1 The utter rejection, and manifold judgements of the Jews. 10 Jeremiah complaining of their spight, receives a promise for himself, 12 and a threatening for them. 15 He prays, 19 and receives a gracious promise.

¹ Then said the LORD to 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.

² And it shall come to pass, if they say to you, Where shall we go forth? then you shall tell them, Thus says 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.

³ And I will appoint over them four kinds, says 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.

⁴ And 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.

⁵ For who shall have pity on you, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan you? or who shall go aside to ask how you do?

⁶ You have forsaken me, says the LORD, you are gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against you, and destroy you; I am weary with repenting.

⁷ And 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.

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

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

¹⁰ Woe is me, my mother, that you have 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 does curse me.

¹¹ The LORD said, Truly it shall be well with your remnant; truly I will cause the enemy to entreat you well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

¹² Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

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

¹⁴ And I will make you to pass with your enemies into a land which you know not: for a fire is kindled in my anger, which shall burn on you. ¶

¹⁵ O LORD, you know: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in your long-suffering: know that for your sake I have suffered rebuke.

¹⁶ Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts.

¹⁷ I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of your hand: for you have filled me with indignation.

¹⁸ Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail? ¶

¹⁹ Therefore thus says the LORD, If you return, then will I bring you again, and you shall stand before me: and if you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: let them return to you; but return not you to them.

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

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