ·injuries [disasters].
18 Edom will be ·destroyed [overturned] like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 18—19]
and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there!
No one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it [C Edom].
19 “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
to attack ·a strong pen for sheep [or perennial pastures; 50:44],
I will suddenly chase it [C Edom] from its land.
Who is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to do this?
·There is no one [L Who is…?] like me,
·no one who [L who…?] can take me to court.
·None of their leaders [L Who is the shepherd who…?] can stand up against me.”
20 So listen to ·what the Lord has planned to do against Edom [L the counsel/advice of the Lord].
Listen to ·what he has decided to do to [L his plans against] the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young of the flock [C the youth of Edom].
Their ·hometowns [L pasture] will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
21 At the sound of their [C Edom’s] fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the ·Red [Reed] Sea [50:20; Ex. 10:19].
22 The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened,
like a woman ·having a baby [in labor; 48:40; Ezek. 17:3–4; Hos. 8:1].
A Message to Damascus
23 This message is to the city of Damascus:
“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are ·put to shame [humiliated],
because they have heard ·bad [disastrous] news.
They ·are discouraged [L melt; C in fear].
They are troubled like the ·tossing sea [sea that cannot be quieted].
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people ·want to run away [turn to flee];
·they are ready to panic [panic seized them].
·The people feel pain and suffering [L Anguish and distress have grabbed them],
like a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 48:41; 49:22; 50:43].
25 Damascus was a city of my joy.
Why have the people not ·left [abandoned; forsaken] that famous city yet?
26 Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
and all her soldiers will be ·killed [L stilled; quieted] ·at that time [L on that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
27 “I will ·set [kindle a] fire to the walls of Damascus,
and it will completely ·burn [consume] the ·strong cities [strongholds; citadels] of King Ben-Hadad [C a name taken by many kings of Damascus].”
A Message to Kedar and Hazor
28 This message is to the tribe of Kedar [Song 1:5; Ezek. 27:21] and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·defeated [L struck]. This is what the Lord says:
“·Go [L Rise up] and attack the people of Kedar,
and destroy the ·people of the East [L sons of Kedar].
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their belongings will be carried off—
their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
‘Terror on every side [6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5]!’
30 “·Run away [Flee] quickly!
People in Hazor, ·find a ·good [L deep] place to hide [hide in deep places]!” says the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
and ·wants to defeat [L makes plans against] you.
31 “·Get [L Rise] up! Attack the nation that is ·comfortable [at ease],
that is ·sure [confident; C that no one will defeat it],” says the Lord.
“It does not have gates or ·fences [L bars; C to protect it].
Its people live alone.
32 The enemy will ·steal [L plunder; despoil] their camels
and their large herds of cattle as ·war prizes [plunder; booty].
I will scatter the people who ·cut their hair short [shave their temples; Deut. 14:1] to ·every part of the earth [L the wind],
and I will bring disaster on them from everywhere,” says the Lord.
33 “The city of Hazor will become a ·home [den; haunt] for ·wild dogs [jackals; 9:11; 10:22];
it will be ·an empty desert [desolate] forever.
No one will live there,
and no one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it.”
A Message to Elam
34 ·Soon after Zedekiah became [L At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the] king of Judah [C beginning in 597 bc], the Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the nation of Elam [C located on the Iranian plateau].
35 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:
“I will soon break Elam’s bow [Is. 22:6],
its greatest strength.
36 I will bring the four winds against Elam
from the four corners of the ·skies [heavens].
I will scatter its people ·everywhere the four winds blow [L to all four winds];
its ·captives [exiles] will go to every nation.
37 I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies,
who ·want to destroy them [L seek their life].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] to Elam
and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord.
“I will send a sword ·to chase Elam [L after them]
until I have ·killed [ended; annihilated] them all.
38 I will set up my throne in Elam,
and I will destroy its king and its officers!” says the Lord.
39 “But I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] Elam again
in the ·future [L latter days],” says the Lord.
The Priest Melchizedek
7 Melchizedek [C a priest and king in the time of Abraham; Gen. 14:17–24; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20] was the king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem, meaning “peace”; v. 2] and a priest for God Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after ·defeating [L the slaughter of] the kings [Gen. 14:17–19]. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, 2 and Abraham ·gave [L apportioned/divided to] him a ·tenth [tithe] ·of everything he had brought back from the battle [L of everything]. First, Melchizedek’s name means “king of ·goodness [righteousness; justice],” and he is king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem], which means “king of peace.” 3 ·No one knows who Melchizedek’s father or mother was [L …without father, without mother], ·where he came from [L without genealogy], ·when he was born, or when he died [L having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; C something unstated was assumed not to exist]. Melchizedek is like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever [C Melchizedek’s unmentioned genealogy in Genesis is, by analogy, like Jesus’ eternal Sonship and priesthood].
4 You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the ·great father [patriarch], gave him a tenth of ·everything that he won in battle [the spoils/booty/plunder]. 5 Now the law ·says [authorizes; commands] that those ·in the tribe [L of the sons/descendants] of Levi who become priests must collect a ·tenth [tithe] from the people—their ·own people [L brothers (and sisters)]—even though ·the priests and the people [L they] ·are from the family [are also descendants; L have come from the loins/body] of Abraham. 6 [L But] Melchizedek was not ·from the tribe of Levi [L descended from them; v. 3; C he was not from the Levitical line of priests], but he collected a ·tenth [tithe] from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who had God’s promises [Gen. 12:1–3]. 7 Now ·everyone knows [it is indisputable] that the ·more important person blesses the less important person [L lesser/inferior is blessed by the greater/superior]. 8 ·Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men who live and then die [L In the one case, mortal men receive a tithe,…]. ·But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says [L …but in the other case, the one (receives the tithe) who is declared (by Scripture) to be alive]. 9 We might even say that Levi, who receives a ·tenth [tithe], also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth. 10 Levi was not yet born, but he was in the ·body [loins] of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham [C the Levitical priesthood is considered inferior to Melchizedek’s (and Christ’s) priesthood, since Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham].
11 ·The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system [L If perfection could be attained through the Levitical priesthood, established for the people in the law…]. ·So there was [L …why was there…?] a need for another priest to come, a priest ·like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek, not [L in the priestly order/line of] Aaron [C Moses’ brother and Israel’s first high priest (5:4; Ex. 28:1); the existence of Melchizedek’s priestly line implies that the priesthood through Levi and Aaron was inadequate]. 12 And when a different ·kind of priest [priesthood; priestly line] comes, the law must be changed, too. 13 ·We are saying these things about Christ, who [L For the one about whom these things are said] belonged to a different tribe [C Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, not Levi]. No one from that tribe [C Judah] ever served as a priest at the altar. 14 It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe [C the kings from David’s line (including Jesus) came from the tribe of Judah, but the OT priesthood came through Levi and Aaron].
Jesus Is like Melchizedek
15 And this becomes even more clear ·when we see that [L if] another priest ·comes [arises; appears on the scene] who is like Melchizedek [vv. 1–14]. 16 He was not made a priest by ·human rules and laws [or regulations about physical descent/ancestry] but through the power of his life, which ·continues forever [or is indestructable]. 17 [L For] It is said about him,
“You are a priest forever,
·a priest like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10].”
18 The ·old [former] ·rule [commandment; regulation] is now ·set aside [nullified; abolished], because it was weak and ·useless [ineffective]. 19 The law [C of Moses] could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and ·with [by means of; through] this hope we can ·come near to [approach] God. 20 ·It is important that God did this with an oath [L And it was not without an oath]. Others became priests without an oath, 21 but ·Christ [L he] became a priest with an oath, ·when God said [L by the one who said] to him:
“The Lord has ·made a promise [L sworn; C an oath]
and will not change his mind.
‘You are a priest forever [v. 17; Ps. 110:4].’”
22 ·This means that [Because of this oath,] Jesus is the guarantee of a better ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; 8:7–13; Jer. 31:31–34; C the new covenant is greater than the old (the law of Moses) because it provides true forgiveness of sins].
23 When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests. 24 But because Jesus ·lives [remains; abides] forever, he ·will never stop serving as priest [L has a permanent/eternal priesthood]. 25 So he is able ·always to save [or to save completely/forever] those who come to God through him because he always lives, ·asking God to help [interceding for] them.
26 ·Jesus is the kind of high priest we need [L For such a high priest is indeed suited/fitting for us]. He is holy, ·sinless [innocent; blameless], ·pure [undefiled], ·not influenced by [set apart from] sinners, and he is ·raised above the heavens [or having the highest place in heaven]. 27 He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time [9:12; 10:10] when he offered himself. 28 The law ·chooses [designates; appoints] high priests who are people with weaknesses [5:2], but the word of God’s oath came later than the law. It made God’s Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made perfect forever [2:10; 5:9].
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