Add parallel Print Page Options

The Lord Will Not Relent

15 Then the Lord said to me: Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, yet My heart would not be with this people. Cast them out of My sight and let them go! It shall come to pass if they say to you, “Where should we go?” then you shall tell them: Thus says the Lord:

Those destined for death, to death;
and those destined for the sword, to the sword;
and those destined for the famine, to the famine;
and those destined for the captivity, to the captivity.

I will appoint over them four kinds of disaster, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to tear, the birds of the heaven, the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

For who shall have pity on you, O Jerusalem?
    Or who shall bemoan you?
    Or who shall go aside to ask how you are doing?
You who have forsaken Me, says the Lord,
    you keep going backward.
Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you.
    I am weary of relenting!
I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
    in the gates of the land;
I will bereave them of children. I will destroy My people,
    since they did not repent from their ways.
Their widows will increase before Me
    more than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man,
    a destroyer at noonday;
I will suddenly bring down on her
    sorrow and terrors.
She who has borne seven sons languishes;
    she has given up the spirit;
her sun has gone down while it was yet day;
    she has been ashamed and humiliated.
And the rest of them I will deliver to the sword
    before their enemies,
    says the Lord.

Jeremiah’s Sorrow

10 Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me
    as a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!
I have not lent with usury, nor have men lent to me on usury,
    yet every one of them curses me!

11 The Lord said:

Truly I will set you free for good purposes.
    Truly I will cause the enemy to entreat you
    in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

12 Can anyone break the northern iron
    or the bronze?

13 Your wealth and your treasures
    I will give to the destroyer without price,
and that for all your sins,
    even within all your borders.
14 I will make you to pass with your enemies
    into a land which you do not know;
for a fire is kindled in My anger,
    which shall burn upon you.

15 O Lord, You who know, remember me,
    and take notice of me,
    and take vengeance on my persecutors.
Because of your longsuffering, do not take me away.
    Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Your words were found and I ate them.
    And Your word became to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart,
for I am called by Your name,
    O Lord God of Hosts.
17 I did not sit in the assembly of mockers,
    nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone because of Your hand,
    for You have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual
    and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed?
Shall You be altogether to me as a deceptive stream
    and as waters that fail?

The Lord Reassures Jeremiah

19 Therefore thus says the Lord:

If you return, then I will bring you back,
    and you shall stand before Me;
and if you take out the precious from the worthless,
    you will be My spokesman.
Let them return to you,
    but do not return to them.
20 I will make you to this people
    a fortified bronze wall;
and they shall fight against you,
    but they shall not prevail against you;
for I am with you
    to save you and to deliver you,
    says the Lord.
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and I will redeem you out of the hand of the violent.

15 Then said the Lord unto me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, ‘Whither shall we go forth?’ then thou shalt tell them, ‘Thus saith the Lord: “‘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 the captivity, to the captivity.’

“And I will appoint over them four kinds,” saith the Lord: “the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

“For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

Thou hast forsaken Me,” saith the Lord, “thou art gone backward; therefore will I stretch out My hand against thee and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

And I will winnow them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.

Their widows are increased to Me above the sand of the seas; I have brought upon them, against the mother of the young men, a despoiler at noonday; I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

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 ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies,” saith the Lord.

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 neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

11 The Lord said, “Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to deal with thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

12 “Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give as the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

14 And I will make thee 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 Lord, Thou knowest; remember me and visit me, and avenge me on my persecutors. Take me not away in Thy longsuffering; know that for Thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

16 Thy words were found, and I ate them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart; for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, 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 be altogether unto me as a liar and as waters that fail?

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord: “If thou return, then will I bring thee back, and thou shalt stand before Me; and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth. Let them return unto thee, but return not thou 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 the Lord.

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.”