1 Yahweh Appoints Four Kinds of Doom Then Yahweh said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My soul would not be 15:1Lit toward with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!
2 And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says Yahweh:“Thosedestinedfor death, to death;And thosedestinedfor the sword, to the sword;And thosedestinedfor famine, to famine;And thosedestinedfor captivity, to captivity.” ’
3 I will appoint over them four kindsof doom,” declares Yahweh: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and bring to ruin.
4 I will give them overto bean example of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
5 ¶“Indeed, who will spare you, O Jerusalem,Or who will console you,Or who will turn aside to ask about your well-being?
6 “You who have abandoned Me,” declares Yahweh,“You keep going backward.So I will stretch out My hand against you and bring you to ruin;I am tired of 15:6Or regretting relenting!
7 “And I will winnow them with a winnowing forkAt the gates of the land;I will bereavethemof children; I will make My people perish;They did not 15:7Lit turn back from repent of their ways.
8 “Their widows will be more numerous before MeThan the sand of the seas;I will bring against them, against the mother of a choice man,A destroyer at noonday;I will suddenly bring down on herAnguish and terror.
9 “She who bore sevensonslanguishes; 15:9Or She has breathed out her soul Her breathing is labored.Her sun has set while it was yet day;She has been shamed and humiliated.So I will give over their survivors to the swordBefore their enemies,” declares Yahweh.Jeremiah Pleads for Vengeance
10 ¶Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne meAsa man of strife and a man of contention to all the land!I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me,Yeteveryone curses me.
11 Yahweh said, “Surely I will set you free forpurposes ofgood;Surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with youIn a time of disaster and a time of distress.
12 ¶“Can anyone smash iron,Iron from the north, or bronze?
13 “Your wealth and your treasuresI will give for plunder without cost,Even for all your sinsAnd within all your borders.
14 “Then I will cause your enemies to pass 15:14Your possessions itoverInto a land you do not know,For a fire has been kindled in My anger;It will burn upon you.”
15 ¶You who know, O Yahweh,Remember me, take notice of me,And take vengeance for me on my persecutors.Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them,And Your words became for me joy and gladness in my heart,For I have been called by Your name,O Yahweh God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,Nor did I exult.Because of Your handupon meI sat alone,For You filled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain been perpetualAnd my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?Will You indeed be to me like a deceptivestreamWith water that is unreliable?Yahweh’s Answer
19 Therefore thus says Yahweh,“If you return, then I will cause you to return—Before Me you will stand;And if you extract the precious from the worthless,You will become 15:19Lit as My mouth My mouthpiece.They for their part may turn to you,But as for you, you must not turn to them.
20 “Then I will make you to this peopleA fortified wall of bronze;And they will fight against you,But they will not prevail against you,For I am with you to save youAnd deliver you,” declares Yahweh.
21 “So I will deliver you from the hand of the evil ones,And I will redeem you from the 15:21 Lit palm grasp of the ruthless ones.”