See how simple it is to study with trusted help beside every verse. Try Bible Gateway Plus FREE for 7 days.
Log In/Sign Up

#
Jeremiah 15
New King James Version

### The Lord Will Not Relent

15 Then the Lord said to me, (A)“Even if (B)Moses and (C)Samuel stood before Me, My [a]mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth. 2 And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

(D)“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 (E)captivity, to the captivity.” ’

3 “And I will (F)appoint over them four forms of destruction,” says the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, (G)the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 I will hand them over to (H)trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of (I)Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5 “For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem?
Or who will bemoan you?
Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?
6 (J)You have forsaken Me,” says the Lord,
“You have (K)gone backward.
Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
(L)I am [b]weary of relenting!
7 And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land;
I will (M)bereave them of children;
I will destroy My people,
Since they (N)do not return from their ways.
8 Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them,
Against the mother of the young men,
A plunderer at noonday;
I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them (O)suddenly.

9 “She(P) languishes who has borne seven;
She has breathed her last;
(Q)Her sun has gone down
While it was yet day;
She has been ashamed and confounded.
And the remnant of them I will deliver to the sword
Before their enemies,” says the Lord.

### Jeremiah’s Dejection

10 (R)Woe is me, my mother,
That you have borne me,
A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole [c]earth!
I have neither lent for interest,
Nor have men lent to me for interest.
Every one of them curses me.

11 The Lord said:

“Surely it will be well with your remnant;
Surely I will cause (S)the enemy to intercede with you
In the time of adversity and in the time of affliction.
12 Can anyone break iron,
The northern iron and the bronze?
13 Your wealth and your treasures
I will give as (T)plunder without price,
Because of all your sins,
Throughout your territories.
14 And I will [d]make you cross over with your enemies
(U)Into a land which you do not know;
For a (V)fire is kindled in My anger,
Which shall burn upon you.”

15 O Lord, (W)You know;
Remember me and [e]visit me,
And (X)take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In Your enduring patience, do not take me away.
Know that (Y)for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Your words were found, and I (Z)ate them,
And (AA)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 (AB)I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers,
Nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone because of Your hand,
For You have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my (AC)pain perpetual
And my wound incurable,
Which refuses to be healed?
Will You surely be to me (AD)like an unreliable stream,
As waters that [f]fail?

### The Lord Reassures Jeremiah

19 Therefore thus says the Lord:

(AE)“If you return,
Then I will bring you back;
You shall (AF)stand before Me;
If you (AG)take out the precious from the vile,
You shall be as My mouth.
Let them return to you,
But you must not return to them.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze (AH)wall;
And they will fight against you,
But (AI)they shall not prevail against you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,” says the Lord.
21 “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.”

#### Footnotes

1. Jeremiah 15:1 Lit. soul was not toward
2. Jeremiah 15:6 tired
3. Jeremiah 15:10 Or land
4. Jeremiah 15:14 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr., Tg. cause you to serve (cf. 17:4)
5. Jeremiah 15:15 attend to
6. Jeremiah 15:18 Or cannot be trusted

#### Cross references

1. Jeremiah 15:1 : Ps. 99:6; Ezek. 14:14
2. Jeremiah 15:1 : Ex. 32:11–14; Num. 14:13–20; Ps. 99:6
3. Jeremiah 15:1 : 1 Sam. 7:9
4. Jeremiah 15:2 : Jer. 43:11; Ezek. 5:2, 12; Zech. 11:9; [Rev. 13:10]
5. Jeremiah 15:2 : Jer. 9:16; 16:13
6. Jeremiah 15:3 : Lev. 26:16, 21, 25; Jer. 12:3; Ezek. 14:21
7. Jeremiah 15:3 : Jer. 7:33
8. Jeremiah 15:4 : Deut. 28:25
9. Jeremiah 15:4 : 2 Kin. 24:3, 4
10. Jeremiah 15:6 : Jer. 2:13
11. Jeremiah 15:6 : Is. 1:4; Jer. 7:24
12. Jeremiah 15:6 : Jer. 20:16; Zech. 8:14
13. Jeremiah 15:7 : Jer. 18:21; Hos. 9:12–16
14. Jeremiah 15:7 : Is. 9:13; Jer. 5:3; Amos 4:10, 11
15. Jeremiah 15:8 : Is. 29:5
16. Jeremiah 15:9 : 1 Sam. 2:5; Is. 47:9
17. Jeremiah 15:9 : Jer. 6:4; Amos 8:9
18. Jeremiah 15:10 : Job 3:1; Jer. 20:14
19. Jeremiah 15:11 : Jer. 40:4, 5
20. Jeremiah 15:13 : Ps. 44:12; Is. 52:3
21. Jeremiah 15:14 : Deut. 28:36, 64; Jer. 16:13
22. Jeremiah 15:14 : Deut. 32:22; Ps. 21:9; Jer. 17:4
23. Jeremiah 15:15 : Jer. 12:3
24. Jeremiah 15:15 : Jer. 20:12
25. Jeremiah 15:15 : Ps. 69:7–9; Jer. 20:8
26. Jeremiah 15:16 : Ezek. 3:1, 3; Rev. 10:9
27. Jeremiah 15:16 : [Job 23:12; Ps. 119:72]
28. Jeremiah 15:17 : Ps. 26:4, 5
29. Jeremiah 15:18 : Job 34:6; Jer. 10:19; 30:15; Mic. 1:9
30. Jeremiah 15:18 : Job 6:15
31. Jeremiah 15:19 : Jer. 4:1; Zech. 3:7
32. Jeremiah 15:19 : 1 Kin. 17:1; Jer. 15:1
33. Jeremiah 15:19 : Jer. 6:29; Ezek. 22:26; 44:23
34. Jeremiah 15:20 : Jer. 1:18; 6:27; Ezek. 3:9
35. Jeremiah 15:20 : Ps. 46:7; Is. 41:10; Jer. 1:8, 19; 20:11; 37:21; 38:13; 39:11, 12

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Prayer Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $35.99
Save: $24.00 (40%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Bible Study Bible, Comfort Print: A Study Guide for Every Chapter of the Bible
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $13.99
Save: $5.99 (30%)
Buy Now
View more titles