Faced with immanent destruction at the hands of the Babylonians, the people of Judah cry out to the Lord for help. At one level this is completely understandable, but the Lord questions their cry for help. This verse repeats the statements about the seriousness of Judah’s sin, emphasizing just how bad it is. But this repetition also reveals the following chiasm in Jeremiah 30:14–15 which places the reader's focus on the question in Jeremiah 31:15a1:
A-The Lord who has acted against Judah (Jeremiah 31:14b)
B –Because your sin is great (Jeremiah 31:14c)
C–Why do you cry out over your hurt?
(Jeremiah 31:15a)
B’–Because your sin is great.
A’–The Lord has acted against Judah (Jeremiah 31:15c).
It is it clear that Judah has no grounds to cry out to the Lord for help and yet he is going to save and restore them. “This structure reminds the reader of God's sovereignty and freedom to choose to save rather than to destroy"2.
15 Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you.