(KJV) Jeremiah 16¹

⥃Disaster Predicted

[1] The word² of the Lord came also unto me, saying, [2] Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.³ [3] For thus saith⁴ the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; [4] They shall die⁵ of grievous deaths; they shall not⁶ be lamented; neither⁷ shall they be buried; [but] they shall be as dung⁸ upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed⁹ by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat¹⁰ for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. [5] For thus saith the Lord, Enter¹¹ not into the house of mourning¹², neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have¹³ taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, [even] lovingkindness and mercies. [6] Both the great¹⁴ and the small shall die in this land: they¹⁵ shall not be buried, neither shall [men] lament for them, nor cut¹⁶ themselves, nor make themselves bald for them: [7] Neither shall [men] tear [themselves¹⁷] for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall [men] give them the cup¹⁸ of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother. [8] Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.¹⁹ [9] For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will²⁰ cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

[10] And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore²¹ hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what [is] our iniquity? or what [is] our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? [11] Then shalt thou say unto them, Because²² your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked²³ after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; [12] And ye have done worse²⁴ than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination²⁵ of his evil²⁶ heart, that they may not hearken unto me: [13] Therefore will I²⁷ cast you out of this land into a²⁸ land²⁹ that ye know not, [neither] ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

⥃God Will Restore Israel

[14] Therefore, behold³⁰, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought³¹ up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; [15] But, The Lord liveth, that brought³² up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

[16] [¶]Behold, I will send³³ for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters³⁴, and they shall hunt them from every mountain³⁵, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. [17] For mine eyes [are] upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.³⁶ [18] And first³⁷ I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled³⁸ my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases³⁹ of their detestable and abominable things. [19] O Lord, my strength⁴⁰, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles⁴¹ shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely⁴² our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and [things] wherein⁴³ [there is] no profit. [20] Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they [are] no gods?⁴⁴ [21] Therefore, behold, I will this⁴⁵ once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they⁴⁶ shall know that my name [is] The Lord⁴⁷.