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15 Then said Jehovah unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith Jehovah: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. And I will appoint over them four [a]kinds, saith Jehovah: the sword to slay, and the dogs to [b]tear, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy. And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

For who will have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who will bemoan thee? or who will turn aside to ask of thy welfare? Thou hast rejected me, saith Jehovah, thou art gone backward: therefore have I stretched out my hand against thee, and destroyed thee; I am weary with repenting. And I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they returned not from their ways. Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas; I have brought upon them [c]against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday: I have caused anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly. She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she hath been put to shame and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.

10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.

11 Jehovah said, Verily I will [d]strengthen thee for good; verily [e]I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. 12 [f]Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass? 13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. 14 And [g]I will make them to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

15 O Jehovah, thou knowest; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach. 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts. 17 I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand; for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that [h]fail?

19 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, that thou mayest stand before me; and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them. 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. 21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:3 Hebrew families.
  2. Jeremiah 15:3 Hebrew drag.
  3. Jeremiah 15:8 Or, against the mother and the young men
  4. Jeremiah 15:11 Another reading is, release
  5. Jeremiah 15:11 Or, I will intercede for thee with the enemy
  6. Jeremiah 15:12 Or, Can iron break iron from etc.
  7. Jeremiah 15:14 Or, I will make thine enemies to pass into etc.
  8. Jeremiah 15:18 Hebrew are not sure.

Judgment Must Come

15 Then the Lord said to me, “Even (A)though (B)Moses and (C)Samuel were to (D)stand before Me, My [a]heart would not be [b]with this people; (E)send them away from My presence and let them go! And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“Those destined (F)for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

I will (G)appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to slay, the (H)dogs to drag off, and the (I)birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will (J)make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of (K)Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

“Indeed, who will have (L)pity on you, O Jerusalem,
Or who will (M)mourn for you,
Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
“You who have (N)forsaken Me,” declares the Lord,
“You keep (O)going backward.
So I will (P)stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am (Q)tired of relenting!
“I will (R)winnow them with a winnowing fork
At the gates of the land;
I will (S)bereave them of children, I will destroy My people;
(T)They did not [c]repent of their ways.
“Their (U)widows will be more numerous before Me
Than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man,
A (V)destroyer at noonday;
I will suddenly bring down on her
Anguish and dismay.
“She who (W)bore seven sons pines away;
[d]Her breathing is labored.
Her (X)sun has set while it was yet day;
She has been (Y)shamed and humiliated.
So I will (Z)give over their survivors to the sword
Before their enemies,” declares the Lord.

10 (AA)Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me
As a (AB)man of strife and a man of contention to all the land!
I have not (AC)lent, nor have men lent money to me,
Yet everyone curses me.
11 The Lord said, “Surely I will (AD)set you free for purposes of good;
Surely I will cause the (AE)enemy to make supplication to you
In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

12 “Can anyone smash iron,
(AF)Iron from the north, or bronze?
13 “Your (AG)wealth and your treasures
I will give for booty (AH)without cost,
Even for all your sins
And within all your borders.
14 “Then I will cause your enemies to bring [e]it
Into a (AI)land you do not know;
For a (AJ)fire has been kindled in My anger,
It will burn upon you.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer

15 (AK)You who know, O Lord,
Remember me, take notice of me,
And (AL)take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
Know that (AM)for Your sake I endure reproach.
16 Your words were found and I (AN)ate them,
And Your (AO)words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been (AP)called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
17 I (AQ)did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,
Nor did I exult.
Because of Your hand upon me I sat (AR)alone,
For You (AS)filled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain been perpetual
And my (AT)wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me (AU)like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?

19 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
(AV)If you return, then I will restore you—
(AW)Before Me you will stand;
And (AX)if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become [f]My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
20 “Then I will (AY)make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For (AZ)I am with you to save you
And deliver you,” declares the Lord.
21 “So I will (BA)deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will (BB)redeem you from the [g]grasp of the violent.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:1 Lit soul
  2. Jeremiah 15:1 Lit toward
  3. Jeremiah 15:7 Lit turn back from
  4. Jeremiah 15:9 Or She has breathed out her soul
  5. Jeremiah 15:14 I.e. your possessions
  6. Jeremiah 15:19 Lit as My mouth
  7. Jeremiah 15:21 Lit palm