Jeremiah 15

1 And the Lord said to me:

“Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul would not be with them. Send this people away, and let them go out.”

2 “And if they say to you, ‘Where will we go out?’, tell them: This is what the Lord says: Those marked for death, to death; and those for the sword, to the sword; and those for famine, to famine; and those for captivity, to captivity.”

3 “And I will take vengeance on them with four kinds, says the Lord: the sword to slaughter, the dogs to tear, and the wild animals of the earth and the birds of the sky to devour and destroy.”

4 “And I will hand them over to hardship among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for everything he did in Jerusalem.”

5 “Who will spare you, Jerusalem? Who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your peace?”

6 “You turned away from me, says the Lord; you keep walking backward. So I will stretch out my hand and destroy you; I will not let them off any longer.”

7 “And I will scatter them in a scattering. In the gates of my people they were left childless; they destroyed my people by their own wickedness.”

8 “Their widows multiplied beyond the sand of the sea. On the mother of a young man I brought misery at noon; I threw trembling and panic on her suddenly.”

9 “The mother of seven was emptied out; her soul gave up. Her sun went down while it was still midday; she was shamed and disgraced. And those of them who remain I will give to the sword before their enemies.”

10 “Woe is me, mother — what kind of man did you bear? A man of lawsuits and quarrels with the whole land. I have helped no one, and no one has helped me, yet my strength has failed among those who curse me.”

11 “So be it, Master, while they prosper. Surely I stood before you in the time of their troubles and in the time of their affliction, for their good, against the enemy.”

12 “Will iron be known? Your strength is a covering of bronze.”

13 “And I will give away your treasures as plunder, the price for all your sins, in all your territory.”

14 “And I will enslave you to your enemies all around, in a land you have not known, for a fire has been kindled from my anger; it will burn against you.”

15 “Lord, remember me and come to me; clear me before my pursuers. Do not be slow about it. Know how I have carried disgrace for your sake, from those who set aside your words.”

16 “Finish them off — and your word will be to me the joy and gladness of my heart, for your name has been called over me, Lord Almighty.”

17 “I did not sit in their circle while they laughed; I stood in awe before your hand. I sat alone, because I was filled with bitterness.”

18 “Why do those who grieve me get the better of me? My wound is deep — where will healing come from? It has become to me like lying water, water not to be trusted.”

19 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: If you return, I will restore you, and you will stand before my face; and if you bring out what is precious from what is worthless, you will be as my own mouth. They will turn back to you, but you will not turn back to them.”

20 “And I will make you a strong bronze wall to this people. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, because I am with you to rescue you”

21 “and to pull you out of the hand of the wicked; and I will ransom you from the hand of the ruthless.”