1 Then Yahweh said to me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not turn toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out! 2 It will happen when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go out?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Yahweh says:
"Such as are for death, to death;
such as are for the sword, to the sword;
such as are for the famine, to the famine;
and such as are for captivity, to captivity."’
3 "I will appoint over them four kinds," says Yahweh: "the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, the birds of the sky, and the animals of the earth, to devour and to destroy. 4 I will cause them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?
Who will mourn you?
Who will come to ask of your welfare?
6 You have rejected me," says Yahweh.
"You have gone backward.
Therefore I have stretched out my hand against you
and destroyed you.
I am weary of showing compassion.
7 I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land.
I have bereaved them of children.
I have destroyed my people.
They didn’t return from their ways.
8 Their widows are increased more than the sand of the seas.
I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday.
I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly.
9 She who has borne seven languishes.
She has given up the spirit.
Her sun has gone down while it was yet day.
She has been disappointed and confounded.
I will deliver their residue to the sword before their enemies," says Yahweh.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife,
and a man of contention to the whole earth!
I have not lent, neither have men lent to me;
yet every one of them curses me.
11 Yahweh said,
"Most certainly I will strengthen you for good.
Most certainly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the time of evil
and in the time of affliction.
12 Can one break iron,
even iron from the north, and bronze?
13 I will give your substance and your treasures for a plunder without price,
and that for all your sins,
even in all your borders.
14 I will make them to pass with your enemies into a land which you don’t know;
for a fire is kindled in my anger,
which will burn on you."
15 Yahweh, you know.
Remember me, visit me,
and avenge me of my persecutors.
You are patient, so don’t take me away.
Know that for your sake I have suffered reproach.
16 Your words were found,
and I ate them.
Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart,
for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.
17 I didn’t sit in the assembly of those who make merry and rejoice.
I sat alone because of your hand,
for you have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual,
and my wound incurable,
which refuses to be healed?
Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
19 Therefore Yahweh says,
"If you return, then I will bring you again,
that you may stand before me;
and if you take out the precious from the vile,
you will be as my mouth.
They will return to you,
but you will not return to them.
20 I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall.
They will fight against you,
but they will not prevail against you;
for I am with you to save you
and to deliver you," says Yahweh.
21 "I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible."
1 Then the LORD said unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my will [would] not [be] toward this people: cast [them] out of my sight, and let them go forth.
2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Where shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus hath the LORD said: Such as [are] for 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.
3 And I will visit over them four kinds [of evil], saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
4 And I will give them over to be sifted by all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for [that] which he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who is to come to ask regarding thy peace?
6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD; thou art gone backward: therefore, I stretched out my hand over thee and cast thee away; I am tired of repenting.
7 And I fanned them with a fan unto the gates of the land; I bereaved [them] of children, I wasted my people; they did not turn from their ways.
8 Their widows are multiplied unto me more than the sand of the sea: I have brought upon them a destroyer at noonday against the young; I have caused [him] to fall upon her suddenly, and terrors upon the city.
9 She that has borne seven languishes; her soul is filled with sorrow; her sun is gone down while [it was] yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them curses me.
11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee [well] in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Shall iron break the iron from the place of the north [wind] and the bronze?
13 Thy riches and thy treasures I will give to the spoil without price, and [that] for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 And I will make [thee] to serve thine enemies in a land [which] thou dost not know; for a fire is kindled in my anger, [which] shall burn upon you.
15 O LORD, thou knowest: remember me and visit me and revenge me of my enemies; do not take me away in the prolongation of thy anger, know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Thy words were found, and I ate them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for thy name was called upon me, O LORD God of the hosts.
17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, nor did I become puffed up by reason of thy prophecy; I sat alone because thou hast filled me with indignation.
18 Why was my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, [which] refuses to be healed? Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar [and as] waters [that] fail?
19 Therefore thus hath the LORD said, If thou wilt return, then I will bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me; and if thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth; let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them.
20 And I will give thee unto this people as a fenced brazen wall, and they shall fight against thee but they shall not prevail against thee: for I [am] with thee to keep thee and to defend thee, said the LORD.
21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will ransom thee out of the hand of the strong.: