Jeremiah 15

1 The Lord told me: Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me pleading with me on behalf of these people, I wouldn't feel sorry for them. Send them away from me. Have them leave.

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?” tell them that this is what the Lord says: Those to be killed by the plague, to the plague; those to be killed by the sword, to the sword; those to be killed by famine, to famine; and those to be killed in 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 put four kinds of destroyers in charge of them, declares the Lord: swords to kill, dogs to drag their bodies away, and the birds of prey and wild animals to eat them and destroy them.

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 all the kingdoms of the world horrified by them, because of the evil things 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 be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?

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 deserted me, declares the Lord. You have turned your back on me. So I will take action against you and destroy you; I am tired of showing you mercy.

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 you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil 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 There will be more widows than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon and mothers will lose their young sons. They will suddenly experience agony and shock.

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 A mother of seven children will collapse; she will gasp for breath. Her sun will set while it's still daytime; she will be ashamed and humiliated. I will let the enemies kill the rest of them, declares the Lord.

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 How sad I am, my mother, that you gave birth to me! I'm a victim of argument and conflict wherever I go in the country. I have never lent anyone anything, or borrowed anything, but still 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 But the Lord told me: Don't worry, I'm going to take away your problems so you can do good. I will make your enemies plead with you whenever they're in trouble or suffering.

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 break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?

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

13 I will give away your wealth and valuable possessions for free. They will become plunder for your enemies because of all the sins you committed throughout your country.

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 have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country, because I will so angry it will be like lighting a fire that will burn you up.

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 know what's happening to me, Lord. Please remember me and look after me. Punish my persecutors! Please be patient—don't let me die! You know I put up with criticism because I want to honor you.

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 When I received your messages, I ate them up! What you said made me really happy—I was delighted. I belong to you, Lord God Almighty!

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 didn't join in with a bunch of jokers as they had fun. I stayed by myself because you have called me, and you have filled me with outrage.

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 doesn't my pain ever stop? Why is my wound incurable? Why can't it be healed? You've really become like a seasonal stream to me, an unreliable source of water.

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 So this is what the Lord says: If you come back to me, I will take you back and you will serve me again. If what you talk about are worthwhile subjects and not nonsense, you will be my spokesman, Jeremiah. They must be the ones who follow you; you must not follow 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 these people, a strong wall of bronze. They will fight against you but they won't defeat you. I am with you to save you and rescue 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 liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.

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