Jeremiah 15

1 Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.

Then said Jehovah to me: Though Moses and Samuel should stand before me, Yet would I not be reconciled to this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go forth!

2 If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’

And if they say to thee, “Whither shall we go forth?” Then say thou to them, Thus saith Jehovah: They that are for the pestilence, to the pestilence, And they that are for the sword, to the sword. And they that are for famine, to famine, And they that are for captivity, to captivity.

3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

I will commission against them four woes, saith Jehovah! The sword to slay, And the dogs to drag about, And the birds of heaven, and the beasts of the earth, To devour and destroy.

4 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

I will cause them to be harassed in all the kingdoms of the earth, On account of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, On account of all which he did in Jerusalem.

5 Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

For who will have pity on thee, O Jerusalem? Or who condole with thee? Or who turn aside to ask thee of thy welfare?

6 You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. You have turned your back. So I will stretch out My hand against you and I will destroy you; I am weary of showing compassion.

Thou hast forsaken me, saith Jehovah; Thou hast gone backward; Therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary of relenting.

7 I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.

I will scatter them with a winnowing-fan through the gates of the land; I will bereave them of their sons; I will destroy my people, Since they return not from their ways.

8 I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and dismay.

Their widows shall be more numerous than the sand of the sea; Against the mother of the young men do I bring a spoiler at noonday; Suddenly will I bring alarm and terrors upon them.

9 The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies,”

She, that hath borne seven, languisheth; She is ready to expire; Her sun goeth down while it is yet day; She is ashamed and confounded. Their remnant will I also give to the sword Before their enemies, saith Jehovah.

10 Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.

Alas for me, my mother, that thou hast borne me, To live in strife and contention with all the land! I have neither borrowed nor lent money, Yet doth every one curse me!

11 The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.

Jehovah said: Surely I will deliver and prosper thee, Surely, in the time of trouble and in the time of distress, Will I cause the adversary to be a suppliant to thee.

12 Can anyone smash iron— iron from the north—or bronze?

Who is able to break iron, Iron from the North, and brass?

13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give up as plunder, without charge for all your sins within all your borders.

Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for spoil, without price, On account of all thy sins in all thy borders.

14 Then I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.”

I will cause them to pass with thy enemies into a land which thou knowest not; For a fire is kindled in my anger, which shall burn against you.

15 You understand, O LORD; remember me and attend to me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, do not take me away. Know that I endure reproach for Your honor.

Thou, O Jehovah, knowest all my concerns! O remember me, and have regard to me, And revenge me of my persecutors! Do not, through thy long-suffering, take me away! Consider that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke!

16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

As soon as I found thy words, I devoured them; For thy words were the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts!

17 I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.

I have not sat in the assembly of them that made merry, nor rejoiced; On account of thy hand I have sat alone; For thou hast filled me with indignation.

18 Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there.

Why is my pain perpetual, And my wound mortal, refusing to be healed? Thou hast been to me like a deceitful stream; Like waters that fail.

19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

Then answered Jehovah thus: If thou wilt return, then will I restore thee, and thou shalt stand before me; And if thou wilt separate the precious from the vile, Thou shalt be as my mouth. They shall turn to thee, And thou shalt not turn to them.

20 Then I 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 save and deliver you, declares the LORD.

I will make thee against this people a strong wall of brass; When they war against thee, they shall not prevail against thee, For I will be with thee to save thee, And to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

21 I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”

I will rescue thee from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem thee from the grasp of the violent.