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Who Grieves for Jerusalem?

15 Then said Adonai to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My soul could not be toward this people. Cast them out of My presence, and let them go out!” It will come to pass, when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ Then You will tell them, thus says Adonai:

    “Those for death—to death!
    Those for the sword—to the sword!
    Those for famine—to famine!
    Those for exile—to exile![a]
I have appointed over them four kinds”
    —it is a declaration of Adonai
    “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.[b]

“So I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

“Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?
    Or who will grieve for you?
    Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
You have cast Me off”
    —it is a declaration of Adonai
    “You keep going backward!
    So I stretch out My hand against you
        and will destroy you.
    I am weary with relenting.
I will scatter them with a winnowing fork
        at the gates of the land.
    I will bereave them of children and destroy My people,
    since they do not repent of their ways.
Their widows will increase before Me
        more than the sand of the seas,
    I will bring a destroyer at noonday
        against the mother of a young man.
    Suddenly I will bring down on her
        anguish and terrors.
She who bore seven languishes.
    She breathes out her soul.
    Her sun sets while it is yet day.
    She is shamed and humiliated.
    Their survivors I give to the sword
        before their enemies.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
10 Oy to me, my mother,
    that you gave birth to me—
    a man of strife and conflict to all the land!
    I did not lend or borrow,
    yet everyone curses me.

11 Adonai said:
    “Surely I will release you for good.
    Surely I will make the enemy appeal to you
        in a time of trouble, in a time of affliction.
12 Can anyone smash iron—
    iron and bronze from the north?
13 Your wealth and your treasures
    I will give as plunder without cost,
    for all your sins, in all your borders.
14 I will take you away with your enemies
        into a land you do not know,
    for a fire is kindled in My nostril,
        which will burn against you.”

15 Adonai, you know.
    Remember me and think of me.
    Avenge me against my persecutors.
    Because of Your long-suffering,
        do not take me away.
    Know that for Your sake I endure scorn.
16 Your words were found, so I ate them.
    Your words were a delight to me
        and the joy of my heart.
    For I am called by Your Name,
        Adonai-Elohei-Tzva’ot.
17 I never sat in the company of revelers
    nor made merry.
    Because of Your hand I sat alone,
    for You filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
    Will You be to me like a mirage
        of water that is undependable?

19 Therefore thus says Adonai:
    “If you return, I will restore you,
        you will stand before Me.
    If you extract the precious from the worthless,
        you will be as My mouth.
    Let them turn to you,
        but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a fortified bronze wall to this people.
    They will fight against you,
    but will not prevail against you,
    for I am with you to save you
        and deliver you.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
21 “So I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and I will redeem you out of the grasp of the ruthless.”

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses(A) and Samuel(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.(C) Send them away from my presence!(D) Let them go! And 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;(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’(G)

“I will send four kinds of destroyers(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword(I) to kill and the dogs(J) to drag away and the birds(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.(L) I will make them abhorrent(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth(N) because of what Manasseh(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

“Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
You have rejected(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.(S)
I will winnow(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement(U) and destruction on my people,(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.(W)
I will make their widows(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.(Z)
The mother of seven will grow faint(AA)
    and breathe her last.(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword(AD)
    before their enemies,”(AE)
declares the Lord.

10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(AF)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(AG)
I have neither lent(AH) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses(AI) me.

11 The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you(AJ) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead(AK) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

12 “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north(AL)—or bronze?

13 “Your wealth(AM) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,(AN) without charge,(AO)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.(AP)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in[a] a land you do not know,(AQ)
for my anger will kindle a fire(AR)
    that will burn against you.”

15 Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.(AS)
You are long-suffering(AT)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(AU)
16 When your words came, I ate(AV) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(AW)
for I bear your name,(AX)
    Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(AY) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(AZ) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?(BA)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.(BB)

19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve(BC) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.(BD)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(BE) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome(BF) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”(BG)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(BH) you from the hands of the wicked(BI)
    and deliver(BJ) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into

15 Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.

And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people since they return not from their ways.

Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the Lord.

10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

11 The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

15 O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.