Jeremiah 15
International Standard Version
The Destiny of the Judged
15 Then the Lord told me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I wouldn’t be favorably disposed toward this people. Send them out of my presence! Let them go!
2 “When they say to you, ‘Where can we go?’, say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“Those destined for death,
to death will go;[a]
those destined for the sword,
to the sword will go;[b]
and those destined for captivity,
to captivity will go.[c]
3 “I’ll appoint four kinds of judgment for them,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag off, the birds of the sky to devour, and the animals of the land to destroy. 4 I’ll make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Hezekiah’s son Manasseh, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
5 “Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem,
and who will grieve for you?
Who will go out of his way
to ask about your welfare?
6 You have deserted me,” declares the Lord.
“You keep going backward.
I’ll reach out my hand and destroy you.
I’m tired of showing compassion.
7 I’ll winnow[d] them with a winnowing fork
in the gates of the land.
I’ll make them childless.
I’ll destroy my people,
for they didn’t change their ways.
8 I’ll make their[e] widows more numerous
than the sand of the sea.
At noontime I’ll send a destroyer
against the mother[f] of a young man.
I’ll cause terror and anguish
to come to her unexpectedly.
9 “The woman who gave birth to seven will grow faint,
her life will expire.
Her sun will set while it’s still day.
She will be disgraced and humiliated.
I’ll kill the rest of them with swords
in the presence of their enemies,”
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10 How terrible for me, my mother,
that you gave birth to me,
a man of strife and contention for the whole land!
I’ve neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Complaint
11 The Lord said,
“Have I not set you free
for a good purpose?
Have I not intervened for you with your enemies
in times of trouble and times of distress?
12 “Can anyone break iron—
iron from the north—or bronze?
13 “I’ll give away your wealth and your treasures
as plunder, for free,
because of all your sins throughout your territory.
14 I’ll make you serve your enemies
in a land you don’t know,
for my anger has started a fire
that will burn against you.”
Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
15 You are aware—
Lord, remember me,
pay attention to me,
and vindicate me in front of those who pursue me.
You are patient—
don’t take me away.
Know that I suffer insult because of you!
16 Your words were found, and I consumed them.
Your words were joy and my hearts delight,
because I bear your name,[g]
Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.
17 I didn’t sit in the company of those who have fun,
and I didn’t rejoice.
Because of your hand on me,[h] I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
God’s Answer to Jeremiah’s Revised Complaint
You are like a deceptive brook,
whose waters cannot be depended on.
19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I’ll take you back
and you will stand before me.
If you speak what is worthwhile,[i]
instead of what is worthless,
then you will be my spokesman.[j]
People[k] will turn to you,
but you aren’t to turn to them.
20 I’ll make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people.
They’ll fight against you,
but they won’t prevail against you,
for I am with you to save you
and deliver you,”
21 So I’ll deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:2 The Heb. lacks will go
- Jeremiah 15:7 Winnowing is the process of separating husks from the grain.
- Jeremiah 15:8 Lit. her
- Jeremiah 15:8 Lit. send against them
- Jeremiah 15:16 Lit. your name is called on me
- Jeremiah 15:17 The Heb. lacks on me
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. if worthwhile things come out
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. my mouth
- Jeremiah 15:19 Lit. They
Jeremiah 15
Lexham English Bible
Four Types of Calamity
15 Then Yahweh said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me,[a] my heart would not be to this people. Send them away from my sight,[b] and let them go out. 2 And then[c] if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh,
“Those who are destined for the plague, to the plague,
and those who are destined for the sword, to the sword,
and those who are destined for the famine, to the famine,
and those who are destined for the captivity, to the captivity.”’
3 “And I will summon[d] over them four types of calamity,” declares[e] Yahweh, “the sword to kill, and the dogs to drag away, and the birds[f] of the air and the wild animals[g] of the earth to devour and to destroy. 4 And I will make them a terror to all of the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, because of what he did in Jerusalem.
5 “For who will have compassion on you, O Jerusalem,
or who will show sympathy to you,
or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?[h]
6 You have forsaken me,” declares[i] Yahweh.
“You go backward, so I have stretched my hand against you,
and I have destroyed you.
I am tired of becoming remorseful.
7 And I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land.
I am bereaved.
I have destroyed my people.
They did not turn back from their ways.
8 Their widows[j] will be more numerous before me than the sand of the seas.
I have brought to them, against the mothers[k] of young men,[l]
a destroyer at noon.
I will suddenly drop on her anguish and horror.[m]
9 She who gave birth to seven has withered away.
She gasps her breath.
Her sun set[n] while still day.
She has been put to shame and disgraced.
And the remainder of them I will give to the sword
before[o] their enemies,” declares[p] Yahweh.
Jeremiah’s Lament and Yahweh’s Response
10 Woe to me, O my mother, that you gave birth to me,
a man of contention and quarreling to the whole land.[q]
I have not lent out and I have not borrowed.[r]
All of them are cursing me.
11 Yahweh said,
“Surely[s] I will set you free to be good[t] for you,
surely[u] I will cause the enemy to intercede with you
in a time of trouble,
and in a time of distress.
12 Can anyone break iron,
iron from the north, or bronze?
13 I will give your wealth and your treasures
as plunder without price,
even because of all your sins,
and throughout all your territories.
14 And I will make you serve your enemies
in a land that you do not know,
for a fire will kindle in my anger.
Upon you it will be kindled.”
15 You who know, O Yahweh, remember me, and attend to me,
and take revenge for me against my persecutors in your forbearance.[v]
You must take me away.
Know that I am carrying disgrace because of you.
16 Your words were found and I ate them,
and your words became to me as jubilation,
even as the joy of my heart,
for your name is called on me, O Yahweh God of hosts.
17 I sat not in the assembly of jokers,
nor did I exult.
Because of the presence[w] of your hand I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain endless, and my wound incurable?
It refuses to become healed.
Truly you are to me like a deceitful brook,
waters that are not trustworthy.
19 Therefore thus says Yahweh,
“If you turn back, then I will take you back.
You will stand before me.[x]
And if you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you will be as my mouth.
They will turn back to you,
and you will not turn back to them.
20 And I will make you to this people
a wall of fortified bronze,
and they will fight against you,
but they will not prevail over you,
for I am with you, to save you,
and to deliver you,” declares[y] Yahweh.
21 “And I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
and I will redeem you from the hand of the tyrant.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 15:1 Literally “to the face of me”
- Jeremiah 15:1 Literally “face”
- Jeremiah 15:2 Literally “And it will happen”
- Jeremiah 15:3 Or “appoint”
- Jeremiah 15:3 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 15:3 Hebrew “bird”
- Jeremiah 15:3 Hebrew “wild animal”
- Jeremiah 15:5 Literally “to ask to the welfare of you”
- Jeremiah 15:6 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 15:8 Hebrew “widow”
- Jeremiah 15:8 Hebrew “mother”
- Jeremiah 15:8 Hebrew “man”
- Jeremiah 15:8 Hebrew “horrors”
- Jeremiah 15:9 Literally “came”
- Jeremiah 15:9 Literally “to the face of”
- Jeremiah 15:9 Literally “a declaration of”
- Jeremiah 15:10 Literally “to all of the land”
- Jeremiah 15:10 Literally “not they have lent out for me”
- Jeremiah 15:11 Literally “If not”
- Jeremiah 15:11 Literally “for good”
- Jeremiah 15:11 Literally “if not”
- Jeremiah 15:15 Literally “in the length of your nose”
- Jeremiah 15:17 Literally “face”
- Jeremiah 15:19 Literally “to the face of me”
- Jeremiah 15:20 Literally “a declaration of”
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