Four Types of Calamity

¹ Then Yahweh said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood ⌞before me⌟,¹ my heart would not be to this people. Send them away from my ⌞sight⌟,² and let them go out.

1. Literally “to the face of me”
2. Literally “face”

² ⌞And then⌟¹ if they say to you, ‘Where shall we go?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Those who are destined for the plague, to the plague, and those who are destined for the sword, to the sword, and those who are destined for the famine, to the famine, and those who are destined for the captivity, to the captivity.” ’

1. Literally “And it will happen”

³ “And I will summon¹ over them four types of calamity,” ⌞declares⌟² Yahweh, “the sword to kill, and the dogs to drag away, and the birds³ of the air and the wild animals⁴ of the earth to devour and to destroy.

1. Or “appoint”
2. Literally “a declaration of”
3. Hebrew “bird”
4. Hebrew “wild animal”

⁴ And I will make them a terror to all of the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, because of what he did in Jerusalem.

⁵ “For who will have compassion on you, O Jerusalem, or who will show sympathy to you, or who will turn aside ⌞to ask about your welfare⌟?¹

1. Literally “to ask to the welfare of you”

⁶ You have forsaken me,” ⌞declares⌟¹ Yahweh. “You go backward, so I have stretched my hand against you, and I have destroyed you. I am tired of becoming remorseful.

1. Literally “a declaration of”

⁷ And I have winnowed them with a winnowing fork in the gates of the land. I am bereaved. I have destroyed my people. They did not turn back from their ways.

⁸ Their widows¹ will be more numerous before me than the sand of the seas. I have brought to them, against the mothers² of young men,³ a destroyer at noon. I will suddenly drop on her anguish and horror.⁴

1. Hebrew “widow”
2. Hebrew “mother”
3. Hebrew “man”
4. Hebrew “horrors”

Jeremiah’s Lament and Yahweh’s Response

⁹ She who gave birth to seven has withered away. She gasps her breath. Her sun ⌞set⌟¹ while still day. She has been put to shame and disgraced. And the remainder of them I will give to the sword ⌞before⌟² their enemies,” ⌞declares⌟³ Yahweh.

1. Literally “came”
2. Literally “to the face of”
3. Literally “a declaration of”

¹⁰ Woe to me, O my mother, that you gave birth to me, a man of contention and quarreling ⌞to the whole land⌟.¹ I have not lent out and ⌞I have not borrowed⌟.² All of them are cursing me.

1. Literally “to all of the land”
2. Literally “not they have lent out for me”

¹¹ Yahweh said, “⌞Surely⌟¹ I will set you free ⌞to be good⌟² for you, ⌞surely⌟³ I will cause the enemy to intercede with you in a time of trouble, and in a time of distress.

1. Literally “If not”
2. Literally “for good”
3. Literally “if not”

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

¹³ I will give your wealth and your treasures as plunder without price, even because of all your sins, and throughout all your territories.

¹⁴ And I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for a fire will kindle in my anger. Upon you it will be kindled.”

¹⁵ You who know, O Yahweh, remember me, and attend to me, and take revenge for me against my persecutors ⌞in your forbearance⌟.¹ You must take me away. Know that I am carrying disgrace because of you.

1. Literally “in the length of your nose”

¹⁶ Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became to me as jubilation, even as the joy of my heart, for your name is called on me, O Yahweh God of hosts.

¹⁷ I sat not in the assembly of jokers, nor did I exult. Because of the ⌞presence⌟¹ of your hand I sat alone, for you filled me with indignation.

1. Literally “face”

¹⁸ Why is my pain endless, and my wound incurable? It refuses to become healed. Truly you are to me like a deceitful brook, waters that are not trustworthy.

¹⁹ Therefore thus says Yahweh, “If you turn back, then I will take you back. You will stand ⌞before me⌟.¹ And if you utter what is precious and not what is worthless, you will be as my mouth. They will turn back to you, and you will not turn back to them.

1. Literally “to the face of me”

²⁰ And I will make you to this people a wall of fortified bronze, and they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you, to save you, and to deliver you,” ⌞declares⌟¹ Yahweh.

1. Literally “a declaration of”

²¹ “And I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the hand of the tyrant.”