Jeremiah 15
15
Four Types of Calamity
1Then Yahweh said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me,#Literally “to the face of me” my heart would not be to this people. Send them away from my sight,#Literally “face” and let them go out. 2And then#Literally “And it will happen” if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh,
“Those who are destined for the plague, to the plague,
and those who are destined for the sword, to the sword,
and those who are destined for the famine, to the famine,
and those who are destined for the captivity, to the captivity.” ’
3“And I will summon#Or “appoint” over them four types of calamity,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh, “the sword to kill, and the dogs to drag away, and the birds#Hebrew “bird” of the air and the wild animals#Hebrew “wild animal” of the earth to devour and to destroy. 4And I will make them a terror to all of the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, because of what he did in Jerusalem.
5“For who will have compassion on you, O Jerusalem,
or who will show sympathy to you,
or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?#Literally “to ask to the welfare of you”
6You have forsaken me,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
“You go backward, so I have stretched my hand against you,
and I have destroyed you.
I am tired of becoming remorseful.
7And I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land.
I am bereaved.
I have destroyed my people.
They did not turn back from their ways.
8Their widows#Hebrew “widow” will be more numerous before me than the sand of the seas.
I have brought to them, against the mothers#Hebrew “mother” of young men,#Hebrew “man”
a destroyer at noon.
I will suddenly drop on her anguish and horror.#Hebrew “horrors”
9She who gave birth to seven has withered away.
She gasps her breath.
Her sun set#Literally “came” while still day.
She has been put to shame and disgraced.
And the remainder of them I will give to the sword
before#Literally “to the face of” their enemies,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
Jeremiah’s Lament and Yahweh’s Response
10Woe to me, O my mother, that you gave birth to me,
a man of contention and quarreling to the whole land.#Literally “to all of the land”
I have not lent out and I have not borrowed.#Literally “not they have lent out for me”
All of them are cursing me.
11Yahweh said,
“Surely#Literally “If not” I will set you free to be good#Literally “for good” for you,
surely#Literally “if not” I will cause the enemy to intercede with you
in a time of trouble,
and in a time of distress.
12Can anyone break iron,
iron from the north, or bronze?
13I will give your wealth and your treasures
as plunder without price,
even because of all your sins,
and throughout all your territories.
14And I will make you serve your enemies
in a land that you do not know,
for a fire will kindle in my anger.
Upon you it will be kindled.”
15You who know, O Yahweh, remember me, and attend to me,
and take revenge for me against my persecutors in your forbearance.#Literally “in the length of your nose”
You must take me away.
Know that I am carrying disgrace because of you.
16Your words were found and I ate them,
and your words became to me as jubilation,
even as the joy of my heart,
for your name is called on me, O Yahweh God of hosts.
17I sat not in the assembly of jokers,
nor did I exult.
Because of the presence#Literally “face” of your hand I sat alone,
for you filled me with indignation.
18Why is my pain endless, and my wound incurable?
It refuses to become healed.
Truly you are to me like a deceitful brook,
waters that are not trustworthy.
19Therefore thus says Yahweh,
“If you turn back, then I will take you back.
You will stand before me.#Literally “to the face of me”
And if you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you will be as my mouth.
They will turn back to you,
and you will not turn back to them.
20And I will make you to this people
a wall of fortified bronze,
and they will fight against you,
but they will not prevail over you,
for I am with you, to save you,
and to deliver you,” declares#Literally “a declaration of” Yahweh.
21“And I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
and I will redeem you from the hand of the tyrant.”
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Jeremiah 15
15
1The Lord said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me, my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them away from me and let them go.#Ps 99:6; Ez 14:14, 16. 2If they ask you, “Where should we go?” tell them, Thus says the Lord: Whoever is marked for death, to death; whoever is marked for the sword, to the sword; whoever is marked for famine, to famine; whoever is marked for captivity, to captivity.#Jer 14:12; Ez 5:12. 3Four kinds of scourge I have decreed against them—oracle of the Lord—the sword to kill them; dogs to drag them off; the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy them.#Ez 14:21. 4And I will make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.#Jer 24:9; 2 Kgs 21:11–16; 23:26; 24:3–4.
Scene of Tragedy
5Who will pity you, Jerusalem,
who will grieve for you?
Who will stop to ask
about your welfare?#Is 51:19.
6It is you who have disowned me—oracle of the Lord—
turned your back upon me;
I stretched out my hand to destroy you,
because I was weary of relenting.#Am 7:8.
7I winnowed them with a winnowing fork
at the gates of the land;
I have bereaved, destroyed my people;
they have not turned from their evil ways.#Is 41:16.
8Their widows were more numerous before me
than the sands of the sea.
I brought against the mother of youths
the destroyer at midday;
Suddenly I struck her
with anguish and terror.
9The mother of seven faints away,
breathing out her life;
Her sun sets in full day,
she is ashamed, abashed.
Their survivors I will give to the sword
in the presence of their enemies—oracle of the Lord.#1 Sm 2:5.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10Woe to me, my mother, that you gave me birth!
a man of strife and contention to all the land!
I neither borrow nor lend,
yet everyone curses me.#Jer 20:14.
11Tell me, Lord, have I not served you for their good?
Have I not interceded with you
in time of misfortune and anguish?#Jer 39:11–14.
12Can one break iron,
iron from the north, and bronze?
13#Though the wording of these verses is close to that in 17:3–4, the present passage is evidently God’s word to Jeremiah, whereas 17:3–4 is evidently a word of judgment on Judah. It is noteworthy that the references to “you” in the present passage are singular, until a shift to plural in “against you” in the last line; this “you” is then doubtless a reference to both the prophet and his enemies. Your wealth and your treasures
I give as plunder, demanding no payment,
because of all your sins, throughout all your territory.
14And I shall enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
For fire has broken out from my anger,
it is kindled against you.
15You know, Lord:
Remember me and take care of me,
avenge me on my persecutors.
Because you are slow to anger, do not banish me;
know that for you I have borne insult.#Jer 11:20; 12:3; Ps 69:8.
16When I found your words, I devoured them;
your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,
Because I bear your name,
Lord, God of hosts.
17I did not sit celebrating
in the circle of merrymakers;
Under the weight of your hand I sat alone
because you filled me with rage.#Ps 25:4.
18Why is my pain continuous,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
To me you are like a deceptive brook,
waters that cannot be relied on!#Jer 14:19; 30:15.
19Thus the Lord answered me:
If you come back and I take you back,
in my presence you shall stand;
If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you shall be my mouth.
Then they will be the ones who turn to you,
not you who turn to them.
20And I will make you toward this people
a fortified wall of bronze.
Though they fight against you,
they shall not prevail,
For I am with you,
to save and rescue you—oracle of the Lord.#Jer 1:18; 6:27.
21I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked,
and ransom you from the power of the violent.
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