1 T hen the Lord said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be turned with favor toward this people. Send them out of My sight and let them go!

Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with these people. Send them away from Me and let them go!

2 A nd if they say to you, Where shall we go? then tell them, Thus says the Lord: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity.

And when they ask you, ‘Where should we go?’ then tell them, ‘The Lord says, “Those who are to die, to death, and those who are to be killed by the sword, to the sword. Those who are to go hungry, to hunger, and those who are to be taken away as prisoners, to be taken away.’

3 A nd I will appoint over them four kinds, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to tear and drag away, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.

I will set over them four kinds of destroyers,” says the Lord: “The sword to kill, the dogs to take away, and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth to eat and destroy.

4 A nd I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth and to be made a horror to all nations because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for which he did in Jerusalem.

I will make them an object of much fear and hate among all the nations of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5 F or who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will have sorrow for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your well-being?

6 Y ou have rejected and forsaken Me, says the Lord. You keep going in reverse. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting.

You have turned away from Me,” says the Lord. “You keep going back into sin. So I will put out My hand against you and destroy you. I am tired of having pity on you!

7 I will winnow them with a fan and a winnowing fork in the gates of the land; I will bereave them, I will destroy My people; from their ways they did not return.

I will throw them to the wind like straw at the gates of the land. I will take their children from them. I will destroy My people. For they did not turn from their ways.

8 I will increase the number of their widows more than the sand of the seas. I will bring upon them, against the mother of young men and the young men, a destroyer at noonday. I will cause anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.

Their women whose husbands have died will be as many as the sand of the seas. At noon I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will bring suffering and fear to them all at once.

9 S he who has borne seven languishes; she has expired. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been put to shame, confounded, and disgraced. And the rest of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord.

She who gave birth to seven sons will become weak and die. Her sun will set while it is still day, and she will be put to shame. I will give the rest of them to the sword in front of those who hate them,” says the Lord. Jeremiah Complains

10 W oe is me, my mother, that you bore me to be a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither loaned, nor have men loaned to me, yet everyone curses me.

It is bad for me, my mother, that you have given birth to me! I am a man of trouble and fighting to all the land. No one owes money to me, and I do not owe money to others, yet every one curses me.

11 T he Lord said, Truly your release, affliction, and strengthening will be for good; surely I will intercede for you with the enemy and I will cause the enemy to ask for your aid in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

The Lord said, “For sure I will set you free for a good reason. For sure I will make those who hate you ask of you in times of trouble and suffering.

12 C an iron break the iron from the north and the bronze?

“Can anyone crush iron, iron from the north, or brass?

13 Y our substance and your treasures will I give as spoil, without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your territory.

I will give your money and riches to those who fight against you, without a price, because of all your sins in all your land.

14 A nd I will make to pass with your enemies into a land which you do not know and I will make you to serve there, for a fire is kindled in My anger which will burn upon you.

I will make those who hate you bring your riches into a land you do not know. For My anger has started a fire that will burn you.”

15 O Lord, You know and understand; remember me and visit me and avenge me on my persecutors. Take me not away in Your long-suffering; know that for Your sake I suffer and bear reproach.

O Lord, You understand. Remember me and visit me. And punish those who make it hard for me. Do not take me away, for You are slow to be angry. Know that because of You I suffer and am put to shame.

16 Y our words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Your words were found and I ate them. And Your words became a joy to me and the happiness of my heart. For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of All.

17 I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation.

I did not sit with those who were having fun, and I was not full of joy. I sat alone because Your hand was upon me. For You had filled me with hate for their sin.

18 W hy is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?

Why is there no end to my pain? And why will my hurt not be healed? Will You be to me like a river that flows with water some of the time and is dry at other times? The Lord’s Answer

19 T herefore thus says the Lord: If you return, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile, you shall be My mouthpiece. Let them return to you—not you to.

So the Lord says, “If you return, then I will let you take your place again, standing before Me. And if you take out what is of worth from what is of no worth, then you will speak for Me. Let these people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

20 A nd I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord.

Then I will make you like a strong wall of brass to these people. Even if they fight against you, they will not get power over you. For I am with you to save you and bring you out of trouble,” says the Lord.

21 A nd I will deliver you out of the hands of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the palms of the terrible and ruthless tyrants.

“I will take you from the hand of the sinful. And I will free you from the hand of those who would hurt you.”