Jeremiah 15: Words That Became a Joy
Even as judgment is sealed and the prophet feels cursed and alone, he finds that God's words are the sustaining joy of his heart.
Jeremiah 15 (WEB)
1 Then Yahweh said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go out.
2 It shall happen, when they tell you, Where shall we go out? Then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh: 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 captivity, to captivity.
3 I will appoint over them four kinds, says Yahweh: the sword to kill, and the dogs to tear, and the birds of the sky, and the animals of the earth, to devour and to destroy.
4 I will cause them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? or who will bemoan you? or who will turn aside to ask of your welfare?
6 You have rejected me, says Yahweh, you have gone backward: therefore have I stretched out my hand against you, and destroyed you; I am weary with repenting.
7 I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they didn’t return from their ways.
8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas; I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday: I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly.
9 She who has borne seven languishes; she has given up the spirit; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she has been disappointed and confounded: and their residue will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, says Yahweh.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet everyone of them curses me.
11 Yahweh said, Most certainly I will strengthen you for good; most certainly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass?
13 Your substance and your treasures will I give for a plunder without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your borders.
14 I will make them to pass with your enemies into a land which you don’t know; for a fire is kindled in my anger, which shall burn on you.
15 Yahweh, you know; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; you are patient, so don’t take me away. Know that for your sake I have suffered reproach.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.
17 I didn’t sit in the assembly of those who make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of your hand; for you have filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?
19 Therefore thus says Yahweh, If you return, then I will bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: they shall return to you, but you shall not return to them.
20 I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; and they shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you, says Yahweh.
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible.
Jeremiah 15 (KJV)
1 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.
8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.
9 She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the Lord.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.
11 The Lord said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.
15 O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Jeremiah 15 (ASV)
1 Then said Jehovah unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
2 And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith Jehovah: 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 captivity, to captivity.
3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith Jehovah: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.
4 And I will cause them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who will bemoan thee? or who will turn aside to ask of thy welfare?
6 Thou hast rejected me, saith Jehovah, thou art gone backward: therefore have I stretched out my hand against thee, and destroyed thee; I am weary with repenting.
7 And I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they returned not from their ways.
8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas; I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday: I have caused anguish and terrors to fall upon her suddenly.
9 She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she hath been put to shame and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith Jehovah.
10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.
11 Jehovah said, Verily I will strengthen thee for good; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication unto thee in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass?
13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 And I will make them to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.
15 O Jehovah, thou knowest; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach.
16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts.
17 I sat not in the assembly of them that make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand; for thou hast filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou indeed be unto me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail?
19 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, that thou mayest stand before me; and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: they shall return unto thee, but thou shalt not return unto them.
20 And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.
21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Summary
Yahweh tells Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him to intercede, his mind would not turn toward this people; their destiny is sealed for death, sword, famine, and captivity. The judgment traces back to the sins of Manasseh, and God declares he is weary of relenting. In the midst of this dark oracle, Jeremiah cries out as a man of strife born for contention, hated though he has wronged no one. Then comes one of Scripture's tenderest confessions: “Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart.” Yet the same prophet sits alone, filled with indignation, asking why his pain is perpetual and whether God has become to him like a deceitful brook that fails. God's answer is both a rebuke and a promise: if Jeremiah returns and speaks what is precious rather than worthless, he will stand as God's mouth, and God will make him a fortified bronze wall that his enemies cannot overcome. The Lord pledges to be with him to save and deliver him from the hand of the wicked. The chapter holds together stark judgment, raw lament, and the deep comfort of feeding on the word of God.
Voices
- Jeremiah — The lonely prophet who feels cursed by his calling, yet confesses that God's words are the joy and rejoicing of his heart.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who declares judgment sealed beyond intercession, yet promises to strengthen, save, and deliver his faithful prophet.
- Moses and Samuel — The great intercessors of Israel's past, named to show that even their prayers could not now turn back the coming judgment.
Key Verse
Jeremiah 15:16 (WEB)
Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.
Lessons Learned
- God's word is meant to be received inwardly and treasured as nourishment, not merely heard (Jeremiah 15:16).
- Faithfulness to God can bring loneliness and reproach rather than approval from the world.
- It is honest, and even faithful, to bring our complaints and confusion directly to God.
- God renews and strengthens those who return to him and speak what is precious rather than worthless (Jeremiah 15:19-20).
- God's words feed the soul. “Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy” (Jeremiah 15:16, WEB). Scripture is bread for the heart, not just information for the mind.
- The lonely path can be the faithful path. “I sat alone because of your hand” (Jeremiah 15:17, WEB). Standing with God may mean standing apart from the crowd.
- Lament belongs in true faith. Jeremiah dares to ask if God is “a deceitful brook” (Jeremiah 15:18, WEB). God welcomes honest anguish that still turns toward him.
- God promises to keep his servants. “I am with you to save you and to deliver you” (Jeremiah 15:20, WEB). The Lord makes the faithful a wall his enemies cannot break.
- What does it mean that even Moses and Samuel could not turn back this judgment (15:1)?
- How can the same prophet describe God's words as “a joy” (15:16) yet also feel his pain is “perpetual” (15:18)?
- What does it look like to “eat” God's words rather than merely read or hear them?
- How does God's response in verses 19-21 both correct Jeremiah and comfort him?
- Have you experienced a season when God's word was your joy even in loneliness or pain? What sustained you?
- Moses and Samuel were Israel's mightiest intercessors, yet God says even their prayers would not now move him (15:1). The point is the depth of the people's hardness, not a limit on God's mercy—judgment delayed many times has finally ripened. Help the group feel the weight of persistent rebellion.
- Jeremiah holds both truths at once: the word of God genuinely delights him, and his calling genuinely costs him. Faith does not require us to deny our pain; it lets us carry joy and sorrow together before the Lord. Encourage members that this tension is normal in the life of faith.
- To eat God's words is to take them in deeply, to let them become part of us and nourish us, as Ezekiel and John later picture too. Invite the group to move from skimming Scripture to feeding on it—meditating, savoring, and living from it.
- God gently rebukes Jeremiah's self-pity, calling him to return and speak what is precious, then immediately promises to make him an unbreakable bronze wall (15:19-20). Correction and comfort come together; God restores his servant and recommits to protect him.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a hard, lonely season when Scripture became sweet and sustaining. As leader, share gently and point to Jesus, the Word made flesh, who is our truest joy in every trial.