Jeremiah 15 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Late seventh century BC, under Jehoiakim, roughly two generations after King Manasseh's long reign
Location
Jerusalem and Judah
Audience
The people of Judah, with a long passage addressed to Jeremiah himself
Situation
God says that even Moses and Samuel could not change the verdict, and describes four kinds of destruction assigned to the nation. Jeremiah then breaks down, cursing the day he was born and accusing God of being an unreliable stream, and God answers with a condition and a promise.
Key Background
Moses and Samuel were remembered above all as intercessors who had talked God out of destroying the nation before, so naming them is a way of saying that the strongest advocates available would now fail. Manasseh, cited as the reason for the sentence, ruled for over half a century and was remembered for shrines to foreign gods, child sacrifice, and shedding innocent blood, and the historical books treat his reign as the point of no return. Jeremiah's complaint uses the image of a wadi, a stream that runs hard in winter and vanishes in summer, and calling God such a stream is an accusation of desertion, the sharpest thing the prophet says anywhere.
Then Yahweh said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel me, my would not toward this people. Send them away from my presence. Let them go."
And when they ask you, 'Where should we go?' — tell them: This is what Yahweh says: Those marked for death — to death. Those marked for the sword — to the sword. Those marked for famine — to famine. Those marked for — to
"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them" — this is Yahweh's — "the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth to devour and destroy."
"I will make them a to every kingdom on earth — because of what son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem."
Who will for you, Jerusalem? Who will grieve for you? Who will even stop to ask how you are?
"You me" — this is Yahweh's declaration — "you kept walking away. So I stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I am of
"I them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I bereaved them. I destroyed my people. They did not from their ways."
"Their widows became more numerous to me than the sand of the seas. I brought against them — against the mother of young men — a at noon. I dropped anguish and terrors on her without warning."
"The of withered away. She breathed last breath. Her down it was — she was left shamed and humiliated. And those who remain, I will hand over to the sword before their enemies" — this is Yahweh's declaration.
How for me, my mother, that you gave birth to me — a man the whole land fights against, the whole land argues with. I haven't lent money to anyone, and no one has lent to me, but every one of them curses me.
Yahweh said: "Surely I will you for a good purpose. Surely I will make your enemies plead with you in their time of disaster and distress."
Can anyone shatter — iron from the — or bronze?
"Your wealth and your treasures I will hand over as plunder — no payment required — because of all your throughout your territory."
"I will make you serve your enemies in a land you do not know, because a has been by my — it will burn against you."
You Yahweh. Remember me. Come to me. Take revenge for me on those who pursue me. In your patience with them, don't let me be taken. Know that I of you.
words were found, and I them. Your words became my joy and my delight, because I name, Yahweh, of
I never sat in the of those who celebrate, never joined in their laughter. Because was on me, I sat alone, because you filled me with
Why is my pain unending? Why is my wound beyond healing, refusing to get better? Will you really be to me like a — water that can't be counted on?
So this is what Yahweh said: "If you to me, I will take you — you will stand before me again. If you pull out what is from what is worthless, you will be my own mouth. Let them to you — but you must not go to them."
"I will make you a to this people — a of fortified. They will fight against you but they will not overpower you, because I am with you to you and you out" — this is Yahweh's declaration.
"I will you out of the grip of the ruthless. I will you from the fist of the