THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH
Jeremiah 15 ©
God gives absolute denial to the prophet’s intercession which he had made, and commands him on the contrary to preach unto the people most sore and heavy plagues (especially four kinds) by mentioning the sins whereby they had deserved them, v. 1, etc. The prophet complains that everyone curses him for those prophecies, and is comforted by God, 10. And the people threaten again, 13. The prophet complains of his persecutors, and prays for preservation in his sufferings, appealing to God in regard of his innocence, 15. Is thereupon instructed and comforted by God, 19.
THEN1 said the LORD unto me, Thougha2Mosesb and Samuelc stood before me, yet my 3mind could not be toward this people: 4cast 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; Suchd as are 5for 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 6appoint over them four 7kinds,e saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to 8tear, and thef fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.
And I will 9cause them to be 10removedg into all kingdoms of the earth, because of 11Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.
For who shall have pityh upon 12thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall 13bemoan thee? or who shall 14go aside to ask 15how thou doest?
Thou hast forsakeni me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am 16weary with repenting.
And I will fanj them with a fan in the 17gates of the land; I 18will bereave them of 19children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their 20ways.
21Their widows are 22increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the 23mother of the 24young men a spoiler at 25noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon 26the city.
27She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the 28ghost; her 29sunk is gone down while it was yet 30day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the 31residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
¶ 32Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast bornel me a man of 33strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither 34lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
The LORD said, 35Verily it shall be well with thy 36remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to 37entreat thee well in the time of 38evil and in the time of affliction.
Shall ironm39break the northern iron and the 40steel?
Thy 41substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoiln42without price, and that for all thy sins, 43even in all thy borders.
And I will make 44thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a 45fireo is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.
¶O LORD, thou 46knowest: 47remember me, and 48visit me, and revengep me of my persecutors; take me not away 49in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
Thy words were 50found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for 51I am called by thy name, O LORD God of 52hosts.
I 53sat not in the assembly of the 54mockers,q nor rejoiced; I sat 55alone because of thy 56hand: for thou hast filled me with 57indignation.
Why is my painr58perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be 59altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that 60fail?s
¶Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou 61return, then will I 62bring thee again, and thou shalt 63stand before me: and if thou take forth 64the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my 65mouth: 66let them return unto thee; but 67return not thou unto them.
And I 68will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall:t 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.
And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.