Jeremiah 14–15

THE DROUGHT

14This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:^h

²Judah mourns;

her city gates languish.ⁱ

Her people are on the ground in mourning;

Jerusalem’s cry rises up.^j

³Their nobles send their servants^C for water.

They go to the cisterns;

they find no water;

their containers return empty.

They are ashamed and humiliated;

they cover their heads.^k

⁴The ground is cracked

since no rain has fallen on the land.

The farmers are ashamed;^l

they cover their heads.

⁵Even the doe in the field

gives birth and abandons her fawn

since there is no grass.

⁶Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights^m

panting for air like jackals.

Their eyes fail

because there are no green plants.

⁷Though our iniquities testify against us,

Lord, act for your name’s sake.

Indeed, our rebellionsⁿ are many;

we have sinned against you.^o

⁸Hope of Israel,^p

its Savior in time of distress,

why are you like a resident alien in the land,

like a traveler stopping only for the night?

⁹Why are you like a helpless man,

like a warrior unable to save?^q

Yet you are among us, Lord,^r

and we bear your name.

Don’t leave us!

¹⁰This is what the Lord says concerning these people:

Truly they love to wander;^s

they never rest their feet.

So the Lord does not accept them.

Now he will remember their iniquity

and punish their sins.^t

FALSE PROPHETS TO BE PUNISHED

¹¹Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of these people.^{u 12}If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.”^v

¹³And I replied, “Oh no, Lord God! The prophets are telling them, ‘You won’t see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you lasting peace in this place.’ ”^w

¹⁴But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit^x of their own minds.^y

¹⁵“Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will never be sword or famine in this land.’ By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end. ¹⁶The people they are prophesying to will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword. There will be no one to bury them^z—they, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will pour out their own evil on them.”

JEREMIAH’S REQUEST

¹⁷You are to speak this word to them:

Let my eyes overflow with tears;

day and night may they not stop,^a

for the virgin daughter of my people^A

has been destroyed by a crushing blow,^b

an extremely severe wound.^c

¹⁸If I go out to the field,

look—those slain by the sword!

If I enter the city,

look—those ill^d from famine!

For both prophet and priest

travel to a land they do not know.

¹⁹Have you completely rejected Judah?

Do you detest^e Zion?

Why do you strike us

with no hope of healing for us?

We hoped for peace,

but there was nothing good;

for a time of healing,

but there was only terror.^f

²⁰We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,

the iniquity of our ancestors;^g

indeed, we have sinned against you.

²¹For your name’s sake, don’t despise us.

Don’t disdain your glorious throne.^h

Remember your covenantⁱ with us;

do not break it.

²²Can any of the worthless idols of the nations^j bring rain?

Or can the skies alone give showers?

Are you not the Lord our God?

We therefore put our hope in you,^k

for you have done all these things.

THE LORD’S NEGATIVE RESPONSE

15Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel^* should stand before me,^o my compassions would not reach out to these people. Send them from my presence, and let them go.^{p 2}If they ask you, ‘Where will we go?’ tell them: This is what the Lord says:

Those destined for death,^q to death;

those destined for the sword, to the sword.

Those destined for famine, to famine;

those destined for captivity, to captivity.

³“I will ordain four kinds^A of judgment for them”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away,^r and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land^s to devour and destroy. ⁴I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh^t son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

⁵Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?^u

Who will show sympathy toward you?^v

Who will turn aside

to ask about your well-being?

⁶You have left me.”^w

This is the Lord’s declaration.

“You have turned your back,

so I have stretched out my hand against you

and destroyed you.

I am tired^x of showing compassion.

⁷I scattered them with a winnowing fork

at the city gates of the land.

I made them childless; I destroyed my people.

They would not turn from their ways.^y

⁸I made their widows more numerous

than the sand of the seas.^z

I brought a destroyer at noon

against the mother of young men.

I suddenly released on her

agitation and terrors.

⁹The mother of seven grew faint;^aa

she breathed her last breath.

Her sun set while it was still day;

she was ashamed and humiliated.

The rest of them I will give over to the sword

in the presence of their enemies.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

JEREMIAH’S COMPLAINT

¹⁰Woe is me, my mother,

that you gave birth to me,^ab

a man who incites dispute and conflict

in all the land.

I did not lend or borrow,

yet everyone curses me.^ac

THE LORD’S RESPONSE

¹¹The Lord said:

Haven’t I set you loose for your good? Haven’t I punished you

in a time of trouble,

in a time of distress

with the enemy?^A

¹²Can anyone smash iron,

iron from the north, or bronze?

¹³I will give up your wealth

and your treasures as plunder,

without cost,^a for all your sins

in all your borders.

¹⁴Then I will make you serve your enemies^B

in a land you do not know,

for my anger will kindle a fire

that will burn against you.^b

JEREMIAH’S PRAYER FOR VENGEANCE

¹⁵You know,^c Lord;

remember me and take note of me.^d

Avenge me against my persecutors.^e

In your patience,^C don’t take me away.

Know that I suffer disgrace for your honor.^f

¹⁶Your words were found, and I ate them.^g

Your words became a delight to me

and the joy of my heart,

for I bear your name,^h

Lord God of Armies.

¹⁷I never sat with the band of revelers,

and I did not celebrate with them.

Because your hand was on me, I sat alone,ⁱ

for you filled me with indignation.

¹⁸Why has my pain become unending,

my wound incurable,^j

refusing to be healed?

You truly have become like a mirage to me—

water that is not reliable.

JEREMIAH TOLD TO REPENT

¹⁹Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

If you return, I will take you back;

you will stand in my presence.

And if you speak noble words,

rather than worthless ones,

you will be my spokesman.^k

It is they who must return to you;

you must not return to them.

²⁰Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze

to this people.

They will fight against you

but will not overcome you,

for I am with you

to save you and rescue you.^l

This is the Lord’s declaration.

²¹I will rescue you from the power of evil people

and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.