Jeremiah 15:2

2 And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: “ ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’

Jeremiah 15:2 in Other Translations

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.

2 And when they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: "'Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword, to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to captivity.'

2 And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: “‘Those who are destined for death, to death; those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’

2 And if they ask you, 'So where do we go?' tell them God says, "'If you're assigned to die, go and die; if assigned to war, go and get killed; If assigned to starve, go starve; if assigned to exile, off to exile you go!'

2 If they ask you: Where will we go? you must tell them: This is what the Lord says: Those [destined] for death, to death; those [destined] for the sword, to the sword. Those [destined] for famine, to famine; those [destined] for captivity, to captivity.

Jeremiah 15:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 15:2

And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee
As doubtless they will, when this message is brought to them: whither shall we go forth?
in a jeering scornful manner, not believing that this would be their case: then thou shall tell them, thus saith the Lord, such as are for death,
to death;
such as were appointed to death, or to die by the pestilence, which is often signified by death; they shall go forth unto it; or it shall meet them, and seize upon them, and take them away: and such as are for the sword, to the sword;
who are appointed to die by the sword of the enemy, into whose hands they should fall by attempting to escape out of the city, shall perish by it: and such as are for the famine, to the famine;
such as are appointed to die by that, shall die of it in the city, where they shall be besieged, and not be able to get out to fetch in any provisions, and where none can be brought, because of the enemy: and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity;
such as are spared from the pestilence, sword, and famine, and are designed to be carried captive into a strange land, shall be taken and carried thither; nor will it be in their power, or in any other's, to hinder any of the above things, to which they are appointed of God. According to the Jews, the latter of these is more grievous than the former; as the sword than death, and famine than the sword, so captivity than them all {w}.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab Bava Bathra, fol. 8. 2.

Jeremiah 15:2 In-Context

1 Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!

2 And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: “ ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’

3 “I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” declares the LORD, “the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy.

4 I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

5 “Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 42:22; Jeremiah 43:11; Jeremiah 44:13
• 2. S Deuteronomy 28:26; S Jeremiah 14:12; Lamentations 4:9
• 3. Ezekiel 12:11; Revelation 13:10