Then the LORD said to me, “aEven though bMoses and cSamuel were to dstand before Me interceding for them, My heart would still not be turned with favor toward this people Judah. eSend them away from My presence and out of My sight and let them go!Ps 99:6; Ezek 14:14, 20Ex 32:11-14; Num 14:13-20; Ps 99:6; 106:231 Sam 7:9; 12:23Jer 15:19; 18:20; 35:192 Kin 17:20; Jer 7:15; 10:18; 52:3 2 And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD:“Those destined afor death, to death;Those for the sword, to the sword;Those for famine, to famine;Those for captivity, to captivity.”’Jer 14:12; 24:10; 43:11; Ezek 5:2, 12; Zech 11:9; Rev 13:10 3 I will aappoint four kinds of destroyers over them,” says the LORD, “the sword to slay, the bdogs to tear and drag away, and the cbirds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy.Lev 26:16, 22, 25; Ezek 14:211 Kin 21:23, 24Deut 28:26; Is 18:6; Jer 7:33 4 I will amake them an object of horror to all nations of the earth because of bManasseh the despicable son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for the evil and detestable things which he did in Jerusalem. 2+@Kin 21:1-18Lev 26:33; Jer 24:9; 29:18; Ezek 23:462 Kin 21:1-18; 23:26, 27; 24:3, 4; 2 Chr 33:1-9
Judgment Must Come
5 “For who will have apity on you, O Jerusalem,Or who will bmourn for you,Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?Ps 69:20; Is 51:19; Jer 13:14; 21:7Nah 3:76 “You have aabandoned Me,” says the LORD.“You keep bgoing backward.Therefore I shall cstretch out My hand against you and destroy you;I am dtired of delaying your punishment!Jer 6:19; 8:9Is 1:4; Jer 7:24Jer 6:12; Zeph 1:4Jer 6:11; 7:167 “I will awinnow them with a winnowing forkAt the gates of the land;I will bdeprive them of children, I will destroy My people;cThey did not repent and turn from their evil ways.Ps 1:4; Jer 51:2Jer 18:21; Hos 9:12-16Is 9:138 “I will make their awidows more numerous before MeThan the sand of the seas;I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men,A 1bdestroyer at noonday;I will suddenly cause anguish and terrorTo fall on her.A midday attack would be completely unexpected.Is 3:25, 26; 4:1Jer 22:79 “She who has aborne seven sons languishes;She has breathed out her soul.Her bsun has set while it was still day;She has been cshamed and humiliated.So I will dhand over the rest of the survivors to the swordBefore their enemies,” says the LORD.1 Sam 2:5; Is 47:9Jer 6:4; Amos 8:9Jer 50:12Jer 21:7
10 aWoe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to meTo be a bman of strife and a man of contention to all the earth!I have not cloaned, nor have men lent money to me,Yet everyone curses me. Jer 1:18, 19Job 3:1, 3; Jer 20:14Jer 1:18, 19; 15:20; 20:7, 8Ex 22:25; Lev 25:36, 37; Deut 23:1911 The LORD said, “Surely it will go well for Judah’s obedient remnant for I will aset you free for good purposes;Surely Jeremiah I will intercede for you with the benemy and I will cause the enemy to plead with you for helpIn a time of disaster and a time of distress. Jer 21:1, 2; 37:3; 42:2; Rom 8:28Ps 138:3; Is 41:10Jer 21:2; 37:3; 38:14; 42:2
12 “Can anyone crush iron,The airon from the north, or bronze?Jer 28:1413 “Your nation’s ariches and your treasuresI will give as plunder bwithout price to the Babylonians,Because of all your sinsAnd within all your territories.Jer 17:3; 20:5Ps 44:12; Is 52:314 “Then I will make your enemies bring you along with your possessionsInto a aland which you do not know for there you will serve your conquerors;For a bfire has been kindled in My anger,Which will burn upon you.”Deut 28:36, 64; Jer 16:13Deut 32:22; Ps 21:9; Jer 17:4
Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer
15 O LORD, aYou know and understand;Remember me thoughtfully, take notice of me,btake vengeance for me on my persecutors.Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;Know that cfor Your sake I endure continual rebuke and dishonor.Jer 12:3Jer 11:20Ps 44:22; 69:7-9; Jer 20:816 Your words were found and I aate them,And Your bwords became a joy to me and the delight of my heart;For I have been ccalled by Your name,O LORD God of hosts.Ezek 3:3Job 23:12; Ps 119:103Jer 14:917 I adid not sit with the group of those who celebrate,Nor did I rejoice;I sat balone because Your powerful hand was upon me,For You had cfilled me with indignation at their sin.Ps 1:1; Jer 16:8; 2 Cor 6:17Ps 102:7; Jer 13:17; Lam 3:28; Ezek 3:24, 25Jer 6:1118 Why has my pain been perpetualAnd my awound incurable, refusing to be healed?Will you indeed be to me blike a deceptive brookWith water that is unreliable?Job 34:6; Jer 30:12, 15; Mic 1:9Job 6:15, 20; Jer 14:3
19 Therefore, thus says the LORD to Jeremiah,“aIf you repent and give up this mistaken attitude of despair and self-pity, then I will restore you to a state of inner peaceSo that you may stand bbefore Me as My obedient representative;And cif you separate the precious from the worthless examining yourself and cleansing your heart from unwarranted doubt concerning My faithfulness,You will become My spokesman.Let the people turn to you and learn to value My values—But you, you must not turn to them with regard for their idolatry and wickedness.Jer 4:1; Zech 3:71 Kin 17:1; Jer 15:1; 35:19Jer 6:29; Ezek 22:26; 44:2320 “And I will amake you to this peopleA fortified wall of bronze;They will fight against you,But they will not prevail over you,For bI am with you always to save youAnd 1protect you,” says the LORD.Lit deliver.Jer 1:18, 19; Ezek 3:9Ps 46:7; Is 41:10; Jer 1:8, 19; 15:15; 20:1121 “So I will arescue you out of the hand of the wicked,And I will bredeem you from the grasping palm of the terrible and ruthless tyrant.”Ps 37:40; Is 49:25; Jer 20:13; 39:11, 12Gen 48:16; Is 49:26; 60:16; Jer 31:11; 50:34