Yahweh Appoints Four Kinds of Doom
Then Yahweh said to me, “Even athough bMoses and cSamuel were to dstand before Me, My soul would not be with this people; esend them away from My presence and let them go! 2 And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says Yahweh:
“Those destined afor death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’
3 I will aappoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares Yahweh: “the sword to kill, the bdogs to drag off, and the cbirds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and bring to ruin. 4 I will agive them over to be an example of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of bManasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.
5 “Indeed, who will aspare you, O Jerusalem,
Or who will bconsole you,
Or who will turn aside to ask about your well‑being?
6 You who have aabandoned Me,” declares Yahweh,
“You keep bgoing backward.
So I will cstretch out My hand against you and bring you to ruin;
I am dtired of relenting!
7 And I will awinnow them with a winnowing fork
At the gates of the land;
I will bbereave them of children; I will make My people perish;
cThey did not repent of their ways.
8 Their awidows will be more numerous before Me
Than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them, against the mother of a choice man,
A bdestroyer at noonday;
I will suddenly bring down on her
Anguish and terror.
9 She who abore seven sons languishes;
Her breathing is labored.
Her bsun has set while it was yet day;
She has been cshamed and humiliated.
So I will dgive over their survivors to the sword
Before their enemies,” declares Yahweh.
Jeremiah Pleads for Vengeance
10 aWoe to me, my mother, that you have borne me
As a bman of strife and a man of contention to all the land!
I have not clent, nor have men lent money to me,
Yet everyone curses me.
11 Yahweh said, “Surely I will aset you free for purposes of good;
Surely I will cause the benemy to intercede with you
In a time of disaster and a time of distress.
12 “Can anyone smash iron,
aIron from the north, or bronze?
13 Your awealth and your treasures
I will give for plunder bwithout cost,
Even for all your sins
And within all your borders.
14 Then I will cause your enemies to pass it over
Into a aland you do not know,
For a bfire has been kindled in My anger;
It will burn upon you.”
15 aYou who know, O Yahweh,
Remember me, take notice of me,
And btake vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
Know that cfor Your sake I endure reproach.
16 Your words were found, and I aate them,
And Your bwords became for me joy and gladness in my heart,
For I have been ccalled by Your name,
O Yahweh God of hosts.
17 I adid not sit in the circle of merrymakers,
Nor did I exult.
Because of Your hand upon me I sat balone,
For You cfilled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain been perpetual
And my awound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me blike a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?
Yahweh’s Answer
19 Therefore thus says Yahweh,
“aIf you return, then I will cause you to return—
bBefore Me you will stand;
And cif you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My mouthpiece.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
20 Then I will amake you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And they will fight against you,
But they will not prevail against you,
For bI am with you to save you
And deliver you,” declares Yahweh.
21 “So I will adeliver you from the hand of the evil ones,
And I will bredeem you from the grasp of the ruthless ones.”