Verse 11


For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.” (BSB)


For I [am] with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

(KJV)


I am with you and will save you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ (NIV)

Note


A pattern of softening the blow one particular interpretation of Verse 11 notably reduces the severity of promised punishment. The people of Israel have once again, turned away from God, who has rescued them with an inexhaustible capacity of forgiveness.  Of the three interpretations above, one leaves me with less trepidation than the others. The difference may be subtle, but I can see it. 

For this is what the LORD says: 

“Your injury is incurable; 

your wound is grievous. 

There is no one to plead your cause, 

no remedy for your sores, 

no recovery for you. 

All your lovers have forgotten you; 

they no longer seek you, 

for I have struck you as an enemy would, 

with the discipline of someone cruel, 

because of your great iniquity 

and your numerous sins. 

Why do you cry out over your wound? 

Your pain has no cure! 

Because of your great iniquity 

and your numerous sins 

I have done these things to you. 

Nevertheless, all who devour you will be devoured, 

and all your adversaries—every one of them—

will go off into exile. 

Those who plundered you will be plundered, 

and all who raided you will be raided. 

But I will restore your health and heal your wounds, 

declares the LORD, 

because they call you an outcast, 

Zion, for whom no one cares.” 

First Draft Reconciliation


Verse 17 is where my eye landed, and I took it in a context that was on point at the time.  God knows I needed my health restored, and my wounds were certainly deep. There are few iniquities that are more outcast then meth addicts. Even among addicts, we are pretty much seen as the gutter rats. I have attended meetings where opiate addicts are comparative heroes  compared to us. There was more than one occasion in rehab when I or another meth addict was asked to keep our issues to ourselves or leave, when those issues pertained to the specifics of our addiction. Put plainly, sex. 


Looking at the chapter in full context, and after watching Deep Bible Stories coverage of the book of Jeremiah, I can't help but see that I was wrong. And right. On closer examination I gain a more useful lesson here. God almost seems frantic in this passage. All day today I have been dwelling on the absurdity of the human condition. I see how we can turn away from reality and live in a state of pure arrogant fantasy and violently defend our position, even when it is based on nothing but conjecture and ignorance. We, as a race, seem to have found a way to survive and thrive outside the bounds of reason. We persecute those who should be honored and we worship that which should be despised. We do these things knowingly and willingly, and we stand up and cheer when our blatant idiocy leads to the pain of those who disagree with us. 


Substance abuse is no longer morally distinguishable from the basic human condition. Devotion to God is the only thing that can lead to a positive outcome for us. His message is always one of raising up our standards. It seems to me that the generally accepted patterns of modern man's behavior is to tear down that with which we disagree, or that which hinders the exercise of our own greed. What God is trying to teach Jeremiah is that Man inheritance morally corrupt because of our willingness to disbelieve that which we can see, and embrace that which we are promised by a system that no longer functions on a plane of reality. Those who created that plane of moral corruption are going to hell. Those who fight it will suffer some while we navigate the earthly realm, in accordance with our willingness to stray from singular purpose of serving His purpose. But once we walk away from Him and feed our souls with the filth of human nature, we give up our reward. Life really isn't as complicated as we want to make it. (Sep 21, 2026)