Jeremiah 15

1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Even if Moses or Samuel were standing in front of me, I would still not be in favor of this people. Send them out from before me, for them to go away.

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.

2 It will happen that they will say to you, 'Where should we go?' Then you must say to them, 'Yahweh says this: Those who are for death should go to death; those who are for the sword should go to the sword. Those who are for famine should go to famine; and those who are for captivity should go to captivity.'

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.

3 For I will assign them to four groups—this is Yahweh's declaration—the sword to slaughter some, the dogs to drag some away, the birds of the skies and the beast of the earth to consume and destroy some.

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.

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

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.

5 For who will have compassion for you, Jerusalem? Who will grieve for you?

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?

6 You have forsaken me—this is Yahweh's declaration—you have gone back from me. So I will strike you with my hand and destroy you. I am tired of having mercy on you.

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.

7 So I will winnow them with a pitchfork at the gates of the land. I will bereave them. I will destroy my people since they will not turn from their ways.

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.

8 I will make their widows number more than the sands of the seashore. Against the mothers of young men I will send the destroyer at noonday. I will make shock and horror suddenly fall on them.

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.

9 The mother who has borne seven children will waste away. She will gasp. Her sun will set while it is still day. She will be ashamed and embarrassed, for I will give those who remain to the sword in the presence of their enemies —this is Yahweh's declaration.”

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.

10 Woe to me, my mother! For you have borne me, I who am a man of controversy and argument through all the land. I have not lent, nor has anyone lent to me, but they all curse me.

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.

11 Yahweh said: “Will I not rescue you for good? I will certainly make your enemies beg for help in the time of calamity and distress.

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!

12 Can one smash iron? Especially iron from the north that is mixed with bronze?

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

13 I will give to your enemies your wealth and treasures as free plunder. I will do this because of all your sins committed within all your borders.

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

14 Then I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for a fire will ignite, kindled in my wrath against you.”

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.

15 Yahweh, you know! Remember me and help me. Bring vengeance for me against those who persecute me. You are patient, but do not allow them to take me away; know that I suffer reproach for your sake.

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.

16 Your words have been found, and I consumed them. Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I bear your name, Yahweh, God of hosts.

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!

17 I did not sit in the circle of those who celebrated or rejoiced. I sat in solitude because of your powerful hand, for you filled me with indignation.

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.

18 Why is my pain ongoing and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be like deceitful waters to me, waters that dry up?

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?

19 Therefore Yahweh said this, “If you repent, Jeremiah, then I will restore you, and you will stand before me and serve me. For if you separate the foolish things from the precious things, you will be like my mouth. The people will come back to you, but you yourself must not go back to them.

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;

20 I will make you like an impenetrable bronze wall to this people, and they will wage war against you. But they will not defeat you, for I am with you to save and rescue you—this is Yahweh's declaration—

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;

21 for I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the hand of the tyrant.”

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