Jeremiah 15

1 Then Jehovah said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

And the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my soul would not be toward this people. Cast them away from my face, and let them depart!

2 And it shall come to pass, when they say to thee, Where shall we go forth? Then thou shall tell them, Thus says Jehovah: 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 captivity, to captivity.

And if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those who go to death, shall go to death. And those who go to the sword, shall go to the sword, and those go to famine, shall go to famine, and those who go to captivity, shall go to captivity.

3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, says Jehovah: the sword to kill, and the dogs to tear, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.

And I will visit against them in four ways, says the Lord: by the sword, to kill; and by dogs, to tear apart; and by the birds of the air and by the beasts of the earth, to devour and to scatter.

4 And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

And I will give them over to the fervor of all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, because of all that he did in Jerusalem.

5 For who will have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan thee? Or who will turn aside to ask of thy welfare?

For who will take pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will feel sorrow for you? Or who will go to prayer for the sake of your peace?

6 Thou have rejected me, says Jehovah. Thou have gone backward. Therefore I have stretched out my hand against thee, and destroyed thee. I am weary with relenting.

You have abandoned me, says the Lord. You have gone backwards. And so, I will extend my hand over you, and I will destroy you. I have labored to plead with you.

7 And I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land. I have bereaved them of sons. I have destroyed my people. They did not return from their ways.

And I will scatter them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the land. I have killed and dispersed my people, and yet they have not turned back from their ways.

8 Their widows have increased to me above the sand of the seas. I have brought upon them, against the mother of the young men, a destroyer at noonday. I have caused anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

Their widows have been multiplied by me, more so than the sand of the sea. I have led them against the mother of a youth like an attacker at midday. I have sent a terror suddenly against the cities.

9 She who has borne seven, languishes. She has given up the spirit. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day. She has been put to shame and confounded. And the residue of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says Jehovah.

She who gave birth to seven has become weak. Her life has faded away. Her sun has set while it was still daytime. She has been confounded and shamed. And the remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the sight of their enemies, says the Lord.”

10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou have bore me, a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, nor have men lent to me, yet every one of them curses me.

“O my mother, woe to me! Why did you conceive me, a man of strife, a man of discord to all the earth? I have not lent money at interest, nor has anyone lent money at interest to me. Yet everyone is cursing me.”

11 Jehovah said, Truly I will strengthen thee for good. Truly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

The Lord says: “Certainly, it will be well with your remnant. Certainly, I will run to meet you, in the time of affliction and in the time of tribulation, against the enemy.

12 Can a man break iron, even iron from the north, and brass?

But how can iron be joined with the iron from the north or with brass?

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

Your riches and your treasures I will give over to be freely despoiled, because of all your sins, even throughout all your borders.

14 And I will make them to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou know not. For a fire is kindled in my anger, which shall burn upon you.

And I will lead in your enemies from a land that you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in my fury; it will burn upon you.”

15 O Jehovah, thou know. Remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors. Take me not away in thy longsuffering. Know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach.

“You know me, O Lord. Remember me, and visit me, and watch over me, because of those who persecute me. In your patience, do not choose to let me endure. You know I have suffered reproach because of you.

16 Thy words were found, and I ate them. And thy words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart. For I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts.

I discovered your words and I consumed them. And your word became to me as the gladness and joy of my heart. For your name has been invoked over me, O Lord, the God of hosts.

17 I did not sit in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice. I sat alone because of thy hand, for thou have filled me with indignation.

I did not sit in the company of mockers, nor did I glorify myself before the presence of your hand. I sat alone, because you filled me with threats.

18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will thou indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?

Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters.”

19 Therefore thus says Jehovah: If thou return, then I will bring thee again that thou may stand before me. And if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shall be as my mouth. They shall return to thee, but thou shall not return to them.

Because of this, thus says the Lord: “If you will be converted, I will convert you. And you will stand before my face. And you will separate what is precious from what is vile. You will be my mouthpiece. They will be converted to you, but you will not be converted to them.

20 And I will make thee to 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, says Jehovah.

And I will present you to this people as a strong wall of brass. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail. For I am with you, so as to save you and to rescue you, says 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.

And I will free you from hand of those who are most wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the powerful.”