Jeremiæ 15
1 Et dixit Dominus ad me: Si steterit Moyses, et Samuel coram me, non est anima mea ad populum istum: eiice illos a facie mea, et egrediantur.
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.
2 Quod si dixerint ad te: Quo egrediemur? dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus: Qui ad mortem, ad mortem: et qui ad gladium, ad gladium: et qui ad famem, ad famem: et qui ad captivitatem, ad captivitatem.
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.
3 Et visitabo super eos quattuor species, dicit Dominus: Gladium ad occisionem, et canes ad lacerandum, et volatilia cæli et bestias terræ ad devorandum et dissipandum.
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.
4 et dabo eos in fervorem universis regnis terræ: propter Manassen filium Ezechiæ regis Iuda, super omnibus quæ fecit in Ierusalem.
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.
5 Quis enim miserebitur tui, Ierusalem? aut quis contristabitur pro te? aut quis ibit ad rogandum pro pace tua?
Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?
6 Tu reliquisti me, dicit Dominus, retrorsum abiisti: et extendam manum meam super te, et interficiam te: laboravi rogans.
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.
7 Et dispergam eos ventilabro in portis terræ: interfeci et disperdidi populum meum, et tamen a viis suis non sunt reversi.
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.
8 Multiplicatæ sunt mihi viduæ eius super arenam maris: induxi eis super matrem adolescentis vastatorem meridie: misi super civitates repente terrorem.
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.
9 Infirmata est quæ peperit septem, defecit anima eius: occidit ei sol, cum adhuc esset dies: confusa est, et erubuit: et residuos eius in gladium dabo in conspectu inimicorum eorum, ait Dominus.
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.
10 Væ mihi mater mea: quare genuisti me virum rixæ, virum discordiæ in universa terra? non fœneravi, nec fœneravit mihi quisquam: omnes maledicunt mihi.
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.
11 Dicit Dominus: Si non reliquiæ tuæ in bonum, si non occurri tibi in tempore afflictionis, et in tempore tribulationis adversus inimicum.
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.
12 Numquid fœderabitur ferrum ferro ab Aquilone, et æs?
Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?
13 Divitias tuas et thesauros tuos in direptionem dabo gratis in omnibus peccatis tuis, et in omnibus terminis tuis.
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.
14 Et adducam inimicos tuos de terra, quam nescis: quia ignis succensus est in furore meo, super vos ardebit.
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.
15 Tu scis Domine, recordare mei, et visita me, et tuere me ab his, qui persequuntur me, noli in patientia tua suscipere me: scito quoniam sustinui propter te opprobrium.
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.
16 Inventi sunt sermones tui, et comedi eos, et factum est mihi verbum tuum in gaudium et in lætitiam cordis mei: quoniam invocatum est nomen tuum super me Domine Deus exercituum.
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!
17 Non sedi in concilio ludentium, et gloriatus sum a facie manus tuæ: solus sedebam, quoniam comminatione replesti me.
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.
18 Quare factus est dolor meus perpetuus, et plaga mea desperabilis renuit curari? facta est mihi quasi mendacium aquarum infidelium.
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.
19 Propter hoc hæc dicit Dominus: Si converteris, convertam te, et ante faciem meam stabis: et si separaveris pretiosum a vili, quasi os meum eris: convertentur ipsi ad te, et tu non converteris ad eos.
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.
20 Et dabo te populo huic in murum æreum, fortem: et bellabunt adversum te, et non prævalebunt: quia ego tecum sum ut salvem te, et eruam te, dicit Dominus.
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.
21 Et liberabo te de manu pessimorum, et redimam te de manu fortium.
I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.
