1 Maar die HERE het vir my gesê: Al staan Moses en Samuel voor my aangesig, my siel wil niks van hierdie volk weet nie; dryf hulle van my aangesig af weg, en laat hulle heengaan.
2 En as hulle jou vra: Waar moet ons heengaan? sê dan vir hulle: So spreek die HERE: Wie vir die pes bestem is, na die pes; en wie vir die swaard, na die swaard; en wie vir die hongersnood, na die hongersnood; en wie vir die gevangenskap, na die gevangenskap.
3 En Ek sal oor hulle vier soorte besoekinge doen, spreek die HERE: die swaard om dood te maak en die honde om weg te sleep en die voëls van die hemel en die wilde diere van die aarde om op te eet en te vernietig.
4 En Ek sal hulle 'n skrikbeeld maak vir al die koninkryke van die aarde vanweë Manasse, die seun van Hisk¡a, die koning van Juda, oor wat hy in Jerusalem gedoen het.
5 Want wie sal jou bejammer, o Jerusalem? Of wie sal met jou medelyde hê? Of wie sal uitdraai om na jou welstand te vra?
6 Jy het My verwerp, spreek die HERE, jy het l agteruitgegaan; daarom strek Ek my hand teen jou uit en verwoes jou; Ek is moeg om berou te hê.
7 En Ek wan hulle uit met 'n gaffel by die ingange van die land. Ek maak my volk kinderloos, maak hulle tot niet; hulle kom van hulle weë nie terug nie.
8 Hulle weduwees het vir My meer geword as die sand van die see; Ek bring vir hulle oor die moeder van die jong manskappe 'n verwoester op die middag; Ek laat skielik op haar val angs en verskrikkinge.
9 Sy wat sewe gebaar het, het weggekwyn; sy het magteloos neergesink; haar son het ondergegaan terwyl dit nog dag was; sy staan beskaamd en het rooi van skaamte geword. En hulle oorblyfsel gee Ek aan die swaard oor, voor hulle vyande, spreek die HERE.
10 Wee my, my moeder, dat u my gebaar het -- 'n man van twis en 'n man van stryd vir die hele land! Ek het nie uitgeleen nie, en hulle het nie aan my geleen nie; almal vloek my.
11 Die HERE het gesê: Waarlik, Ek bevry jou ten goede; waarlik, Ek maak dat die vyand jou ootmoedig smeek in tyd van onheil en in tyd van benoudheid.
12 Kan 'n mens yster breek, yster uit die noorde, en koper?
13 Jou rykdom en jou skatte sal Ek as buit gee, sonder betaling; en dit weens al jou sondes en in jou hele grondgebied.
14 En Ek sal jou jou vyande laat dien in 'n land wat jy nie ken nie; want 'n vuur is aangesteek in my toorn, oor julle sal dit brand.
15 o HERE, U weet dit; dink aan my en besoek my, en wreek my op my vervolgers. Neem my in u lankmoedigheid nie weg nie. Weet dat ek smaad dra om U ontwil.
16 Toe u woorde gevind is, het ek hulle opgeëet, en u woord was vir my vreugde en vrolikheid vir my hart; want u Naam is oor my uitgeroep, HERE, God van die leërskare!
17 Ek het nie gesit in 'n vergadering van spotters of was nie uitgelate nie; vanweë u hand het ek alleen gesit, want U het my met grimmigheid vervul.
18 Waarom is my smart ewigdurend en my wond ongeneeslik? Dit weier om gesond te word. Sou U vir my waarlik wees soos 'n bedrieglike stroom, waters wat nie standhoudend is nie?
19 Daarom, so sê die HERE: As jy terugkeer, sal Ek jou laat terugkeer, sal jy voor my aangesig staan; en as jy voortbring wat edel is, en niks onedels nie, sal jy soos my mond wees. Laat hulle na jou terugkeer, maar jy moet nie na hulle terugkeer nie.
20 En Ek sal jou 'n onneembare kopermuur vir hierdie volk maak; en hulle sal teen jou veg, maar jou nie oorweldig nie; want Ek is met jou om jou te verlos en om jou te red, spreek die HERE.
21 En Ek sal jou red uit die hand van die goddelose mense en jou verlos uit die vuis van die tiranne.
1 Then the Lord said to me, Even if Moses and Samuel came before me, I would have no desire for this people: send them away from before me, and let them go.
2 And it will be, when they say to you, Where are we to go? then you are to say to them, The Lord has said, Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are to be in need of food, to need of food; and such as are to be taken away prisoners, to be taken away.
3 And I will put over them four divisions, says the Lord: the sword causing death, dogs pulling the dead bodies about, and the birds of heaven, and the beasts of the earth to take their bodies for food and put an end to them.
4 And I will make them a cause of fear to all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and what he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? and who will have sorrow for you? or who will go out of his way to see how you are?
6 You have given me up, says the Lord, you have gone back: so my hand is stretched out against you for your destruction; I am tired of changing my purpose.
7 And I have sent a cleaning wind on them in the public places of the land; I have taken their children from them; I have given my people to destruction; they have not been turned from their ways.
8 I have let their widows be increased in number more than the sand of the seas: I have sent against them, against the mother and the young men, one who makes waste in the heat of the day, causing pain and fears to come on her suddenly.
9 The mother of seven is without strength; her spirit is gone from her, her sun has gone down while it is still day: she has been shamed and overcome: and the rest of them I will give up to the sword before their haters, says the Lord.
10 Sorrow is mine, my mother, because you have given birth to me, a cause of fighting and argument in all the earth! I have not made men my creditors and I am not in debt to any, but every one of them is cursing me.
11 ...
12 Is it possible for iron to be broken; even iron from the north, and brass?
13 I will give your wealth and your stores to your attackers, without a price, because of all your sins, even in every part of your land.
14 They will go away with your haters into a land which is strange to you: for my wrath is on fire with a flame which will be burning on you.
15 O Lord, you have knowledge: keep me in mind and come to my help, and give their right reward to those who are attacking me; take me not away, for you are slow to be angry: see how I have undergone shame because of you from all those who make little of your word;
16 But to me your word is a joy, making my heart glad; for I am named by your name, O Lord God of armies.
17 I did not take my seat among the band of those who are glad, and I had no joy; I kept by myself because of your hand; for you have made me full of wrath.
18 Why is my pain unending and my wound without hope of being made well? Sorrow is mine, for you are to me as a stream offering false hope and as waters which are not certain.
19 For this cause the Lord has said, If you will come back, then I will again let you take your place before me; and if you give out what is of value and not that which has no value, you will be as my mouth: let them come back to you, but do not go back to them.
20 And I will make you a strong wall of brass to this people; they will be fighting against you, but they will not overcome you: for I am with you to keep you safe, says the Lord.
21 I will keep you safe from the hands of the evil-doers, and I will give you salvation from the hands of the cruel ones.