< Jeremiah 15 >

1 Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not turn toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out!
Then said the LORD to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my mind [could] not [be] towards this people: cast [them] out of my sight, and let them go forth.
2 It will happen when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go out?’ then you shall tell them, ‘The LORD says: “Such as are for death, to death; such as are for the sword, to the sword; such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.”’
And it shall come to pass, if they say to 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 “I will appoint over them four kinds,” says the LORD: “the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, the birds of the sky, and the animals of the earth, to devour and to destroy.
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 I will cause them to be tossed back and forth 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 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 will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn you? Who will come to ask of your welfare?
For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask concerning thy welfare?
6 You have rejected me,” says the LORD. “You have gone backward. Therefore I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I am weary of showing compassion.
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 I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land. I have bereaved them of children. I have destroyed my people. They did not return from their ways.
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 more than the sand of the seas. I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday. I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly.
Their widows are multiplied to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noon-day: I have caused [him] to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.
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 disappointed and confounded. I will deliver their residue to the sword before their enemies,” says the LORD.
She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath resigned her breath; 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 you have borne me, a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them curses me.
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 have men lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them doth curse me.
11 The LORD said, “Most certainly I will strengthen you for good. Most certainly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to treat thee [well] in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and bronze?
Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
13 I will give your substance and your treasures for a plunder without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your borders.
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 I will make them to pass with your enemies into a land which you do not know; for a fire is kindled in my anger, which will burn on you.”
And I will make [thee] to pass with thy enemies into a land [which] thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in my anger, [which] shall burn upon you.
15 LORD, you know. Remember me, visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors. You are patient, so do not take me away. Know that for your sake I have suffered reproach.
O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy long-suffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, LORD, God of Armies.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the assembly of those who make merry and rejoice. I sat alone because of your hand, for you have filled me with indignation.
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 refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, [which] refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, [and as] waters [that] fail?
19 Therefore the LORD says, “If you return, then I will bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take out the precious from the vile, you will be as my mouth. They will return to you, but you will not return to them.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou shalt return, then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if thou shalt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return to thee; but return not thou to them.
20 I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you,” says the LORD.
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, saith the LORD.
21 “I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible.”
And I will deliver thee from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee from the hand of the terrible.

< Jeremiah 15 >