Jeremiah 15
15
Judah’s Inevitable Doom
1Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight! 2And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“‘Those who are destined for death, to death;
those who are destined for war, to war;
those who are destined for famine, to famine;
those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’
3“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord. “I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left. 4Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
5“Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?
Who will weep for you?
Who will even bother to ask how you are?
6You have abandoned me
and turned your back on me,”
says the Lord.
“Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you.
I am tired of always giving you another chance.
7I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities
and take away the children you hold dear.
I will destroy my own people,
because they refuse to change their evil ways.
8There will be more widows
than the grains of sand on the seashore.
At noontime I will bring a destroyer
against the mothers of young men.
I will cause anguish and terror
to come upon them suddenly.
9The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath;
her sun has gone down while it is still day.
She sits childless now,
disgraced and humiliated.
And I will hand over those who are left
to be killed by the enemy.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10Then I said,
“What sorrow is mine, my mother.
Oh, that I had died at birth!
I am hated everywhere I go.
I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose
nor a borrower who refuses to pay—
yet they all curse me.”
11The Lord replied,
“I will take care of you, Jeremiah.
Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf
in times of trouble and distress.
12Can a man break a bar of iron from the north,
or a bar of bronze?
13At no cost to them,
I will hand over your wealth and treasures
as plunder to your enemies,
for sin runs rampant in your land.
14I will tell your enemies to take you
as captives to a foreign land.
For my anger blazes like a fire
that will burn forever.#15:14 As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts read will burn against you.”
15Then I said,
“Lord, you know what’s happening to me.
Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors!
Please give me time; don’t let me die young.
It’s for your sake that I am suffering.
16When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
17I never joined the people in their merry feasts.
I sat alone because your hand was on me.
I was filled with indignation at their sins.
18Why then does my suffering continue?
Why is my wound so incurable?
Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook,
like a spring that has gone dry.”
19This is how the Lord responds:
“If you return to me, I will restore you
so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,
you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them;
do not let them influence you!
20They will fight against you like an attacking army,
but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze.
They will not conquer you,
for I am with you to protect and rescue you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
21Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men.
I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”
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Jeremiah 15: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Jeremiah 15
15
The people of Judah will die
1The LORD said to me:#Ex 32.11-14; Nu 14.13-19; 1 S 7.5-9.
Even if Moses and Samuel were here, praying with you, I wouldn't change my mind. So send the people of Judah away. 2And when they ask where they are going, tell them that I, the LORD, have said:#Rev 13.10.
Some of you are going to die
of horrible diseases.
Others are going to die in war
or from starvation.
The rest will be led away
to a foreign country.
3I will punish you
in four different ways:
You will be killed in war
and your bodies dragged off
by dogs,
your flesh will be eaten by birds,
and your bones will be chewed on
by wild animals.
4This punishment will happen#2 K 21.1-16; 2 Ch 33.1-9.
because of the horrible things#15.4 the horrible things: See 2 Kings 21.1-16.
your King Manasseh#15.4 Manasseh: Hebrew “Manasseh son of Hezekiah”; he ruled 687-642 BC. did.
And you will be disgusting
to all nations on earth.
5People of Jerusalem,
who will feel sorry for you?
Will anyone bother
to ask if you are well?
6My people, you abandoned me
and walked away.
I am tired of showing mercy;
that's why I'll destroy you
7by scattering you like straw
blown by the wind.
I will punish you with sorrow
and death,
because you refuse
to change your ways.
8There will be more widows
in Judah
than grains of sand on a beach.
A surprise attack at midday!
And the mothers in Jerusalem
mourn for their children.
9A mother is in deep despair
and struggles for breath.
Her daylight has turned
to darkness—
she has suffered the loss
of her seven sons.
I will kill anyone who survives.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
Jeremiah complains
10I wish I had never been born!
I'm always in trouble
with everyone in Judah.
I never lend or borrow money,
but everyone curses me
just the same.
11Then the LORD replied,
“I promise to protect you,
and when disaster comes,
even your enemies
will beg you for help.”#15.11 help: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 11.
The enemy cannot be defeated
The LORD told me to say:
12People of Judah,
just as you can't break iron
mixed with bronze,
you can't defeat the enemies
who will attack
from the north.
13I will give them
everything you own,
because you have sinned
everywhere in your country.
14My anger is a fire
that cannot be put out,#15.14 that cannot be put out: Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts “against you”.
so I will make you slaves
of your enemies
in a foreign land.#15.14 I will make…land: Many Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts “I will make your enemies go through to a land you don't know about.”
Jeremiah complains again
15You can see how I suffer
insult after insult,
all because of you, LORD.
Don't be so patient
with my enemies;
take revenge on them
before they kill me.
16When you spoke to me,
I was glad to obey,
because I belong to you,
the LORD All-Powerful.
17I don't go to parties
and have a good time.
Instead, I keep to myself,
because you have filled me
with your anger.
18I am badly injured
and in constant pain.
Are you going to disappoint me,
like a stream that goes dry
in the heat of summer?
The LORD replies
19Then the LORD told me:
Stop talking like a fool!
If you turn back to me
and speak my message,
I will let you be my prophet
once again.
I hope the people of Judah
will accept what you say.
But you can ignore their threats,
20-21because I am making you strong,
like a bronze wall.
They are evil and violent,
but when they attack,
I will be there to rescue you.
I, the LORD, have spoken.
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