Jeremiah Chapter 15
The LORD Will Not Relent
1 Then the LORD told me,
“Even if Moses and Samuel were standing here, my heart wouldn’t be with this nation. Send them away! 2 If they ask you where to go, tell them the LORD says,
‘Those destined for death, go to death!
Those destined for the sword, go to the sword!
Those destined for famine, go to famine!
Those destined for captivity, go to captivity!’
3 I’ll send four kinds of destruction on you: the sword to slay, dogs to drag away, buzzards to devour, and scavengers to consume. 4 I’ll see that the kingdoms abhor you because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
Jer 15:1-4
5Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?
Who’s going to cry for you
or come to ask how you’re doing?
6 You’ve left me and keep getting worse;
so I’ll go ahead and destroy you;
I’m tired of holding back.
7 I’ll winnow you with a winnowing fork
at the country’s ports of entry.
I’ll bereave you of your children
and destroy you as my people
because you refuse to turn back from your ways.
8 You’ll have more widows than sand by the sea;
I’ll bring at you a destroyer at noon,
mother of young men,
and suddenly bring down anguish and dread on you.
9 She that bore seven sons will pine away
and gasp for breath.
Her sun will set in the daytime;
she’ll be disgraced and humiliated.
So I’ll turn any survivors over
to their enemies’ sword,” the LORD says.
Jer 15:5-9
Jeremiah’s Complaint
10 “Misfortune awaits me, mother that bore me
to experience conflict in the world!
I haven’t lent or borrowed;
yet everybody curses me.”
11 The LORD said, “I’ll set you free for good;
I’ll make your enemy appeal to you
when disaster and distress come.
12 Can anybody smash iron,
the iron from the north, or bronze?
Jer 15:10-12
13 Because of your sins within your borders, I’ll give away your wealth and treasures as plunder free of charge. 14 Your enemies will take it to a country you don’t know about, because my anger has been fired up. It’ll burn you up.”
15 “LORD, you know me; remember me; notice me;
take vengeance on my persecutors.
In light of your patience, don’t let me die young;
remember that I’m dealing with disgrace to honor you.
16 When I discovered your words, I devoured them;
they became a delight to me
because I wear your name,
Yahveh God of hosts.
Jer 15:13-16
17 I didn’t sit with the revelers;
because your hand was on me, I sat by myself,
filled with indignation over their sin.
18 Why does my pain persist?
Why don’t my wounds heal?
Are you going to be like a seasonal stream
we can’t depend on?”
Jer 15:17-18
19 So the LORD says,
“If you’ll come back, I’ll restore you;
you can stand in my presence.
If you’ll separate the precious from the worthless,
you can become my spokesman.
They may turn on you,
but don’t turn on them.
20 Then for my people I’ll make you
into a fortified wall made out of bronze;
though they fight you, they won’t win
because I’ll save you.
21 I’ll keep you away from sinners
and rescue you from cruel people.”
Jer 15:19-21