Jeremiah 15:6-19

English Standard Version

⁶^(A)You have rejected me, declares the Lord;
    ^(B)you keep going backward,
so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—
    ^(C)I am weary of relenting.
⁷^(D)I have winnowed them with ^(E)a winnowing fork
    in the gates of the land;
I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;
    ^(F)they did not turn from their ways.
⁸I have made their widows more in number
    than ^(G)the sand of the seas;
I have brought against the mothers of young men
    a destroyer at noonday;
I have made anguish and terror
    fall upon them suddenly.
⁹^(H)She who bore seven has grown feeble;
    ^(I)she has fainted away;
^(J)her sun went down while it was yet day;
    she has been shamed and disgraced.
And the rest of them I will give to the sword
    before their enemies,
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah's Complaint

¹⁰^(K)Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! ^(L)I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. ¹¹The Lord said, “Have I not^[a] set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? ¹²Can one break iron, iron ^(M)from the north, and bronze?

¹³^(N)“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as ^(O)spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. ¹⁴I will make you serve your enemies ^(P)in a land that you do not know, ^(Q)for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

¹⁵^(R)O Lord, you know;
    ^(S)remember me and visit me,
    ^(T)^(U)and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
    ^(V)know that ^(W)for your sake I bear reproach.
¹⁶Your words were found, ^(X)and I ate them,
    and ^(Y)your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart,
^(Z)for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.
¹⁷^(AA)I did not sit in the company of revelers,
    nor did I rejoice;
^(AB)I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
    for you had filled me with indignation.
¹⁸Why is my pain unceasing,
    ^(AC)my wound incurable,
    refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me ^(AD)like a deceitful brook,
    like waters that fail?

¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord:
^(AE)“If you return, I will restore you,
    and you shall ^(AF)stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
    you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
    but you shall not turn to them.