Read The Skeptics Annotated Bible Online
Authors: Steve Wells
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say,
Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
(14.15)
“Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.”
16 And
the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
(14.16)
“The people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.”
17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.
18 If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.
19 Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble!
20 We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.
21 Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
(15.1)
“Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people.”
God tells Jeremiah not to bother praying for the people. Even if Moses and Samuel (and Jesus?) were to ask him to reconsider, he wouldn’t. He’s going to kill everybody and nobody can stop him!
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.
(15.2-4) God has it all planned out. He’ll kill some with the sword, some with famine, and he’ll feed the rest to the dogs and birds. Why will he do these terrible things? Because of something a former king did.
2 And 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.
(15.2)
“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.”
3 And
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.
(15.3)
“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.”
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.
(15.4)
“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.”
41 Are we punished for the sins of others?
5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?
6 Thou 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
.
(15.6)
“I am weary with repenting.”
32 Does God repent?
116 Does God ever get tired?
(15.7-9) God again threatens Jerusalem with mass destruction. Here are some of the highlights: He will kill children, make more widows than there are grains of sand, terrorize cities, and then kill the survivors.