Jeremiah 15

1 Then said Yahweh unto me, Though Moses and Samuel should stand before me, My soul could not be toward this people, —Send them away from before me And let them go forth.

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.

2 And it shall come to pass when they say unto thee Whither shall we go? Then shalt, thou say unto them, Thus saith Yahweh—Such as are for death, to death, and Such as are for the sword, to the sword, and Such as are for famine, to the famine, and Such as are for captivity, to captivity.

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.’

3 And I will set in charge over them—four species Declareth Yahweh, The sword to slay, and The dogs to trail along, —and The bird of the heavens and The beast of the earth to devour and to destroy.

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.

4 And I will make them a terror, to all the kingdoms of the earth, —On account of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, For what he did in Jerusalem.

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.

5 For who shall have pity upon thee O Jerusalem? And who shall lament for thee? And who shall turn aside, to ask for thy welfare?

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

6 Thou, hast abandoned, me, Declareth Yahweh, Backward, thou wilt go, Therefore have I stretched forth my hand against thee and laid thee waste, —I am weary of having compassion.

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.

7 Therefore have I winnowed them with a winnowing shovel in the gates of the land, —I have bereaved—I have destroyed my people, From their own ways, have they not returned.

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.

8 Their widows have become multiplied to me, beyond the sand of the seas, I have brought against them—upon the mother of young men—the spoiler in the broad noon, —I have let fall upon her suddenly, excitement and terrors.

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.

9 Languisheth! she who had given birth to seven, She hath breathed out her life Her sun hath gone in, while yet it was day, She hath turned pale and hath turned red, —And the remnant of them, to the sword, will I deliver before their enemies, Declareth Yahweh.

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,”

10 Woe to me! my mother, That thou didst bear me, A man of litigation and a man of contention to all the land, —I have not lent on interest Nor have they lent on interest to me, Every one, hath treated me with contempt.

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.

11 Said Yahweh, —Verily, I will loose thee, for good! Verily, I will intercede for thee In the time of calamity, and In the time of distress with the enemy!

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.

12 Shall iron crush the iron from the North and the bronze?

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

13 Thy substance and thy treasures—for a prey, will I give, without price, —Even for all thy sins and in all thy bounds:

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

14 Therefore will I make thee pass, with thine enemies into a land thou knowest not, —For, a fire, hath been kindled in mine anger Upon you, shall it burn.

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.”

15 Thou knowest—O Yahweh Remember me and visit me and avenge me upon my persecutors, Do not of thy longsuffering, take me away, —Know—I have borne for thy sake, reproach.

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.

16 Thy words, were found, and I did eat them, Then became thy words unto me the joy and gladness of my heart, —For thy Name hath been called upon me, O Yahweh God of hosts!

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.

17 I sat not in the circle of mockers, Nor became I uproarious, —Because of thy hand, by myself did I sit, For with indignation, hadst thou filled me.

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.

18 Wherefore hath my pain become perpetual? And my wound, incurable? Refuseth to be healed? Wilt thou, indeed be, to me [As a brook] that disappointeth, Waters that cannot be trusted?

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.

19 Wherefore Thus, saith Yahweh—If thou wouldst return, I will cause thee to return Before me, shalt thou stand, Yea if thou wilt bring out the precious from among the vile, As mine own mouth shalt thou be, —Let them return unto thee, But thou, shalt not return unto them;

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.

20 So will I make thee to this people a wall of bronze, fortified, When they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee, —For with thee, am, I, to save thee and to deliver thee, Declareth Yahweh;

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.

21 Thus will I deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, —And redeem thee out of the grasp of the tyrants.

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