Jeremiah 14–15

Drought, Famine, Sword

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

²“Judah mourns,^q

her cities languish;

they wail for the land,

and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.

³The nobles send their servants for water;

they go to the cisterns

but find no water.^r

They return with their jars unfilled;

dismayed and despairing,

they cover their heads.^s

⁴The ground is cracked

because there is no rain in the land;^t

the farmers are dismayed

and cover their heads.

⁵Even the doe in the field

deserts her newborn fawn

because there is no grass.^u

⁶Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights^v

and pant like jackals;

their eyes fail

for lack of food.”^w

⁷Although our sins testify^x against us,

do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.^y

For we have often rebelled;^z

we have sinned^a against you.

⁸You who are the hope^b of Israel,

its Savior^c in times of distress,^d

why are you like a stranger in the land,

like a traveler who stays only a night?

⁹Why are you like a man taken by surprise,

like a warrior powerless to save?^e

You are among^f us, Lord,

and we bear your name;^g

do not forsake^h us!

¹⁰This is what the Lord says about this people:

“They greatly love to wander;

they do not restrain their feet.ⁱ

So the Lord does not accept^j them;

he will now remember^k their wickedness

and punish them for their sins.”^l

¹¹Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray^m for the well-being of this people. ¹²Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry;ⁿ though they offer burnt offerings^o and grain offerings,^p I will not accept^q them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword,^r famine^s and plague.”^t

¹³But I said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! The prophets^u keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine.^v Indeed, I will give you lasting peace^w in this place.’ ”

¹⁴Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies^x in my name. I have not sent^y them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions,^z divinations,^a idolatries^a and the delusions of their own minds. ¹⁵Therefore this is what the Lord says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish^b by sword and famine.^{c 16}And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury^d them, their wives, their sons and their daughters.^e I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.^f

¹⁷“Speak this word to them:

“ ‘Let my eyes overflow with tears^g

night and day without ceasing;

for the Virgin^h Daughter, my people,

has suffered a grievous wound,

a crushing blow.ⁱ

¹⁸If I go into the country,

I see those slain by the sword;

if I go into the city,

I see the ravages of famine.^j

Both prophet and priest

have gone to a land they know not.^k’ ”

¹⁹Have you rejected Judah completely?^l

Do you despise Zion?

Why have you afflicted us

so that we cannot be healed?^m

We hoped for peace

but no good has come,

for a time of healing

but there is only terror.ⁿ

²⁰We acknowledge^o our wickedness, Lord,

and the guilt of our ancestors;^p

we have indeed sinned^q against you.

²¹For the sake of your name^r do not despise us;

do not dishonor your glorious throne.^s

Remember your covenant^t with us

and do not break it.

²²Do any of the worthless idols^u of the nations bring rain?^v

Do the skies themselves send down showers?

No, it is you, Lord our God.

Therefore our hope is in you,

for you are the one who does all this.^w

15Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses^x and Samuel^y were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.^z Send them away from my presence!^a Let them go! ²And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘Those destined for death, to death;

those for the sword, to the sword;^b

those for starvation, to starvation;^c

those for captivity, to captivity.’^d

³“I will send four kinds of destroyers^e against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword^f to kill and the dogs^g to drag away and the birds^h and the wild animals to devour and destroy.^{i 4}I will make them abhorrent^j to all the kingdoms of the earth^k because of what Manasseh^l son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

⁵“Who will have pity^m on you, Jerusalem?

Who will mourn for you?

Who will stop to ask how you are?

⁶You have rejectedⁿ me,” declares the Lord.

“You keep on backsliding.

So I will reach out^o and destroy you;

I am tired of holding back.^p

⁷I will winnow^q them with a winnowing fork

at the city gates of the land.

I will bring bereavement^r and destruction on my people,^s

for they have not changed their ways.^t

⁸I will make their widows^u more numerous

than the sand of the sea.

At midday I will bring a destroyer^v

against the mothers of their young men;

suddenly I will bring down on them

anguish and terror.^w

⁹The mother of seven will grow faint^x

and breathe her last.^y

Her sun will set while it is still day;

she will be disgraced^z and humiliated.

I will put the survivors to the sword^a

before their enemies,”^b

declares the Lord.

¹⁰Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,^c

a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!^d

I have neither lent^e nor borrowed,

yet everyone curses^f me.

¹¹The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you^g for a good purpose;

surely I will make your enemies plead^h with you

in times of disaster and times of distress.

¹²“Can a man break iron—

iron from the northⁱ—or bronze?

¹³“Your wealth^j and your treasures

I will give as plunder,^k without charge,^l

because of all your sins

throughout your country.^m

¹⁴I will enslave you to your enemies

in^a a land you do not know,ⁿ

for my anger will kindle a fire^o

that will burn against you.”

¹⁵Lord, you understand;

remember me and care for me.

Avenge me on my persecutors.^p

You are long-suffering^q—do not take me away;

think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.^r

¹⁶When your words came, I ate^s them;

they were my joy and my heart’s delight,^t

for I bear your name,^u

Lord God Almighty.

¹⁷I never sat^v in the company of revelers,

never made merry with them;

I sat alone because your hand^w was on me

and you had filled me with indignation.

¹⁸Why is my pain unending

and my wound grievous and incurable?^x

You are to me like a deceptive brook,

like a spring that fails.^y

¹⁹Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you

that you may serve^z me;

if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,

you will be my spokesman.^a

Let this people turn to you,

but you must not turn to them.

²⁰I will make you a wall^b to this people,

a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you

but will not overcome^c you,

for I am with you

to rescue and save you,”^d

declares the Lord.

²¹“I will save^e you from the hands of the wicked^f

and deliver^g you from the grasp of the cruel.”^h