6 Though the concept of “cisterns” is probably not familiar to some readers, it would be a mistake to translate this word as “well.” Wells have continual sources of water. Cisterns were pits dug in the ground and lined with plaster to hold rain water. The drought had exhausted all the water in the cisterns.
7 The word “containers” is a generic word in Hebrew = “vessels.” It would probably in this case involve water “jars” or “jugs.” But since in contemporary English one would normally associate those terms with smaller vessels, “containers” may be safer.
8 Heb “they cover their heads.” Some of the English versions have gone wrong here because of the “normal” use of the words translated here “disappointed” and “dismayed.” They are regularly translated “ashamed” and “disgraced, humiliated, dismayed” elsewhere (see e.g., Jer 22:22); they are somewhat synonymous terms which are often parallel or combined. The key here, however, is the expression “they cover their heads” which is used in 2 Sam 15:30 for the expression of grief. Moreover, the word translated here “disappointed” (בּוֹשׁ, bosh) is used that way several times. See for example Jer 12:13 and consult examples in 101 בּוֹשׁ Qal.2. A very similar context with the same figure is found in Jer 2:36–37.
9 For the use of the verb “is cracked” here see 369 חָתַת Qal.1 and compare the usage in Jer 51:56 where it refers to broken bows. The form is a relative clause without relative pronoun (cf., §155.f). The sentence as a whole is related to the preceding through a particle meaning “because of” or “on account of.” Hence the subject and verb have been repeated to make the connection.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Her nobles send their servants for water;

they come to the cisterns;

they find no water;

they return with their vessels empty;

they are ashamed and confounded

and cover their heads.

Because of the ground that is dismayed,

since there is no rain on the land,

the farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The nobles send their servants for water;

they go to the cisterns

but find no water.

They return with their jars unfilled;

dismayed and despairing,

they cover their heads.

The ground is cracked

because there is no rain in the land;

the farmers are dismayed

and cover their heads.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Their nobles send their servants for water.

They go to the cisterns;

they find no water;

their containers return empty.

They are ashamed and humiliated;

they cover their heads.

The ground is cracked

since no rain has fallen on the land.

The farmers are ashamed;

they cover their heads.

NLTNew Living Translation

The nobles send servants to get water,

but all the wells are dry.

The servants return with empty pitchers,

confused and desperate,

covering their heads in grief.

The ground is parched

and cracked for lack of rain.

The farmers are deeply troubled;

they, too, cover their heads.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And their nobles send their servants for water.

They come to the pits, they find no water.

They return with their vessels empty.

They are ashamed, and they are confounded,

and they cover their heads.

Because of the ground, which is cracked

because there was no rain on the ground.

The farmers are ashamed,

they cover their heads.

KJV 1900King James Version

And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters:

They came to the pits, and found no water;

They returned with their vessels empty;

They were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Because the ground is chapt,

For there was no rain in the earth,

The plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

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