Jeremias 15

1 And the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before my face, my soul could not be towards them: dismiss this people, and let them go forth.

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 And it shall be, if they say to you, Whither shall we go forth? then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord; As many as are for death, to death; and as many as are for famine, to famine; and as many as are for the sword, to the sword; and as many as are for captivity, to captivity.

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 And I will punish them with four kinds [of death], says the Lord, the sword to kill, and the dogs to tear, and the wild beasts of the earth, and the birds of the sky to devour and destroy.

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 And I will deliver them up for distress to all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasses son of Ezekias king of Juda, for all that he did in Jerusalem.

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 Who will spare you, O Jerusalem? and who will fear for you? or who will turn back [to ask] for your welfare?

Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?

6 You have turned away from me, says the Lord, you will go back: therefore I will stretch out my hand, and will destroy you, and will no more spare them.

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 And I will completely scatter them; in the gates of my people they are bereaved of children: they have destroyed my people because of their iniquities.

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 Their widows have been multiplied more than the sand of the sea: I have brought young men against the mother, [even] distress at noon-day: I have suddenly cast upon her trembling and anxiety.

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 She that bore seven is spent; her soul has fainted under trouble; her sun is gone down while it is yet noon; she is ashamed and disgraced: I will give the remnant of them to the sword before their enemies.

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 Woe is me, [my] mother! you have born me as some man of strife, and at variance with the whole earth; I have not helped [others], nor has any one helped me; my strength has failed amongst them that curse me.

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 Be it so, Lord, in their prosperity; surely I stood before you in the time of their calamities, and in the time of their affliction, for [their] good against the enemy.

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 Will iron be known? whereas your strength is a brazen covering.

Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?

13 Yes, I will give your treasures for a spoil as a recompence, because of all your sins and [that] in all your borders.

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 And I will enslave you to your enemies round about, in a land which you have not known; for a fire has been kindled out of my wrath; it shall burn upon you.

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 O Lord, remember me, and visit me, and vindicate me before them that persecute me; do not bear long with them; know how I have met with reproach for your sake, from those who set at nothing your words;

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 consume them; and your word shall be to me for the joy and gladness of my heart: for your name has been called upon me, O Lord Almighty.

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 I have not sat in the assembly of them as they mocked, but I feared because of your power: I sat alone, for I was filled with bitterness.

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 Why do they that grieve me prevail against me? my wound is severe; whence shall I be healed? it is indeed become to me as deceitful water, that has no faithfulness.

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 Therefore thus says the Lord, If you will return, then will I restore you, and you shall stand before my face: and if you will bring forth the precious from the worthless, you shall be as my mouth: and they shall return to you; but you shall not return to them.

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 And I will make you to this people as a strong brazen wall; and they shall fight against you, but they shall by no means prevail against you;

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 for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you out of the hand of wicked [men]; and I will ransom you out of the hand of pestilent [men].

I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.