14 *The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah aconcerning †bthe dearth.

2  Judah mourneth, and cthe gates thereof dlanguish;

eThey are black unto the ground;

And fthe cry of Jerusalem gis gone up.

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

They came to the pits, and found no water;

They returned with their vessels empty;

iThey were ashamed and confounded, and kcovered their heads.

4  Because the ground is chapt,

For lthere was no rain in the earth,

The plowmen were ashamed, kthey covered their heads.

5  Yea, mthe hind also calved in the field, and forsook it,

Because there was no grass.

6  And nthe wild asses did stand in the high places,

nThey snuffed up the wind like odragons;

Their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.

7 O 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. 8 sO 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? 9 Why 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. 10 Thus 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. 11 Then said the Lord unto me, aPray not for this people bfor their good. 12 cWhen 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.

13 gThen 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. 14 Then 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. 15 Therefore 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. 16 And 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. 17 Therefore 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.

18  If 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.

19  wHast 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!

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

zFor we have sinned against thee.

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

Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory:

bRemember, break not thy covenant with us.

22  cAre 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.