Jeremia 15 | King James Version

1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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.

New International Reader’s Version

1 Then the LORD said to me, ‘Suppose Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Even then my heart would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me! Let them go! 2 Suppose these people ask you, “Where should we go?” Then tell them, “The LORD says, ‘ “ ‘Those I have appointed to die will die. Those I have appointed to be killed by swords will be killed by swords. Those I have appointed to die of hunger will die of hunger. Those I have appointed to be taken away as prisoners will be taken away.’ ” 3 ‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ announces the LORD. ‘Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them. 4 I will make all the kingdoms on earth hate them. That will happen because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. He was king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah. 5 ‘Jerusalem, who will have pity on you? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are doing? 6 You have said no to me,’ announces the LORD. ‘You keep on turning away from me. So I will reach out and destroy you. I am tired of showing you pity. 7 I will stand at the city gates of the land. I will separate the straw from the grain. I will destroy my people. I will bring great sorrow on them. They have not changed their ways. 8 I will increase the number of their widows. There will be more of them than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noon I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of the young men among my people. All at once I will bring down on them great suffering and terror. 9 Mothers who have many children will grow weak. They will take their last breath. The sun will set on them while it is still day. They will be dishonoured and put to shame. All those who are left alive I will kill by swords. I will have their enemies do this,’ announces the LORD. 10 My mother, I wish I had never been born! The whole land opposes me. They fight against me. I haven’t made loans to anyone. And I haven’t borrowed anything. But everyone curses me anyway. 11 The LORD said, ‘Jeremiah, I will keep you safe for a good purpose. I will make your enemies ask you to pray for them. They will make their appeal to you when they are in great trouble. 12 ‘People of Judah, the armies of Babylon will come from the north. They are as strong as iron and bronze. Can anyone break their power? 13 I will give away your wealth and your treasures. Your enemies will carry off everything. And they will not pay anything for it. That will happen because you have sinned so much. You have done it throughout your country. 14 I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not known about before. My anger will start a fire that will burn you up.’ 15 LORD, you understand how much I’m suffering. Show concern for me. Take care of me. Pay back those who are trying to harm me. You are patient. Don’t take my life away from me. Think about how much shame I suffer because of you. 16 When I received your words, I ate them. They filled me with joy. My heart took delight in them. LORD God who rules over all, I belong to you. 17 I never sat around with those who go to wild parties. I never had a good time with them. I sat alone because you had put your powerful hand on me. Your anger against sin was burning inside me. 18 Why does my pain never end? Why is my wound so deep? Why can’t I ever get well? To me you are like a stream that runs dry. You are like a spring that doesn’t have any water. 19 So the LORD says to Jeremiah, ‘If you turn away from your sins, I will heal you. And then you will be able to serve me. Speak words that are worthy, not worthless. Then you will be speaking for me. Let these people turn to you. But you must not turn to them. 20 I will make you like a wall to them. I will make you like a strong bronze wall. The people will fight against you. But they will not overcome you. I am with you. I will save you,’ announces the LORD. 21 ‘I will save you from the hands of evil people. I will set you free from those who treat you badly.’

Jeremia 15 | King James Version New International Reader’s Version