Jeremiah 15
15
The Lord’s Negative Response
1Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel#Ex 32:11–14; 1Sm 7:9; 12:23; Ps 99:6; 106:23; Ezk 14:14 should stand before me,#Jr 15:19; 35:19 my compassions would not reach out to these people. Send them from my presence, and let them go.#Ex 6:1; 8:2; 9:2; 10:27; Jr 50:33 2If they ask you, ‘Where will we go? ’ tell them: This is what the Lord says:
Those destined for death,#Jr 14:12; 43:11; Ezk 5:12; Zch 11:9 to death;
those destined for the sword, to the sword.
Those destined for famine, to famine;
those destined for captivity, to captivity.
3“I will ordain four kinds#15:3 Lit families of judgment for them” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away,#Jr 22:19; 49:20–50:45 and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land#Is 18:6; Jr 7:33; 19:7 to devour and destroy. 4I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh#2Kg 21:1–18; 2Ch 33:1–20 son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
5Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?#Lm 1:1–2; Am 5:2
Who will show sympathy toward you?#Is 51:19; Nah 3:7
Who will turn aside
to ask about your well-being?
6You have left me.”#Dt 32:15
This is the Lord’s declaration.
“You have turned your back,
so I have stretched out my hand against you
and destroyed you.
I am tired#Is 1:14; 7:13; Jr 6:11; 20:9 of showing compassion.
7I scattered them with a winnowing fork
at the city gates of the land.
I made them childless; I destroyed my people.
They would not turn from their ways.#Jdg 2:19; 2Kg 17:13; 2Ch 7:14; Neh 9:35; Jr 18:11; 25:5; 35:15
8I made their widows more numerous
than the sand of the seas.#Gn 22:17; 32:12; 41:49
I brought a destroyer at noon
against the mother of young men.
I suddenly released on her
agitation and terrors.
9The mother of seven grew faint;#Ru 4:15; 1Sm 2:5; Jb 42:13
she breathed her last breath.
Her sun set while it was still day;
she was ashamed and humiliated.
The rest of them I will give over to the sword
in the presence of their enemies.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10Woe is me, my mother,
that you gave birth to me,#Jb 3:1–10
a man who incites dispute and conflict
in all the land.
I did not lend or borrow,
yet everyone curses me.#Is 53:3
The Lord’s Response
11The Lord said:
Haven’t I set you loose for your good?
Haven’t I punished you
in a time of trouble,
in a time of distress with the enemy?#15:11 Hb obscure
12Can anyone smash iron,
iron from the north, or bronze?
13I will give up your wealth
and your treasures as plunder,
without cost,#Ps 44:12; Is 52:3 for all your sins
in all your borders.
14Then I will make you serve your enemies#15:14 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read you pass through
in a land you do not know,
for my anger will kindle a fire
that will burn against you.#Dt 32:22; Jr 17:3–4; Ezk 32:9
Jeremiah’s Prayer for Vengeance
15You know,#Jr 12:3 Lord;
remember me and take note of me.#Jdg 16:28; Neh 5:19; 13:14,22,31; Ps 106:4; Lk 23:42
Avenge me against my persecutors.#Jr 11:20
In your patience,#15:15 Lit In the slowness of your anger don’t take me away.
Know that I suffer disgrace for your honor.#Ps 69:7–9
16Your words were found, and I ate them.#Ezk 3:3
Your words became a delight to me
and the joy of my heart,
for I bear your name,#Jr 14:9
Lord God of Armies.
17I never sat with the band of revelers,
and I did not celebrate with them.
Because your hand was on me, I sat alone,#2Kg 3:15; Ps 102:7; Is 8:11; Lm 3:28
for you filled me with indignation.
18Why has my pain become unending,
my wound incurable,#Jr 19:8; 30:12,14,17
refusing to be healed?
You truly have become like a mirage to me —
water that is not reliable.
Jeremiah Told to Repent
19Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
If you return, I will take you back;
you will stand in my presence.
And if you speak noble words,
rather than worthless ones,
you will be my spokesman.#Ex 4:16
It is they who must return to you;
you must not return to them.
20Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze
to this people.
They will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to save you and rescue you.#Jr 1:8,19; 30:11; 42:11
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21I will rescue you from the power of evil people
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
Currently Selected:
Jeremiah 15: CSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Jeremiah 15
15
1 And the Lord said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my soul would not be toward this people. Cast them away from my face, and let them depart!
2 And if they say to you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those who go to death, shall go to death. And those who go to the sword, shall go to the sword, and those go to famine, shall go to famine, and those who go to captivity, shall go to captivity.
3 And I will visit against them in four ways, says the Lord: by the sword, to kill; and by dogs, to tear apart; and by the birds of the air and by the beasts of the earth, to devour and to scatter.
4 And I will give them over to the fervor of all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, because of all that he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will take pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will feel sorrow for you? Or who will go to prayer for the sake of your peace?
6 You have abandoned me, says the Lord. You have gone backwards. And so, I will extend my hand over you, and I will destroy you. I have labored to plead with you.
7 And I will scatter them with a winnowing fan at the gates of the land. I have killed and dispersed my people, and yet they have not turned back from their ways.
8 Their widows have been multiplied by me, more so than the sand of the sea. I have led them against the mother of a youth like an attacker at midday. I have sent a terror suddenly against the cities.
9 She who gave birth to seven has become weak. Her life has faded away. Her sun has set while it was still daytime. She has been confounded and shamed. And the remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the sight of their enemies, says the Lord."
10 "O my mother, woe to me! Why did you conceive me, a man of strife, a man of discord to all the earth? I have not lent money at interest, nor has anyone lent money at interest to me. Yet everyone is cursing me."
11 The Lord says: "Certainly, it will be well with your remnant. Certainly, I will run to meet you, in the time of affliction and in the time of tribulation, against the enemy.
12 But how can iron be joined with the iron from the north or with brass?
13 Your riches and your treasures I will give over to be freely despoiled, because of all your sins, even throughout all your borders.
14 And I will lead in your enemies from a land that you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in my fury; it will burn upon you."
15 "You know me, O Lord. Remember me, and visit me, and watch over me, because of those who persecute me. In your patience, do not choose to let me endure. You know I have suffered reproach because of you.
16 I discovered your words and I consumed them. And your word became to me as the gladness and joy of my heart. For your name has been invoked over me, O Lord, the God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the company of mockers, nor did I glorify myself before the presence of your hand. I sat alone, because you filled me with threats.
18 Why has my sorrow become never-ending, and why has my wound become so dire that it refuses to be cured? It has become for me like the deception of untrustworthy waters."
19 Because of this, thus says the Lord: "If you will be converted, I will convert you. And you will stand before my face. And you will separate what is precious from what is vile. You will be my mouthpiece. They will be converted to you, but you will not be converted to them.
20 And I will present you to this people as a strong wall of brass. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail. For I am with you, so as to save you and to rescue you, says the Lord.
21 And I will free you from hand of those who are most wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the powerful."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in