Then the LORD said
to me, "Even athough
bMoses
and cSamuel
were to dstand
before
Me, My 1heart
would not be 2with this
people
; esend
them away
from My presence
and let them go
!
"And it shall be that when they say
to you, `Where
should we go
?' then you are to tell
them, `Thus
says
the LORD
: "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
."'
"I will aappoint over
them four
kinds
of doom," declares
the LORD
: "the sword
to slay
, the bdogs
to drag
off, and the cbirds
of the sky
and the beasts
of the earth
to devour
and destroy
.
"I will amake them an object
of horror
among all
the kingdoms
of the earth
because
of bManasseh
, the son
of Hezekiah
, the king
of Judah
, for what
he did
in Jerusalem
.
"Indeed, who
will have
apity
on you, O Jerusalem
, Or who
will bmourn
for you, Or who
will turn
aside
to ask
about your welfare
?
"You who have aforsaken Me," declares
the LORD
, "You keep bgoing
backward
. So I will cstretch
out My hand
against
you and destroy
you; I am dtired
of relenting
!
"I will awinnow them with a winnowing
fork
At the gates
of the land
; I will bbereave
them of children
, I will destroy
My people
; cThey did not 1repent
of their ways
.
"Their awidows will be more
numerous
before Me Than
the sand
of the seas
; I will bring
against them, against
the mother
of a young
man
, A bdestroyer
at noonday
; I will suddenly
bring
down
on her Anguish
and dismay
.
"She who abore seven
sons pines
away
; 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 sword
Before
their enemies
," declares
the LORD
.
aWoe to me, my mother
, that you have borne
me As 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.
The LORD said
, "Surely
I will aset
you free
for purposes of good
; Surely
I will cause the benemy
to make
supplication
to you In a time
of disaster
and a time
of distress
.
"Can anyone smash iron
, aIron
from the north
, or bronze
?
"Your awealth and your treasures
I will give
for booty
bwithout
cost
, Even for all
your sins
And within all
your borders
.
"Then I will cause your enemies to bring
1it Into a aland
you do not know
; For a bfire
has been
kindled
in My anger
, It will burn
upon you."
aYou who know, O LORD
, 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
.
Your words were found
and I aate
them, And Your bwords
became
for me a joy
and the delight
of my heart
; For I have been ccalled
by Your name
, O LORD
God
of hosts
.
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
.
Why has my pain
been
perpetual
And my awound
incurable
, refusing
to be healed
? Will You indeed
be to me blike
a deceptive
stream With water
that is unreliable
?
Therefore, thus
says
the LORD
, " aIf
you return
, then I will restore
you-- bBefore
Me you will stand
; And cif
you extract
the precious
from the worthless
, You will become
1My spokesman
. They for their part
may turn
to you, But as for you, you must not turn
to them.
"Then I will amake you to this
people
A fortified
wall
of bronze
; And though they fight
against
you, They will not prevail
over you; For bI am with you to save
you And deliver
you," declares
the LORD
.
"So I will adeliver you from the hand
of the wicked
, And I will bredeem
you from the 1grasp
of the violent
."