< Jeremiah 15 >

1 And YHWH says to me: “Though Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My soul is not toward this people, Send from before My face, and they go out.
Then said Yhwh 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 has come to pass, when they say to you, To where do we go out? That you have said to them, Thus said YHWH: Those who [are] for death—to death, And those who are for the sword—to the sword, And those who are for famine—to famine, And those who are for captivity—to captivity.
And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith Yhwh; 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 have appointed four kinds over them,” A declaration of YHWH, “The sword to slay, and the dogs to drag, And the bird of the heavens, And the beast of the earth, to consume and to devour.
And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith Yhwh: 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 have given them for a trembling To all kingdoms of the earth, Because of Manasseh 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 has pity on you, O Jerusalem? And who bemoans for you? And who turns aside 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 how thou doest?
6 You have left Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “You go backward, And I stretch out My hand against you, And I destroy you, I have been weary of relenting,
Thou hast forsaken me, saith Yhwh, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.
7 And I scatter them with a fan, In the gates of the land, I have bereaved [them], I have destroyed My people, They did not turn back 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 Its widows have been more to Me than the sand of the seas, I brought on them—against the mother—A young man—a spoiler—at noon. I caused wrath and trouble to fall on her suddenly.
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 The bearer of seven has languished, She has breathed out her spirit, Her sun has gone in while yet day, It has been ashamed and confounded, And I give up their remnant to the sword before their enemies,” A declaration of YHWH.
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 Yhwh.
10 Woe to me, my mother, For you have borne me, A man of strife and a man of contention to all the land, I have not lent on usury, Nor have they lent on usury to me—All of them are reviling 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 men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
11 YHWH said, “Did I not direct you for good? Did I not intercede for you in a time of evil, And in a time of adversity, with the enemy?
Yhwh 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 Does one break iron, Northern iron and bronze?
Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
13 I give your strength and your treasures for a prey—not for price, Even for all your sins, and 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 And I have caused your enemies To pass over into the land [that] You have not known, For a fire has been kindled in My anger, It burns against you.”
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 You, You have known, O YHWH, Remember me, and inspect me, And take vengeance for me of my pursuers, In Your long-suffering do not take me away, Know [that] I have borne reproach for You.
O Yhwh, 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 Your words have been found, and I eat them, And Your word is to me for a joy, And for the rejoicing of my heart, For Your Name is called on me, O YHWH, God of Hosts.
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 Yhwh God of Armies.
17 I have not sat in an assembly of deriders, Nor do I exult, because of your hand—I have sat alone, 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 has my pain been continuous? And my wound incurable? It has refused to be healed, You are surely as a failing stream to me, Waters [that are] not steadfast.
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 said YHWH: “If you turn back, then I bring you back, You stand before Me, And if you bring out the precious from the vile, You are as My mouth! They return to you, And you do not return to them.
Therefore thus saith Yhwh, 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 have made you to this people For a wall—bronze—fortified, And they have fought against you, And they do not prevail against you, For I [am] with you to save you, And to deliver you,” A declaration of YHWH,
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 Yhwh.
21 “And I have delivered you from the hand of evildoers, And I have ransomed you From the hand of the terrible!”
And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

< Jeremiah 15 >