Jeremiah 14:7–22

⁷O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it ^pfor thy name’s sake: for ^qour backslidings are many; ^rwe have sinned against thee. ^8sO the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as ^ta wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? ⁹Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man ^uthat cannot save? yet ^vthou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and ^†wwe are called by thy name; ^xleave us not. ¹⁰Thus saith the Lord unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore ^ythe Lord doth not accept them; ^yzhe will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. ¹¹Then said the Lord unto me, ^aPray not for this people ^bfor their good. ^12cWhen they fast, I will not hear their cry; and ^dwhen they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but ^eI will consume them by ^fthe sword, and by ^fthe famine, and by ^fthe pestilence.

^13gThen said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you ^†assured ^hpeace in this place. ¹⁴Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets ⁱprophesy lies in my name: ^jI sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and ^kdivination, and a thing of nought, and ^lthe deceit of their heart. ¹⁵Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and ^jI sent them not, ^myet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; ⁿBy sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. ¹⁶And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and ^othey shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them. ¹⁷Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them;

^pLet mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and ^qlet them not cease:

For the virgin ^rdaughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very ^sgrievous blow.

¹⁸If I go forth into ^tthe field, then behold the slain with the sword!

And if I enter ^tinto the city, then behold them that are sick with famine!

Yea, ^uboth the prophet and the priest ^||vgo about ^vvinto a land that they know not.

^19wHast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion?

Why hast thou smitten us, and ^xthere is no healing for us?

^yWe looked for peace, and there is no good;

And ^yfor the time of healing, and behold trouble!

²⁰We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers:

^zFor we have sinned against thee.

²¹Do not abhor us, ^afor thy name’s sake,

Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory:

^bRemember, break not thy covenant with us.

^22cAre there any among ^dthe vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain?

Or can the heavens give ^eshowers?

^fArt not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee:

For thou hast made ^gall these things.