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Jeremiah 15
Easy-to-Read Version
Jeremiah 15
Easy-to-Read Version
15 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, even if Moses and Samuel were here to pray for the people of Judah, I would not feel sorry for them. Send the people of Judah away from me! Tell them to go! 2 They might ask you, ‘Where will we go?’ Tell them this is what the Lord says:
“‘I have chosen some people to die.
They will die.
I have chosen some to be killed with swords.
They will be killed with swords.
I have chosen some to die from hunger.
They will die from hunger.
I have chosen some to be taken away to a foreign country.
They will be prisoners there.
3 I will send four kinds of destroyers against them.’
This message is from the Lord.
‘I will send the enemy with a sword to kill.
I will send the dogs to drag their bodies away.
I will send birds of the air and wild animals
to eat and destroy their bodies.
4 I will make the people of Judah
an example of something terrible for all the people on earth.
I will do this to the people of Judah
because of what Manasseh[a] did in Jerusalem.
Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah.
Manasseh was a king of Judah.’
5 “No one will feel sorry for you, city of Jerusalem.
No one will be sad and cry for you.
No one will go out of their way to even ask how you are.
6 Jerusalem, you left me.”
This message is from the Lord.
“Again and again you left me!
So I will punish and destroy you.
I am tired of holding back your punishment.
7 I will separate the people of Judah with my pitchfork.[b]
I will scatter them at the city gates of the land.
My people have not changed,
so I will destroy them.
I will take away their children.
8 Many women will lose their husbands.
There will be more widows than there is sand in the sea.
I will bring a destroyer at noontime.
The destroyer will attack the mothers of the young men of Judah.
I will bring pain and fear on the people of Judah.
I will make this happen very quickly.
9 The enemy will attack with swords and kill the people.
They will kill the survivors from Judah.
A woman with seven children will lose them.
She will cry until she becomes weak and struggles to breathe.
She will be upset and confused,
because her bright day has become dark.”
This message is from the Lord.
Jeremiah Complains to God Again
10 Mother, I am sorry
that you gave birth to me.
I am the one who must accuse
and criticize the whole land.
I have not loaned or borrowed anything,
but everyone curses me.
11 Surely, Lord, I have served you well.
In times of disaster and trouble,
I prayed to you about my enemies.
God Answers Jeremiah
12 “Jeremiah, you know that no one
can shatter a piece of iron.
I mean the kind of iron that is from the north.[c]
And no one can shatter a piece of bronze either.
13 The people of Judah have many treasures.
I will give these riches to other people.
They will not have to buy them,
because Judah has many sins.
The people sinned in every part of Judah.
14 People of Judah, I will make you slaves of your enemies.
You will be slaves in a land that you never knew.
I am very angry.
My anger is like a hot fire,
and you will be burned.”
15 Lord, you understand me.
Remember me and take care of me.
People are hurting me.
Give them the punishment they deserve.
You are being patient with them.
But don’t destroy me while you remain patient with them.
Think about me.
Think about the pain I suffer for you.
16 Your words came to me, and I ate them up.
They made me very happy.
I was glad to be called by your name,
Lord God All-Powerful.
17 I never sat with the crowd
as they laughed and had fun.
I sat by myself because of your influence on me.
You filled me with anger at the evil around me.
18 I don’t understand why I still hurt.
I don’t understand why my wound is not cured and cannot be healed.
I think you have changed.
You are like a spring of water that became dry.
You are like a spring whose water has stopped flowing.
19 Then the Lord said, “Jeremiah, if you change and come back to me,
I will not punish you.
If you change and come back to me,
then you may serve me.
If you speak important things, not worthless words,
then you may speak for me.
The people of Judah should change and come back to you.
But don’t you change and be like them.
20 I will make you strong.
The people will think you are strong,
like a wall made of bronze.
The people of Judah will fight against you,
but they will not defeat you.
They will not defeat you,
because I am with you.
I will help you, and I will save you.”
This message is from the Lord.
21 “I will save you from these evil people.
They frighten you, but I will save you from them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 15:4 Manasseh Manasseh was the most evil king of Judah according to 2 Kings 21:1-16. He worshiped many gods.
- Jeremiah 15:7 pitchfork A tool with sharp points for throwing hay from one place to another.
- Jeremiah 15:12 north The Babylonian army came from this direction to attack Judah. Armies from countries north and east of Israel often came this way to attack Judah and Israel.
Jeremiah 15
New International Version
Jeremiah 15
New International Version
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! 2 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)
3 “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) 4 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.
5 “Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?
Who will stop to ask how you are?
6 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)
7 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)
8 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)
9 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
- 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
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
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