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A inevitável condenação de Judá

15 Então o Senhor me disse: “Mesmo que Moisés e Samuel intercedessem diante de mim em favor deste povo, eu não ajudaria. Fora com eles! Expulse-os de minha presença! E se lhe perguntarem: ‘Para onde iremos?’, diga-lhes: ‘Assim diz o Senhor:

“‘Os destinados à morte, para a morte;
os destinados à guerra, para a guerra;
os destinados à fome, para a fome;
os destinados ao cativeiro, para o cativeiro’.

“Enviarei contra eles quatro tipos de destruidores”, diz o Senhor. “Enviarei espada para matá-los, cães para arrastá-los, abutres para devorá-los e animais selvagens para acabar com o que tiver sobrado. Por causa das maldades que Manassés, filho de Ezequias, rei de Judá, fez em Jerusalém, farei de meu povo objeto de horror para todos os reinos da terra.

“Quem terá compaixão de você, Jerusalém?
Quem chorará por você?
Quem se dará o trabalho de perguntar se está bem?
Você me abandonou
e me deu as costas”,
diz o Senhor.
“Portanto, levantarei a mão para destruí-la;
estou cansado de mostrar compaixão.
Às portas das cidades, eu os espalharei ao vento,
como palha separada do cereal,
e levarei seus filhos queridos.
Destruirei meu próprio povo,
pois não querem abandonar seus maus caminhos.
Haverá mais viúvas
que grãos de areia do mar.
Ao meio-dia, trarei um destruidor
contra as mães dos jovens.
Farei cair sobre elas
angústia e terror repentinos.
A mãe de sete filhos desmaia e respira com dificuldade;
para ela, o sol se pôs enquanto ainda era dia.
Agora está sem filhos,
envergonhada e humilhada.
Entregarei os que restarem
para serem mortos pelo inimigo.
Eu, o Senhor falei!”

A queixa de Jeremias

10 Então eu disse:

“Como estou aflito, minha mãe!
Quem dera eu tivesse morrido ao nascer!
Sou odiado em todo lugar.
Não sou um credor que ameaça cobrar a dívida,
nem um devedor que se recusa a pagá-la;
ainda assim, todos me amaldiçoam”.

11 O Senhor respondeu:

“Eu cuidarei de você;
em tempos de calamidade e aflição,
seus inimigos lhe pedirão que interceda por eles.
12 Alguém é capaz de quebrar uma barra de ferro do norte
ou uma barra de bronze?
13 Entregarei de graça
sua riqueza e seus tesouros
como despojo a seus inimigos,
pois o pecado corre solto pela terra.
14 Farei que seus inimigos os levem
como prisioneiros para uma terra estrangeira.
Pois minha ira se acendeu como fogo
e arderá contra vocês”.[a]

15 Então eu disse:

Senhor, tu sabes o que me tem acontecido;
intervém, ajuda-me e castiga meus perseguidores!
Dá-me tempo, não permitas que eu morra ainda jovem;
é por teu nome que tenho sofrido humilhações.
16 Quando descobri tuas palavras, devorei-as;
são minha alegria e dão prazer a meu coração,
pois pertenço a ti,
ó Senhor, Deus dos Exércitos.
17 Nunca participei dos banquetes alegres do povo;
sentei-me sozinho, porque tua mão pesava sobre mim,
e enchi-me de indignação com os pecados deles.
18 Por que, então, continuo a sofrer?
Por que minha ferida não tem cura?
Teu socorro parece incerto como um riacho inconstante;
é como uma fonte que secou”.

19 Assim diz o Senhor:

“Se voltar para mim, eu o restaurarei,
para que possa continuar a me servir.
Se disser palavras de valor, em vez de palavras inúteis,
será meu porta-voz.
Você os influenciará,
mas não deixará que o influenciem.
20 Lutarão contra você como um exército,
mas o tornarei invencível como uma muralha de bronze.
Não o vencerão,
pois estou com você para protegê-lo e livrá-lo.
Eu, o Senhor, falei!
21 Certamente o livrarei desses homens perversos
e o resgatarei de suas mãos cruéis”.

Footnotes

  1. 15.14 Conforme a maioria dos manuscritos hebraicos; alguns manuscritos hebraicos (ver tb. 17.4) trazem arderá para sempre.

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses(A) and Samuel(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.(C) Send them away from my presence!(D) Let them go! And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’(G)

“I will send four kinds of destroyers(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword(I) to kill and the dogs(J) to drag away and the birds(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.(L) I will make them abhorrent(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth(N) because of what Manasseh(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

“Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.(S)
I will winnow(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement(U) and destruction on my people,(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.(W)
I will make their widows(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.(Z)
The mother of seven will grow faint(AA)
    and breathe her last.(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword(AD)
    before their enemies,”(AE)
declares the Lord.

10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(AF)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(AG)
I have neither lent(AH) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses(AI) me.

11 The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you(AJ) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead(AK) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

12 “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north(AL)—or bronze?

13 “Your wealth(AM) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,(AN) without charge,(AO)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.(AP)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in[a] a land you do not know,(AQ)
for my anger will kindle a fire(AR)
    that will burn against you.”

15 Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.(AS)
You are long-suffering(AT)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(AU)
16 When your words came, I ate(AV) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(AW)
for I bear your name,(AX)
    Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(AY) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(AZ) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?(BA)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.(BB)

19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve(BC) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.(BD)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(BE) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome(BF) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”(BG)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(BH) you from the hands of the wicked(BI)
    and deliver(BJ) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into

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 fan 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 spoiler 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 men have 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 entreat 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 to 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 revenge me of 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 did eat 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 again, 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 fenced brasen 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.