Jeremiah

Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.

1Then the LORD said to me, "Even if Moses and Samuel stood here and begged me, my heart would not turn back to these people. Send them away from me. Let them go.

2And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; 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.

2If they ask you, 'Where are we supposed to go?' tell them the LORD says this: Those meant for death will die. Those meant for the sword will fall in war. Those meant for hunger will starve. Those meant for capture will be taken away.

3And I will appoint over them four kinds, 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.

3I will send four kinds of destroyers against them, says the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag the bodies away, and the birds and wild animals to eat what is left.

4And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

4I will make them a horror to every kingdom on earth. This is because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.

NoteManasseh was a king of Judah who ruled long before Jeremiah's time. His story is told in 2 Kings 21.

5For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

5Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will cry for you? Who will even stop to ask how you are doing?

6Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

6You walked away from me, says the LORD. You turned your back on me. So I will reach out my hand and destroy you. I am tired of holding back.

7And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.

7I will toss them into the air like grain at the gates of the land. I will take away their children. I will destroy my own people, because they will not change their ways.

NoteFarmers tossed grain into the air with a wide fork so the wind blew away the useless husks. The picture is of people being scattered the same way.

8Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

8I will make their widows more than the grains of sand by the sea. At noon I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. Suddenly I will bring them pain and terror.

9She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

9The mother who had seven children grows weak and takes her last breath. Her sun goes down while it is still day. She is shamed and left with nothing. The rest of them I will hand over to their enemies' swords, says the LORD.

10Woe 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 doth curse me.

10How sad I am, my mother, that you ever gave birth to me. Everyone in the land fights with me and argues with me. I have not lent money or borrowed any, yet every one of them curses me.

11The 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.

11The LORD said, "I will surely rescue you for a good purpose. I will surely make your enemy beg you for help when trouble and hard times come.

12Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

12Can anyone break iron, the hard iron from the north, or bronze?

13Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

13I will hand over your wealth and your treasures as plunder, and no one will pay for them. This is because of all your sins, everywhere inside your borders.

14And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

14I will make you serve your enemies in a land you have never known. My anger has lit a fire, and it will burn against you."

15O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

15You know all about it, LORD. Remember me and take care of me. Pay back the people who hunt me down. You are patient with them, but do not let me die while you wait. Remember that I am insulted because of you.

16Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

16I found your words, and I took them in like food. Your words made my heart glad and full of joy. For I carry your name, LORD God who commands the armies of heaven.

17I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

17I never sat with the crowd that laughs at everything, and I never joined their fun. I sat alone, because your hand was on me. You filled me with anger at their evil.

18Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

18Why does my pain never stop? Why does my wound refuse to heal? Will you be like a stream I cannot trust, water that dries up when I need it?

19Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

19So the LORD answered, "If you come back to me, I will restore you, and you will serve me again. If you speak what is worthy instead of what is worthless, you will be my mouthpiece. They must come over to you. Do not go over to them.

20And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

20I will make you a strong bronze wall standing against these people. They will fight you, but they will not beat you. I am with you to rescue you and keep you safe, says the LORD.

Note"They shall not prevail against thee" in the KJV means they will not win or overcome him. Elsewhere in the KJV, "prevent" means to go before, not to stop.

21And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

21I will save you from the hand of wicked people. I will buy you back from the grip of cruel men."