Jeremiah 15

Judgment and rejection

1The LORD said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me, my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my presence. Let them go!

2When they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them: This is what the LORD says:
Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;
those for famine, to famine;
those for captivity, to captivity.

3“I will appoint four kinds of destroyers over them,” declares the LORD: “the sword to kill, dogs to drag away, birds of the sky and animals of the earth to devour and destroy.

4I will make them an object of horror to all the earth’s kingdoms because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and what he did in Jerusalem.

5Who will pity you, Jerusalem?
Who will grieve for you?
Who will turn aside
to ask how you are?

6You abandoned me,” declares the LORD.
“You keep moving backward.
So I stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you.
I am weary of relenting.

7I winnowed them with a winnowing fork
at the gates of the land.
I bereaved and destroyed my people;
they did not turn from their ways.

8Their widows became more numerous before me
than the sand of the seas.
Against the mother of a young man
I brought a destroyer at noon.
Suddenly I brought anguish and terrors upon her.

9The mother of seven languishes;
she breathes out her life.
Her sun sets while it is still day;
she is ashamed and humiliated.
I will hand their survivors over to the sword
before their enemies,” declares the LORD.

The prophet’s protest

10Woe to me, my mother, that you gave birth to me—
a man of dispute and contention for the whole land!
I have neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.

11The LORD said, “Surely I will set you free for good. Surely I will make the enemy plead with you in a time of disaster and distress.

12Can iron break iron—
iron from the north—or bronze?

13I will give your wealth and treasures as plunder,
without payment,
because of all your sins
throughout your territory.

14I will take you away with your enemies
into a land you do not know.
For a fire has been kindled in my anger;
it will burn against you.”

15You know, LORD.
Remember me and attend to me;
avenge me on my persecutors.
Do not let your patience with them carry me away.
Know that I bear disgrace for your sake.

16Your words were found, and I ate them.
Your word became my joy
and my heart’s delight,
for your name is called over me,
LORD, God of hosts.

17I did not sit rejoicing in the company of revelers.
Because of your hand, I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.

18Why is my pain unending,
my wound incurable, refusing to heal?
Will you really be to me like a deceptive stream,
waters that cannot be trusted?

19So this is what the LORD says:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you will stand before me.
If you bring out what is precious from what is worthless,
you will be like my mouth.
Let them return to you;
you must not return to them.

20I will make you a fortified bronze wall against this people.
They will fight you but will not overcome you,
for I am with you to save and deliver you,”
declares the LORD.

21“I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked
and redeem you from the grip of the ruthless.”