Online Bible

Then Yahweh said to me, “Even ^athough ^bMoses and ^cSamuel were to ^dstand before Me, My soul would not be ¹with this people; ^esend them away from My presence and let them go! 2 And it will be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says Yahweh:“Those destined ^afor death, to death;And those destined for the sword, to the sword;And those destined for famine, to famine;And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’ 3 I will ^aappoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares Yahweh: “the sword to kill, the ^bdogs to drag off, and the ^cbirds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and bring to ruin. 4 I will ^agive them over to be an example of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of ^bManasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5 “Indeed, who will ^aspare you, O Jerusalem,Or who will ^bconsole you,Or who will turn aside to ask about your well-being?6 “You who have ^aabandoned Me,” declares Yahweh,“You keep ^bgoing backward.So I will ^cstretch out My hand against you and bring you to ruin;I am ^dtired of ¹relenting!7 “And I will ^awinnow them with a winnowing forkAt the gates of the land;I will ^bbereave them of children; I will make My people perish;^cThey did not ¹repent of their ways.8 “Their ^awidows will be more numerous before MeThan the sand of the seas;I will bring against them, against the mother of a choice man,A ^bdestroyer at noonday;I will suddenly bring down on herAnguish and terror.9 “She who ^abore seven sons languishes;¹Her breathing is labored.Her ^bsun has set while it was yet day;She has been ^cshamed and humiliated.So I will ^dgive over their survivors to the swordBefore their enemies,” declares Yahweh.

10 ^aWoe to me, my mother, that you have borne meAs a ^bman of strife and a man of contention to all the land!I have not ^clent, nor have men lent money to me,Yet everyone curses me.11 Yahweh said, “Surely I will ^aset you free for purposes of good;Surely I will cause the ^benemy to intercede with youIn a time of disaster and a time of distress.

12 “Can anyone smash iron,^aIron from the north, or bronze?13 “Your ^awealth and your treasuresI will give for plunder ^bwithout cost,Even for all your sinsAnd within all your borders.14 “Then I will cause your enemies to pass ¹it overInto a ^aland you do not know,For a ^bfire has been kindled in My anger;It will burn upon you.”

15 ^aYou who know, O Yahweh,Remember me, take notice of me,And ^btake vengeance for me on my persecutors.Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;Know that ^cfor Your sake I endure reproach.16 Your words were found, and I ^aate them,And Your ^bwords became for me joy and gladness in my heart,For I have been ^ccalled by Your name,O Yahweh God of hosts.17 I ^adid not sit in the circle of merrymakers,Nor did I exult.Because of Your hand upon me I sat ^balone,For You ^cfilled me with indignation.18 Why has my pain been perpetualAnd my ^awound incurable, refusing to be healed?Will You indeed be to me ^blike a deceptive streamWith water that is unreliable?

19 Therefore thus says Yahweh,“^aIf you return, then I will cause you to return—^bBefore Me you will stand;And ^cif you extract the precious from the worthless,You will become ¹My mouthpiece.They for their part may turn to you,But as for you, you must not turn to them.

20 “Then I will ^amake you to this peopleA fortified wall of bronze;And they will fight against you,But they will not prevail against you,For ^bI am with you to save youAnd deliver you,” declares Yahweh.21 “So I will ^adeliver you from the hand of the evil ones,And I will ^bredeem you from the ¹grasp of the ruthless ones.”