Jeremiah 14

The Drought

14The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: ^b

²Judah mourns;

her gates languish. ^c

Her people are on the ground in mourning;

Jerusalem’s cry rises up. ^d

³Their nobles send their servants ^efor water.

They go to the cisterns;

they find no water;

their containers return empty.

They are ashamed and humiliated;

they cover their heads. ^f

⁴The ground is cracked

since no rain has fallen on the land.

The farmers are ashamed; ^g

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 ^h

panting for air like jackals.

Their eyes fail

because there are no green plants.

⁷Though our guilt testifies against us,

Yahweh, act for Your name’s sake.

Indeed, our rebellions ⁱare many;

we have sinned against You. ^j

⁸Hope of Israel, ^k

its Savior in time of distress,

why are You like a foreigner in the land,

like a traveler stopping only for the night?

⁹Why are You like a helpless man,

like a warrior unable to save? ^l

Yet You are among us, Yahweh, ^m

and we are called by Your name.

Don’t leave us!

¹⁰This is what the Lord says concerning these people:

Truly they love to wander; ⁿ

they never rest their feet.

So the Lord does not accept them.

Now He will remember their guilt

and punish their sins. ^o

False Prophets to be Punished

¹¹Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of these people. ^p12If 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.” ^q

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 true peace in this place.’ ” ^r

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 ^sof their own minds. ^t

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 ^u—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, ^v

for the virgin daughter of my people

has been destroyed by a great disaster, ^w

an extremely severe wound. ^x

¹⁸If I go out to the field,

look—those slain by the sword!

If I enter the city,

look—those ill ^yfrom famine!

For both prophet and priest

travel to a land they do not know.

¹⁹Have You completely rejected Judah?

Do You detest ^zZion?

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. ^a

²⁰We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord,

the guilt of our fathers; ^b

indeed, we have sinned against You.

²¹Because of Your name, don’t despise us.

Don’t disdain Your glorious throne. ^c

Remember Your covenant ^dwith us;

do not break it.

²²Can any of the worthless idols of the nations ^ebring rain?

Or can the skies alone give showers?

Are You not the Lord our God?

We therefore put our hope in You, ^f

for You have done all these things.