1Then said the LORD 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.2And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; 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.3And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: 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.4And 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.5For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?6Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.7And 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.8Their 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.9She 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 the LORD.10Woe 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.11The LORD 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.12Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?13Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.14And 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.15O LORD, 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.16Thy 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 LORD God of hosts.17I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.18Why 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?19Therefore thus saith the LORD, 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.20And 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 the LORD.21And 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
English Standard Version
The Lord Will Not Relent
1Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! (Ex 32:11; 1Sa 7:9; 1Sa 8:6; 1Sa 12:23; 1Sa 15:11; Ps 99:6; Ps 106:23; Jer 15:19; Jer 35:19; Eze 14:14)2And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’ (Jer 14:12; Jer 16:4; Jer 21:9; Jer 43:11; Eze 5:12; Eze 6:11; Zec 11:9)3I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. (Le 26:16; De 28:26; Re 6:8)4And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem. (De 28:25; 2Ki 21:2; 2Ki 21:11; 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 23:26; 2Ki 24:3; Jer 24:9; Jer 29:18; Jer 34:17)5“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare? (Isa 51:19; Na 3:7)6You have rejected me, declares the Lord; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting. (De 32:15; Jer 7:24; Ho 13:14)7I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people; they did not turn from their ways. (Isa 9:13; Isa 30:24; Isa 41:16; Jer 5:3; Jer 51:2; Am 4:6; Am 4:8; Mt 3:12; Lu 3:17)8I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly. (Ge 22:17; Ps 139:18)9She who bore seven has grown feeble; she has fainted away; her sun went down while it was yet day; she has been shamed and disgraced. And the rest of them I will give to the sword before their enemies, declares the Lord.” (1Sa 2:5; Job 11:20; La 1:1; Am 8:9)
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. (Ex 22:25; Ps 15:5; Isa 24:2; Jer 20:14)11The Lord said, “Have I not[1] set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress?12Can one break iron, iron from the north, and bronze? (Jer 1:13)13“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. (Ps 44:12; Jer 17:3)14I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” (De 32:22; Jer 9:16; Jer 16:13; Jer 17:4; Jer 22:28)15O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. (Jud 16:28; Ps 69:7; Jer 11:20; Jer 12:3; Jer 17:16; Jer 20:12)16Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. (Ps 119:111; Ps 119:162; Jer 14:9; Eze 3:1; Eze 3:3; Re 10:9)17I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. (Ps 26:4; Ps 102:7; La 3:28)18Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? (Job 6:15; Job 34:6; Isa 58:11; Jer 30:15)19Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. (Jer 3:14; Jer 15:1)20And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. (Jer 1:8; Jer 1:18; Jer 1:19; Jer 6:27; Jer 20:11)21I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” (Isa 13:11; Isa 25:4; Isa 29:5; Jer 15:20)