Jeremiah 15

15Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses^x and Samuel^y were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.^z Send them away from my presence!^a Let them go! ²And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Those destined for death, to death;

those for the sword, to the sword;^b

those for starvation, to starvation;^c

those for captivity, to captivity.’^d

³“I will send four kinds of destroyers^e against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword^f to kill and the dogs^g to drag away and the birds^h and the wild animals to devour and destroy.^{i 4}I will make them abhorrent^j to all the kingdoms of the earth^k because of what Manasseh^l son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

⁵“Who will have pity^m on you, Jerusalem?

Who will mourn for you?

Who will stop to ask how you are?

⁶You have rejectedⁿ me,” declares the Lord.

“You keep on backsliding.

So I will reach out^o and destroy you;

I am tired of holding back.^p

⁷I will winnow^q them with a winnowing fork

at the city gates of the land.

I will bring bereavement^r and destruction on my people,^s

for they have not changed their ways.^t

⁸I will make their widows^u more numerous

than the sand of the sea.

At midday I will bring a destroyer^v

against the mothers of their young men;

suddenly I will bring down on them

anguish and terror.^w

⁹The mother of seven will grow faint^x

and breathe her last.^y

Her sun will set while it is still day;

she will be disgraced^z and humiliated.

I will put the survivors to the sword^a

before their enemies,”^b

declares the Lord.

¹⁰Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,^c

a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!^d

I have neither lent^e nor borrowed,

yet everyone curses^f me.

¹¹The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you^g for a good purpose;

surely I will make your enemies plead^h with you

in times of disaster and times of distress.

¹²“Can a man break iron—

iron from the northⁱ—or bronze?

¹³“Your wealth^j and your treasures

I will give as plunder,^k without charge,^l

because of all your sins

throughout your country.^m

¹⁴I will enslave you to your enemies

in^a a land you do not know,ⁿ

for my anger will kindle a fire^o

that will burn against you.”

¹⁵Lord, you understand;

remember me and care for me.

Avenge me on my persecutors.^p

You are long-suffering^q—do not take me away;

think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.^r

¹⁶When your words came, I ate^s them;

they were my joy and my heart’s delight,^t

for I bear your name,^u

Lord God Almighty.

¹⁷I never sat^v in the company of revelers,

never made merry with them;

I sat alone because your hand^w was on me

and you had filled me with indignation.

¹⁸Why is my pain unending

and my wound grievous and incurable?^x

You are to me like a deceptive brook,

like a spring that fails.^y

¹⁹Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you

that you may serve^z me;

if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,

you will be my spokesman.^a

Let this people turn to you,

but you must not turn to them.

²⁰I will make you a wall^b to this people,

a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you

but will not overcome^c you,

for I am with you

to rescue and save you,”^d

declares the Lord.

²¹“I will save^e you from the hands of the wicked^f

and deliver^g you from the grasp of the cruel.”^h