Jeremiah 15

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: "Moses and Samuel were leaders who once prayed for the people. Even if they stood here and asked me, my heart would not turn 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.

2"They will ask you, 'Where should we go?' Tell them the LORD says this: Those meant for death will die. Those meant for the sword will die in war. Those meant for hunger will go hungry. Those meant to be taken away 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.

3"I will send four kinds of trouble against them, says the LORD. The sword to kill them. The dogs to drag their bodies away. The birds of the sky and the wild animals to eat and destroy."

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.

4"People in every kingdom on earth will be shocked when they look at them. This is because of Manasseh, king of Judah and son of Hezekiah, and what he did in Jerusalem."

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

5"Jerusalem, who will feel sorry for you? 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.

6"You 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."

Note"I am weary with repenting" does not mean God is sorry for wrongdoing. In older English, "repent" here means to change your mind. God is saying he is tired of holding back the punishment.

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.

7"I will toss them in the wind at the gates of the land. I will take away their children. I will destroy my own people, because they will not stop doing wrong."

Note"I will fan them with a fan" is about a farming tool. Farmers threw grain into the air with a fork so the wind blew the useless bits away.

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.

8"There will be more widows than there is sand at the sea. At noon I will send someone to attack the mothers of young men. I will bring it on them all at once, and the city will be full of fear."

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.

9"A mother with seven children will grow weak. She will take her last breath. Her sun will go down while it is still daytime. She will be shamed. And the rest of the people 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 gave birth to me! Everyone in the land argues and fights with me. I have not lent money for extra pay, and I have not borrowed money. Still every one of them says bad things about 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 keep you safe for good. When bad times come, and when you are hurting, I will make your enemy treat you well."

12Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

12"Can plain iron break iron from the north? Can it break 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.

13"I will hand over your money and your treasures. Enemies will take them, and no one will pay you back. This is for all the wrong you have done, everywhere inside your land."

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.

14"I will send you away with your enemies to a land you do not know. My anger has started 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.

15LORD, you know all about it. Remember me. Come and help me. Pay back the people who chase me and hurt me. You are patient with them, but do not let me die while you wait. Remember that people insult me 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 happy and glad. I belong to you and carry your name, LORD God of Heaven's Armies.

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 did not sit with the crowd that laughs and makes fun. I did not join their fun. I sat by myself, because your hand was on me. You filled me with anger at what is wrong.

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 hurt never get better? Are you going to fail me, like a stream that dries up when I need water?

Note"Waters that fail" means a stream that dries up. In a dry land, you might walk a long way to a brook and find no water there at all.

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 said this: "If you come back to me, I will take you back. Then you will stand and serve me. If you say what is worth saying, and not what is worthless, you will speak for me. Let the people come 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.

20"I will make you like a strong bronze wall in front of these people. They will fight against you, but they will not beat you. I am with you to keep you safe, says the LORD."

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

21"I will save you from bad people. I will set you free from the grip of cruel people."