1Then the Lord said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!2And 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; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.”3‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the Lord, ‘the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.4I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.5‘Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?6You have rejected me,’ declares the Lord. ‘You keep on backsliding. So I will reach out and destroy you; I am tired of holding back.7I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways.8I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror.9The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies,’ declares the Lord.10Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.11The Lord said, ‘Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress.12‘Can a man break iron – iron from the north – or bronze?13‘Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without charge, because of all your sins throughout your country.14I will enslave you to your enemies in[1] a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.’15Lord, you understand; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering – do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.16When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.17I never sat in the company of revellers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation.18Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.19Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.20I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,’ declares the Lord.21‘I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.’
Jeremiah 15
English Standard Version
The Lord Will Not Relent
1Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! (Ex 32:11; 1Sa 7:9; 1Sa 8:6; 1Sa 12:23; 1Sa 15:11; Ps 99:6; Ps 106:23; Jer 15:19; Jer 35:19; Eze 14:14)2And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’ (Jer 14:12; Jer 16:4; Jer 21:9; Jer 43:11; Eze 5:12; Eze 6:11; Zec 11:9)3I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. (Le 26:16; De 28:26; Re 6:8)4And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. (De 28:25; 2Ki 21:2; 2Ki 21:11; 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 23:26; 2Ki 24:3; Jer 24:9; Jer 29:18; Jer 34:17)5“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare? (Isa 51:19; Na 3:7)6You have rejected me, declares the Lord; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting. (De 32:15; Jer 7:24; Ho 13:14)7I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people; they did not turn from their ways. (Isa 9:13; Isa 30:24; Isa 41:16; Jer 5:3; Jer 51:2; Am 4:6; Am 4:8; Mt 3:12; Lu 3:17)8I have made their widows more in number than 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. (Ge 22:17; Ps 139:18)9She who bore seven has grown feeble; she has fainted away; 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.” (1Sa 2:5; Job 11:20; La 1:1; Am 8:9)
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. (Ex 22:25; Ps 15:5; Isa 24:2; Jer 20:14)11The Lord said, “Have I not[1] 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 from the north, and bronze? (Jer 1:13)13“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. (Ps 44:12; Jer 17:3)14I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” (De 32:22; Jer 9:16; Jer 16:13; Jer 17:4; Jer 22:28)15O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. (Jud 16:28; Ps 69:7; Jer 11:20; Jer 12:3; Jer 17:16; Jer 20:12)16Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. (Ps 119:111; Ps 119:162; Jer 14:9; Eze 3:1; Eze 3:3; Re 10:9)17I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. (Ps 26:4; Ps 102:7; La 3:28)18Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? (Job 6:15; Job 34:6; Isa 58:11; Jer 30:15)19Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall 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. (Jer 3:14; Jer 15:1)20And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. (Jer 1:8; Jer 1:18; Jer 1:19; Jer 6:27; Jer 20:11)21I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” (Isa 13:11; Isa 25:4; Isa 29:5; Jer 15:20)